A 55-year-old man was fined $10,000 by the High Court in Suva today after pleading guilty to possessing more than 266 kilograms of restricted sea cucumber species during a closed season.
Xiao Yuan Hou received his sentence before Justice Daniel Goundar on one count of failure to comply with seasonal and species restrictions, contrary to Regulation 4(1) of the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulations 2014.
The charge followed a compliance check conducted by Fisheries Enforcement Officers on June 9, 2026, at a sea cucumber processing facility operated by Huayi Bros Company (Fiji) Pte Ltd at Lot 1 Foster Road, Walu Bay, Suva.
During the inspection, officers discovered 11 sacks hidden in a second storage room, separate from lawful species.
The concealed sacks contained a total of 266.45 kilograms of restricted species, including White Teatfish (Holothuria fuscogilva), Black Teatfish (Holothuria whitmaei), and Prickly Redfish (Thelenota ananas).
In a caution interview on July 2, 2026, Hou admitted to knowing that the species were restricted and acknowledged that they were found on his premises.
He explained that three or four local fishermen had brought him the fully dried sea cucumbers, which he bought for approximately $3000, claiming they were intended for personal consumption.
However, Justice Goundar emphasized during sentencing that the substantial quantity involved, the intentional concealment, and the fact that the offense occurred during the statutory closed season, running from February 1 to July 31, 2026, severely undermined Fiji’s marine conservation efforts.
Taking into account Hou’s early guilty plea, his lack of prior convictions, and his age, Justice Goundar recorded a conviction and imposed the maximum fine of $10,000.
The court granted Hou’s application to pay the fine in five monthly instalments of $2000, commencing October 30, 2026, and concluding February 26, 2027.
Justice Goundar also ordered that all 266.45 kg of seized restricted sea cucumbers be destroyed by the Department of Fisheries in accordance with the law.
