Seven Indigenous Men Cleared After Abalone Charges Dropped

After two and a half years of anxiety and courtroom battles, seven Indigenous men from Australia's South Coast can finally breathe easy.

Prosecutors withdrew all charges against the Walbunja men who were accused of illegally trafficking thousands of blacklip abalone. The case collapsed when defense lawyers challenged surveillance evidence that claimed to identify the men from up to 540 meters away using binoculars and cameras.

The seven defendants, ranging in age from 22 to 69, had faced serious criminal charges that could have meant up to 10 years in prison. Police alleged they worked as an organized group to traffic abalone across New South Wales and into Sydney, with quantities reaching over 1,300 shellfish in single incidents.

But the evidence didn't hold up to scrutiny. Defense lawyer Wayne Boom explained that witnesses claimed they could recognize individual faces and identify abalone the size of a hand from over 500 meters away. When the actual surveillance footage was examined, those claims became impossible to believe.

The investigation itself was massive. Police and fisheries officers conducted over 200 hours of undercover filming and recorded hundreds of hours of phone conversations at an estimated cost of more than $2 million to taxpayers.

For John Henry Carriage, 46, the ordeal took a heavy toll. "I've had a lot of stress over the last two and a half years, with no evidence of these accusations," he said outside Nowra Local Court.

The case highlights an ongoing tension between Indigenous cultural fishing rights and state regulations. Under fisheries law, Aboriginal people can take up to 10 abalone daily for cultural needs, but the line between cultural practice and commercial activity remains contentious.

The Bright Side

This outcome represents more than just seven men avoiding conviction. It shows the justice system working when evidence is properly challenged and scrutinized, even after millions were spent on an investigation.

Danny Chapman, an elected member of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, hopes this sends a message. He's calling for dialogue instead of prosecution, urging authorities to work with Indigenous communities on fishing practices rather than defaulting to criminal charges every time.

The defendants are now seeking to have NSW Police cover their legal costs. That hearing will take place Friday, potentially bringing final closure to a case that never should have gone this far.

Sometimes the best news is when the system corrects itself before causing irreparable harm.