I was reading an article today about the abalone poaching ring bust and ran across this little eye opener.

Mark Michilizzi, a Department Fish & Wildlife warden was quoted, “As many as 250,000 abalone get poached off the California coast each year,” An abalone can go for about $800 a piece on the black market, Fish & Wildlife officials say.

Of course not all are sold, but the economic loss is still $200 million a year. The fines being levied pale in comparison to the damage being done as once abundant sites are closed or depleted. The State Legislature needs to set far tougher economic penalties against the poachers and the buyers of illegal abalone take. Jail time won’t do any good with our overcrowded prisons and jails, but big fines would. And those fines need to extend to restaurants, markets and exporters who violate the chain of legal custody.

How many of you divers or environmentalists will take the little time to email your State Assemblyperson and Senator and ask for really tough legislation and fines to stop this damage?