Failure to remove fish fins will cost $$$

[fishingjew]

Failure to remove fish fins will cost
News release | 04 October, 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries officers will issue fines - not cautions - to recreational fishers who catch and keep coral reef fin fish or Spanish mackerel and then fail to remove a pectoral fin.

DPI&F Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol senior field officer Graham Shield, who undertook an eight day surveillance patrol aboard the Gladstone-based 24 metre offshore patrol vessel K I Ross last week, said the message relating to the removal of the pectoral fin was just not getting through.

The pectoral fin removal legislation was introduced in December 2003 to deter the unregulated black market sales of coral reef fin fish and Spanish mackerel onto the open market by unlicensed recreational anglers.

Mr Shield said the K I Ross crew inspected 183 vessels on the surveillance patrol that included the Capricorn Bunker Island Group south to Hervey Bay and found 95 per cent of anglers with reef fish in their possession on board their boats had not removed the pectoral fin.

"It is now close to three years since the Fisheries legislation was enacted so our officers will be issuing pectoral fin infringement notices that range from $150 for one fish up to $375 for four fish," Mr Shield said.

"Failure to remove the pectoral fin of more than four fish can result in a Magistrate's Court appearance."

Mr Shield said the excellent weather during the September school holiday break had attracted many boating families onto the water and they had ventured further out to sea than they normally would.

"As a follow-up to the inspections of these recreational vessels which were up to 50 nautical miles offshore, our field officers issued 15 infringement notices for non-compliance with boating safety equipment regulations," Mr Shield said.

"Most breaches related to lack of Personal Floatation Devices (lifejackets), out-of-date flares and failure to carry an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) in open waters.

"This is disappointing considering the consequences for these families if the safety equipment is to be used in an emergency situation."

Mr Shield said six on-the-spot fines were issued for the possession of undersize fish and investigations into a Green Zone fishing breach was continuing.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Geoff_Atkinson]

It cost a mate of mine a few weeks back, we both took our boats out and we have a standing bet that whenever we both go out, the one who has the least amount of fish has to have the other over for the barby and beer

This time, he absolutely creamed me but he forgot to take the pectoral fins off, so his fish were deemed illegal, which made me the winner.

It always tastes better when its free!!

Cheers


Geoff

[marlinqld]

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the logic behind finning them? What does it show? What does it prove?

I dont understand the reasoning behind cutting a fin off.



Mike

[seatime]

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the logic behind finning them? What does it show? What does it prove?

I dont understand the reasoning behind cutting a fin off.



Mike

think it's to help stop the black market trade, if they're seen in a shop with the fins off it has come from a rec fisher.

rgds

[marlinqld]

Thats logical gelsec............... i see you also are a redlands boy...... lots of us reddies


Mike

[agnes_jack]

Yeah thats the theory, but how long does it take for the fish shop man to fillet and skin a fish????

Regards, Tony

[grich]

I am just getting into game fishing and fishing from pelagics. I obviously don't want to get a fine and I know that lack of knowledge is no excuse. Do you guys have a website or a book that you could recommend to identify fish. cheers g.

[fishingjew]

grich


http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/dpi/hs.xsl/28_630_ENA_HTML.htm

[finga64]

All boils down to education and letting the public know about it.
In all the bait shops I've been into there is hardly any information about this topic let alone leaflets about fish sizes and bag limits.

They can spend squillions on election compains but can't spend a few buck on telly and radio advertising for rule changes.

Even now I see so many people in boats with kids without PFD's. Considering how many people in QLD own and use a boat you'd think a serious advertising campaign could be done just so people know the rules before they get busted.

How many guys and girls here fish all the time and has been fishing for a long time
and had no idea about this rule??
This can only be blamed on bad communication between the law makers and the general public.
So what fishes are considered coral reef fin fish??? I had a look on the DPI site and very hard to find any info other then don't forget to cut a fin off.
Or is it just safer to cut a pectral fin off any fish we are keeping just in case??

In NSW where we go at Evans there are signs at both the boat ramps advising size and bag limits as well as other important info. At least they're making an effort in advising people what the rules are.

[grich]

Cheers for that fishingjew. I will look into it to avoid the fine.

[Cruiser]

Yeah. I don't have a problem with size and bag limits but the pectoral fin cutting off rule is the most ridiculous law I've ever seen.

Mate of mine got chipped about it up at 1770 last week. The fish were in the kill tank. He explained he was going to take the fins off before heading in. No good - like size and bag limits it’s a possession thing. The fins have to be cut off as soon as you land the fish.

Trying to hack the fin off an angry Spaniard or big reefy is both cruel to the fish and dangerous to the angler. I’d rather just slip 'em into the kill tank.

Another poorly thought out law in my opinion.

Chris.

[whiteman]

It is a stupid rule brought in by a bunch of bureaucrats with nothing better to do on a wet and stormy day. Probably affects 0.000001% of the retail industy. The cost of policing the rule with advertising, etc has probably triggered the need to recoup costs from fines. How many of you have chucked a live and kicking reef fish into the esky and forgotten to cut the fin because there is so much else to look after? I know when I catch a Spaniard the last thing I want to do is to hack of a pectoral fin. And as said previously, what's going to stop a local fisho offering his catch to a restaurant that will fillet the thing in 5 minutes?
I will now stand down from the soap box for someone else.

[Feral]

Sounds stupid to me, what if your keeping it alive to see if you can get a bigger one (tossing the smaller one back if you do) bit cruel to cut it off alive, and can the fish survive with it removed if you end up letting it go?

[Duyz72]

Looks like blitzing with zero tolerance does get the word around pretty quickly to those of us who are more than likely to be doing the catching.

Just gotta get in to the habit I suppose when I bring out the knife to slit the throat to take off the fin at the same time.

Would definitely be a bit rough to pick up a fine if the fish is being kept alive for possible release though!

[hogesTS]

If I hadnt read it on here I wouldve had no idea that this law even existed, there are no bait shops etc up here in which to advertise such a law, and I could have been stuck with a $375 fine or a court appearance. I agree that it is a stupid law, and would make little to no difference to blackmarket fish sales (is this really such a big problem in the first place..?). I agree that I wont be stuffin around trying to cut the fin off an angry mac, sounds like a good way to lose a finger or cop a hook in the arm :-/

Also, how do the fisheries officers determine, or proove, who caught what fish? If theres 3 or 4 guys in a boat all catching trout, parrot, macs etc how do you keep track of whose fish is whose, have a personal esky each? Or does it come back to the owner of the boat that it is their responsibilty?

[StevenM]

Yeah thats the theory, but how long does it take for the fish shop man to fillet and skin a fish????

Regards, Tony

Thats right Tony..or cut it off

[Poodroo]

Well personally I think it is a whole lot of hogwash. If I catch a decent haul out there do you really think by the time my family and friends put their hand up for a share of the catch that I am going to share what's left with the shops? I think we as recreational fishermen are basically divided into 2 types. Firstly those who love catching and eating what we catch and secondly those who love catching but don't eat and therefore release their catch. This basically leaves a minority of blokes who would actually go out there with the intention of making a fast buck on the black market. So if I am reading that correctly does this mean all coral reef fish need de-finning? Have never done this ever if that be the case. Have even had catches checked by the water police but no mention of the fact any of the catch had all their fins intact. :-?

Poodroo

[fishingjew]

Well i have never heard of The pectoral fin removal legislation till i came across it in the news section of the dpi this morning


http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/dpi/hs.xsl/30_434_ENA_HTML.htm

[finga64]

I was speaking to a lady at the DPI to get some information and she couldn't tell me which species are classed as coral reef finned fish (say that 10 times with a belly full of Stoney's) so the safest thing to do is cut the fin off on anything going in the esky.
Again, it's a case of not enough info to the people that should know about the new rules and a matter of no info at all to the majority of us
Chaos rules :-?

[cactus_jack]

This is all news to me as well, I didn't know this legislation existed until now, I s'pose it's like so much other legislation: in that it tries to achieve an aim but remains inefficient and unworkable, with the genuine innocent angler getting pinged and the real offender probably finding a way around the law

[choppa]

Sounds stupid to me, what if your keeping it alive to see if you can get a bigger one (tossing the smaller one back if you do) bit cruel to cut it off alive, and can the fish survive with it removed if you end up letting it go?

well,,, i must say,,,,,,,,,,the ol' choppa is stunned,,,,

not at the quote above,,, but by the amount of replies so far that state they had no idea of the legislation???

this has been raised before,,,, and has been,,,, and still is part of dpi&f news,,,

and the idea s simple,,,,, you catch a fish,,, you fin it,,,,or,,,,,,you keep it alive and replace it with a larger specimen,,,,

to date all fines have been applied to dead fish,,,,,any ""live well"" fish ,,, has the onus on the fisherperson vs the inspector,,,

ie to say,,, if the fish (and the story that goes with it),,leaves an amount of doubt,,,your fined,,,if the fish,, (and your story behind it) substantiates a clear picture of a feed for the table,,,,carry on fishing,,,

most of the fines that have been issued have been placed on fisho's with an esky full of dead fish,,, with no fins removed

i posted a thread response here somewhere a while back on the $$$ value of fines and penalties that are actually handed out on average per year,,,,,its pi$$p00^ beyond belief

hoges and whiteman's response to the value of the blackmarket in selling fish as small,,,,,,in honesty,,, send me both your mailing addresses,,,, i'll fill your letterboxes with actual facts on the size of it

thank god i c&r,,,,,,,,,,,,and chopjr on sundays ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Heath]

HAve been knocking the fin off reefies for the last few years. Like anything you just get used to it & do it.

[finding_time]

Yeah thats the theory, but how long does it take for the fish shop man to fillet and skin a fish????

Regards, Tony

hi tony

Got back in brisbane at 3.00pm yesterday and knocked up the fish cleaned up and then decided to head up to the local fisho for $5 worth of chips for the trout fillets the family and i were about to have for dinner :D. The fisho commented to me that i only ever buy chips , dont i eat fish? I told him that we eat fish 3x a week but i catch my own and had just got back to brisbane from paradise( 1770) and had plenty. Well guess what?? He walks around the counter and quietly tells me that if ever i have any fresh fish that i dont want he will buy all i can spare!!! >:( >:( >:(

I dont fish for profit i fish for fun and would never consider selling anything i catch but i bet there are a few that do, so i dont think the pectoral fin removal stops any fish being sold on the black market!!

Ian

Ps. I'm also very suprised at the lack of poeple who didn't know of the rule regarding fin removal :o

PPs. Those trout fillets were bloody good!!!! ;)

[Fixation]

Be good if some of the officers actually checked your catch as well and told you about the rules if they want to crack down it. I've been pulled up about 3 times now recently and the officers had no time for looking through the esky. Even though I offered to show them my catch they were only interested in safety gear....
One guy did pull us up on it up at 1770 and the old man offered for him to empty the ice slurry out of the esky to look at the catch and the officer promptly replied with..... "Oh I can see you guys are doing the right thing. You got fish measuring stickers on your boat."
How ridiculous!!
I can't blame him for not wanting to get dirty but isn't this part of his job?
Now I know the DPI have got alot on there plate but taking an extra couple of minutes going over things with each vessel isn't too much to ask I wouldn't think.

[timbacutta]

I know there should be better communication between the DPI and the fishing public about fishing rule changes but the onus is still on fishermen to know what the current rules are and to comply to them. As an avid fisherman, I make it my business to know what the latest rules are and strive to obey them at all times. Finally it is up to the individual. I hate over regulation as much as the next bloke, but in this day and age we have to make the best of the hand we are dealt. So get out there, catch some fish, cut the pectoral fin off the fish we have to and have a good time.

Jeff.

P.S. Don't forget the Coral Reef Finfish closure from 16 - 24 October.

[Mullet_Musketeer]

I find it hard to believe that the blokes with massive boats and trawler nets really need protection from the possibility that a couple of mackerel will turn up in the local fish shop from rod and line fisherman. I also find it unbelievable that we - through our taxes are actually paying for this to be drawn up, legislated and then enforced.

Take and possession limits, safety gear - of course we all understand the relevance of these rules - but protecting trawlers from recreational fisherman - someone must have been smoking too much wacky backy when they came up with that. :o

[finding_time]

I find it hard to believe that the blokes with massive boats and trawler nets really need protection from the possibility that a couple of mackerel will turn up in the local fish shop from rod and line fisherman. I also find it unbelievable that we - through our taxes are actually paying for this to be drawn up, legislated and then enforced.

Take and possession limits, safety gear - of course we all understand the relevance of these rules - but protecting trawlers from recreational fisherman - someone must have been smoking too much wacky backy when they came up with that. :o

If you think about it it's also there to protect the fish. Pro's have a quota and any fish that end up in a fish shop that rec fishos have caught are outside that quota and there by harming the fishery. I know you will say that rec fishos will catch the fish any way but if they are getting paid for there catch they may take more that if it was for personal consumption and may make more fishing trips if there is a return to be made. Also pro fishers PAY for there fishing quotas and have every right to have these protected!!
Ian

Ian

[newchum]

the removal of the fin to me is a way for the fishos to identify the people who are playing by the rules, it will not deter anyone who is willing risk their boat for a few extra dollars from fishing for profit. also heard that the guys fillet at sea ,sneak in at the wee hours to avoid detection. not much chance of the shop being caught with blackmarket fish then. those fools make our pleasure more painful. it's not hard to play by the rules and still have a great time on the water

[Scalem]

Well there you go!

I wonder if this sort of rule is relevant to certain areas? As my favourite area to fish has been Mud island, I hardly think that this area can be classed as coral reef, and therefor the species caught there are usually Snapper and grass sweetlip in the summer, with a mix of estuary cod and bream close in. Mud is also a common stop off point for the boys in blue, and I have been checked so often it has nearly become a nuisance with the regularity of checks. I have never been asked or reminded about this rule. Would I become complacent by thinking this does not apply to Estuary and Bay areas? I would hate to think anyone thinks it only applies to outside fishing... then find an inspector who thinks differently. By then it's too late.

Anyone who knows without me spending time looking for the answer with lots of reading?

Scalem

[rando]

To all those doubters, a couple of years back I worked for a large corporation and one of the fellows was a regular offshore fisher and a member of a fishing club, he regularly boasted of catching 100s of kilos of fish And that other club members had done the same or better. This is preceeding present bag limits. It seems odd that he also had a business relationship with a retail seafood outlet.
I am pretty sure this is not an isolated case.

I think anything that puts obstacles in the way of abusing the environment is good for all.
MHO
rando

[moondancer]

This is another one of those regulations wioth very mixed responses and views - obvious from this thread! We were pulled up on this a few weeks back at 1770, and whilst I was aware of the legisaltion, I simply forgot to do this on a spaniard we had caught much earlier that morning. Officer checked safety gear, etc., and simply remionded me of the legislatiopn - he was obviously satisfied that we were generally doing the right thing, etc.

By the way....does removing the pec fin mean at the joint (i.e cutting in and under to remove) or can you clip of the fin bit - if its the latter, something like braid scissors would do the job - quickly and safely, and without being cruel to the fish??

Lawry

[jpart10]

hi
i was just wondering why the fins need to come off is there any perpose why does it have to happen.