FOUR people were convicted of offences relating to undersized crabs in Mandurah Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The first, Tung Lung Ling, was caught on November 21, 2015, in Coodanup.
Ling was found with 39 blue manna crabs, all of which measured less than the 127mm legal size.
The smallest of Ling’s was 85.5mm.
The offender said he did not know the size limit and had no gauge to measure his catch.
He was fined $500 plus court costs of $169.10 and an additional penalty of $1950.
The second conviction attracted a similar fine and an additional $1250 penalty for Joseph Murphy Kapua, who was caught on November 8 at Herron Point.
Fisheries Officers found 25 undersized crabs in the boot of his car.
Kapua told officers he was intending to eat his catch.
Finally, Marie-Laure and Phico Wong-Chin-Chan were fine $600 each plus costs and an additional penalty of $3100.
The pair was caught with 62 undersized blue manna crabs on November 21.
The smallest of their catch measured just 74.3mm.
In all cases, Fisheries Officers seized and released the crabs.
The maximum penalty for anyone taking crabs under 127mm is $5000.
Two other men – Andrew Michael Collyer and Aaron Edwin Pollard – will face court on February 2 to answer further Fisheries charges of interfering with a net or trap or other gear used for fishing.
None of the offenders or accused appeared in court.