Prawn farms fined and managers gaoled

The NSW North Coast is sometimes called the Northern Rivers or Many Rivers region with good reason. Most of its local government areas contain major river systems and those on the coast also feature estuaries. The largest of these estuaries is on the Clarence River with the small towns of Yamba and Iluka on its banks .

Local economies depend on these coastal estuaries which support both professional and recreational fishers and contribute to tourism, so it is particularly chilling to read a media release such as this from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:

DAFF10/001D31 March 2010
Three prawn farm operators from Australia’s east coast have been sentenced to up to four years in jail after being found guilty of illegally importing feed products.
The two prawn aquaculture companies involved have also been fined a total of $80,000 by the Brisbane District Court over the illegal importation.
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) officers from the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) uncovered the breach during an investigation in 2006 called ‘Operation Penaeus’.
Deputy Secretary, Biosecurity Services Group Rona Mellor said prawn feed which is imported without proper quarantine checks could pose a biosecurity risk to Australian seafood industries, through the introduction of exotic prawn diseases or pests.
“The sentences handed down by the Brisbane District Court send a strong message to anyone considering illegally importing products into Australia,” Ms Mellor said.
The Mission Beach farm manager and company director of Fortune Enterprises Australia Pty Ltd, Fang Che Yang, and the Yamba farm manager of Fortune Enterprises Australia Pty Ltd, Chung Yan Lee, both pleaded guilty to aiding in the commission of an aggravated illegal importation offence contrary to section 67 (3) of the Quarantine Act 1908.
Mr Yang and Mr Lee were each sentenced to three years jail and could be released after a period of six months on entering into $1000 good behaviour bond for a further period of two years.
The Proserpine farm manager of Hamilton Prawn Farm Pty Ltd and company director Hsien Chin Tsai pleaded guilty to aiding in the illegal importation and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mr Tsai was sentenced to three years jail on the illegal importation charge and a further year on the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Mr Tsai may be released after a period of nine months on entering into $1000 good behaviour bond for a further period of two years.
The companies, Fortune Enterprises Australia and Hamilton Prawn Farm Pty Ltd both entered guilty pleas to aggravated illegal importation charges and were fined $40,000 each.