Poacher stuffs lobsters in his own trousers

Allyson Hunt / Assistant News Editor / The USD Vista

Excuse me sir, but could you please remove those lobsters from your pants? Surely this is a sentence that La Jolla law enforcement never dreamed they would have to utter. Unfortunately for the six lobsters concealed in Binh Quang Chau’s pants, they did. Chau, a 33 year-old San Diego native, has been cited four times for poaching lobsters from the La Jolla State Marine Conservation Area. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) warden Daryl Simmons said Chau was arrested when they noticed “odd bulges” in his pants. All of the lobsters found in Chau’s possesion were undersized and out of season.

Due to the rising price and popularity of lobsters, officials have noticed an influx in pre-season poachers. Harry Morris, media advisory for the DFG, expressed the department’s diligence, “You have to be very vigilant to find all the different methods that people come up with to conceal lobsters,” he said.

With only 200 wardens statewide, the DFG must perform a series of poaching patrols. It can be difficult to catch all of the offenders with a staff smaller than USD’s own Public Safety staff.

Because Chau is a repeat offender and he has shown consistent disregard for fish and game laws, he was booked at San Diego County Jail where he was held for six days.

Chau combined the three cases that the DFG made against him and plead guilty. His plea agreement called for three years probation with a penalty of 90 days in jail if he violates his probation. It also called for 13 days of work service, a three-year suspension of all fishing in state ocean waters out to three miles and a $500 fine.

Members of the concerned public will be pleased to know that all six of the ill-gotten lobsters were safely returned to the ocean after being removed from Mr. Chau’s pants.