[Photo: Supplied]
The Suva High Court has fined a 55-year-old Chinese national $10,000 for illegally possessing 266.45 kilograms of restricted cucumbers during the seasonal ban.
Xiao Yuan Hou pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with seasonal and species restrictions under the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulations 2014.
The court heard that Fisheries Enforcement Officers found 11 concealed sacks containing White Teatfish, Black Teatfish and Prickly Redfish at a warehouse in Walu Bay on June 9.
Hou admitted knowing the species were restricted and told investigators he bought them from local fishermen for personal consumption.
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The court imposed the maximum $10,000 fine, citing the large quantity, concealment and Hou’s knowledge of the restrictions.
The court odered him to pay the fine in five monthly instalments of $2,000, with the final payment due by February 26 next year.
The court also ordered the seized sea cucumbers to be destroyed by the Department of Fisheries.