Claws out to stop illegal crabbing

[Fisheries Queensland]

Queensland Government
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

15 August 2013
Claws out to stop illegal crabbing

Queensland recreational crabbers are being warned to crab responsibly and to show respect for fellow crabbers after a spate of unlawful crabbing practices.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) officer Lyndon Peddell said crab pot interference and other illegal crabbing practices were major compliance issues for the patrol.

“There has been an increase in the number of complaints involving people allegedly removing crabs from pots.

“It’s obvious that some fishers are just not getting the message,” he said.

“Interfering with crabbing apparatus that are not your own is a serious offence and you will be caught.

“Anyone caught unlawfully interfering with crab apparatus will face an on-the-spot fine of $1100 or maximum penalties up to $55,000. That’s a lot more expensive than the cost of buying a crab from your local seafood store.

“Stealing crabs or crab pots is a criminal offence, so those caught will also be referred to the police for investigation,” he said.

Mr Peddell said people should be aware of all current crabbing rules including size and possession limits as well as crab pot regulations before hitting the water.

“There are different size and possession limits as well as measuring methods for the various crab species.”

BREAKOUT BOX

Crab size and possession limits

Mud crab
15cm min size limit - possession limit of 10


95541


Blue swimmer or sand crab
11.5cm min size limit - no possession limit


95542


Spanner or frog crab
10cm min size limit - possession limit of 20


95543


END BREAKOUT BOX

“Female mud and blue swimmer crabs are no-take species and should be returned to the water immediately.

“It is also illegal to possess crabs with the carapace missing and crab meat while at sea unless it is for immediate consumption.

“No more than four crab pots or dillies, or a combination of both, are permitted to be used by a person at any time. They need to be clearly marked with the owner’s name and address and if using a float, it must also have the owner’s name on it.

“Also, ensure pots have enough rope attached to the float so they are not lost in strong tidal currents,” he said.

Mr Peddell said fisheries regulations were aimed at sustaining Queensland’s valuable fisheries resources.

“Rules are in place to protect and conserve crab stocks. By following the rules these valuable fisheries resources will be around for current and future generations of Queenslanders,” he said.

“QBFP rely on the support of the public to help protect our fishing resources. People who suspect illegal crabbing are urged to do the right thing and report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.”

For more information on responsible crabbing, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.au (http://www.fisheries.qld.gov.au/) or call 13 25 23.

Follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook and Twitter (@FisheriesQld).

Media: Jodana Anglesey, 3087 8601
http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/misc/pencil.png

[rosco1974]

maybe you blokes should get on the water and police this more,i contacted you in regards this problem earlier in the year and was told that patrols where going to police it in the area where it was rampant the following weekend..i sat out to see if you did make a show on the water,surprise surprise in the both days I was out on the water that weekend I didn't spot any of your boats patrolling out there.. you blokes want us to report it to you but why bother when you cannot even follow any info up when givin on this issue on the water .will I see a fisheries boat on the water in a months time when the crabs will start again I doubt it as I havnt seen a patrol boat out there in the past 4 years...
cheers rosco

[Mattya]

I'm almost ready to get some trail cams to keep an eye on my pots.

I've also had to move other people's pots to deeper water as the crabs didn't look to happy in the sun at low tide.

[manta man]

Well Fisheries you don"t have the Staff to "Nail These A Holes" so why bother (CHEERS CAMPBELL Can"t Do). Last Year i had 5 Stolen 3 Slashed late one night. You Know Donnybrook and Toorbul is Rampant for this type of Activity, and yet i have never seen Fisheries out there. But Thats OK i went and bought a High Powered Sling Shot Last Year i"m sure that will solve the problem..Oh and what about all the Undersized Fish which are taken by Anglers in the above locations.

[Boab Bribie]

Hard to catch them sitting in your office. Pots go missing every hour in the Bribie passage nothing gets done about it even when you know who is doing it and report them????

[MrNanks]

It would be interesting to hear from the Fisheries side . Not towing the corporate line and hearing it from the workers as they see it.
I also get really pissed off when my pots stolen or tampered with.

[Matt76]

I'm defending anyone here but how are the fisheries supposed to police it? Do you think that someone is going to check someone else's pot when a fisheries boat is on the other side of the passage? Are they supposed to go undercover? Are they supposed to put some kind of tracker on the pots? It might sound stupid but I reckon most pots are checked/flogged when there is no one else anywhere near them. A fisheries presence might deter them on that day but I really can't see anyone getting caught for it. I'm sure they would be grateful on ideas on how to police it as well.

[alleycat]

I fish the donnybrook Toorbul area every week weather permitting but I dont crab, ive never been checked by fisheries either, one thing I will say is that the passage gets flogged by far too many crab pots, some days fishing some areas or navigating is a disaster because of the numbers of crab pots, 3 guys in a little tinny can put out 12 pots, far too many imho..

[BayDog]

I'm almost ready to get some trail cams to keep an eye on my pots.

I've also had to move other people's pots to deeper water as the crabs didn't look to happy in the sun at low tide.

Moving other people's pots....too bad if they are landbased crabbers. Not a good idea to interfere with someone else's stuff.

[Mattya]

Read the rules regarding pot placement & tides...
Not a chance in hell that they are land based, mangroves are far to thick and crocs would have you.
And I don't untie them, just move them.

I'd be more than happy to explain the rules to anyone doing the wrong thing.

[BayDog]

Read the rules regarding pot placement & tides...
Not a chance in hell that they are land based, mangroves are far to thick and crocs would have you.
And I don't untie them, just move them.

I'd be more than happy to explain the rules to anyone doing the wrong thing.


No worries mate.

I would actually like to know about the rules regarding pot placement as I was not aware of any.

And also the rules about tides you mentioned.

Thanks

[shaungonemad]

As far I know your pots should remain in the water not high and dry in the hot sun.

[Aussie123]

Pots must remain submerged at low tide.
It is also illegal to touch/move another persons fishing apparatus even if the other persons gear is set incorrectly.

[hungry6]

To be fair, I have seen the fisheries in the donnybrook and Toorbul area quite a few times in a 2 men RIB, they can't be at all places at all times. Some of those place requires local knowledge to navigate at the best of times.
Yes, a lot of pot tampering and stealing goes on around that neck of the wood, you just have to vigilant when setting pots. Use the tide restriction to limit access to thieves so you can be there before they can get in the next morning.

[sharkymark2]

Wow I have gleaned some new ideas from the above mentioned comments. I went to put a crab pot down near Russell Island the other day but every 50m and beyond down to the power lines there was a pro pot. Those pots are there every day 24 hrs a day. What chance has a crab got or what chance has a rec fisher got to catch a crab these days? All this thieving of pots might not occur if crabs were easier to catch. Down in NSW they are using their rego fees to buy out commercial fishers. Everywhere this is done the fishoes say that there is a huge increase in fish and crabs! Back when most Pro fishers and crabbers were granted licences there was a small market for them but now that the population has exploded 4 fold they are raping our fishing grounds to meet the demand. At the present catch rates 4 pots per boat might suffice to keep our populations up. But with a leaky boat you first have to block the leak to save the boat. It is time that we too start to buy out our pro fisherman. The recreational fishing industry has exploded. We have catch limits and promote catch and release as well. We now have Green Zones and Bad winds to protect our breeding fish but it is not enough. We will have to at some time follow NSW in buying out the previously granted licences. I know this will set the cat amongst the pigeons but is something that cannot be avoided forever. I feel up to a point for the pro,s but times have changed. We are not back in the 1940's. We need to do this before our children think that we are telling them stories about what Moreton Bay used to be like.

[manta man]

Here Here to you Sharkymate. Funny thing is, you mention the buy back scheme on this site and the response is "Yep you Guessed It Blank". Oh and Whilst i"m here went down to Wello Point for a BBQ yesterday, decided to take my Granddaughter for a walk on the Jetty. Well old mate gets a bite tells the friend I've got one ..mmm thinkin lets see. Well he pulls up this Bream no bigger than 3 Inches removes the hook then procedes to place it in his Prawn Pkt. I asked him what are you doing mate, oh i"m keeping that. My response was "No Your Not" told him to release immediately otherwise i"ll be throwing it back myself. It was quickly released he was not happy either. Fisheries you don"t have the Staff to Police any of this, so why bother telling us about it "We Know The Rules". Oh and 1 more thing if i decide to leave my Crab Pots Overnight they will get sunk with "No Attachments". I too will Flaunt the Laws, because one way or another no A holes will be touching my Pots.

[snapperbasher]

I was pulled over last year by the water police in the brissie river while checking my own pots and was asked to show ID to prove the pots belonged to me. this should happen more often I believe.

In saying that I crab the river a fair bit and have only ever lost one pot. However crabbing off manly earlier this year I lost 5 in a couple of days.

maybe the police presence in the river keeps the thieves down?

[Dignity]

Guys, I understand all of the arguments but have found that we ourselves are often the weakest link. There is a register I started earlier this year as per below link which when reviewed indicates that theft of pots/crabs is far less than what is being discussed. Now why is that? I have spoken to a couple of Ausfisher's who have lost their pots and were aware of the register but didn't bother to update it, is it apathy, lack of time, too short a rope on the float or had the pots been misplaced or floated away as I have seen in the Pumistone Passage many a time.

Yes,the fisheries is a corporate conglomerate yet I know there are staff who try everything possible to alleviate the situation and also they know a visible presence will only be a short term deterrent, to this end they do employ covert surveillance (they don't necessarily need to be on the water for this) in an area that is being targeted by thieves IF they get sufficient evidence. I know that my neighbour has been checked a couple of times and during discussions he was told that he had been observed even though there was not a another boat evident when the pots were dropped, I was with him on one of those occasions so they are not always visible. I know that fisheries were applying for some fairly technological equipment to help them combat this problem but haven't checked to see if they got approval yet.

So fellow anglers, if your pots go missing, are raided/damaged etc please try the register and then at least you have tried as anecdotal evidence is of little use.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?190339-Crab-thieving-register

[tunaticer]

I've got to agree Dignity, unless the numbers accumulate to a height where it is apparent that this is a serious blight, then the police and fisheries will relegate this to the "get around to one day" pile.

To overcome this problem I have switched to using dilly lift nets for three reasons.
1 the thieves do not get access to my dillies because i work them.
2 if some low life does pick my dilly up they are not likely to damage it to steal the crabs.
3 dillies are not stolen, I can set my dillies in one place for a week and come back and work that string again by simply rebaiting and doing laps. I have done this several times and it sure makes the crabbing affair a whole lot more enjoyable when you are not packing up and transporting them every trip.

[Thumbsuckers]

Raiding pots has been a problem forever and will continue to be. I can recall an uncle who crabbed Donnybrook in the 50's and 60's complaining about "honkeys" who stole from his pots.

These days, the problem has been exacerbated by:

1. A huge population increase in SE Qld and therefore greater crabbing effort;
2. Introduction of green zones in popular areas like the Pummicestone Passage which has concentrated greater crabbing effort into a smaller area compounding the issue;
3. The prevalence of ridiculously cheap deals on new crab pots ($50 for 4) at places like BCF which encourages anyone and everyone to give it a go.

That said, I agree with the comments earlier about lost pots. Many are not stolen; just badly set with short ropes or in the middle of channels where they get run over and lost.

If you want to catch crabs these days, you need to hover over your pots while they are soaking or put them in places where no-one can get to them or find them between tides, especially at night when I suspect that the share farmers like to operate. Or if you don't want to do that, plan a holiday up north somewhere remote and give a go up there.