Shamatures.

[roz]

Have you ever come across a person who sell's their catch, of course I mean an amature.

Would you be prepared to report that person or persons to the authorities? and back it up by going to court as a witness if necessary?

I personally detest these people, they will try and catch more fish, to of course make more money.

What are your thoughts & what would you do about it?

Even if that person was the nice old chappie who lives next door, just selling a few bream.

Roz.

[Scalem]

Hi Roz,

That's a good question, but I want to make a destinction here. If my mate next door has ever owned a boat, he is likely to feel a little sorry for me and the expense he understands comes with the territory of owning a boat. As a gesture of respect, he might offer a token sum of money for the pleasure of having fresh fish. I would not say no in this circumstance. But an unlicensed (not a professional liscense) amateur who deliberately catches more fish than he and a few friends could consume , knowing that he has a few people who willingly pay him money, and hopes to make a profit - I think that is wrong. The pros spend enough on their livelyhood without the erosion of their industry by privateers.

Scalem

[Oh Gee]

sometimes i wish i could catch enough to have an excess to sell...i give any excess away( family/friends/neighbours), in that order.

[seatime]

Might have to bring in the removal of pectoral fins off diver whiting to stop the amateurs in Moreton Bay and Hervey Bay.

why not increase fines on retailers that offer to buy amateur caught seafood?

[straddie]

Heya Roz

I have personally known a few that targeted fish, prawns and crabs and know of others that have done it although none recently. It is far too common and often it's a lot more than just a couple of kg of fish here abd there it's almost a professional scale operation.

Watching channel10 news last night there was a guy in a fish shop on showing a salmon caught in the brissy river and he mentioned it was 1 of 2 caught that week. Now I couldn't be certain but I don't think he would have sourced it from a pro and I got the impression it was for sale, although I could be wrong.

Do you put them in? I haven't had to, as a chat was enough but having met you once there is a bit of a size difference between you and I. So you really have to decide whether the "crime" warrants you going to court.

[Deiter]

Most guys who do this have close mates who are pro's, so have a think, do you know anyone here on this board is a pro and who do they fish with?? Bloody shits is me is what it does. particularly when they get their name in print every second week for being a great fisherman.

I know a few pros myself and have been told that if i need to offload a few fish, they will take em for a few $, but have never done it. Others who are less shameless have. It's more common than you think.

[wayneoro]

what are the chances of going fishing and catching anough to cover your petrol money if you did sell your fish ? hellow

[straddie]

Heya Deiter

Of all the ones I have known of over the years not one went through a pro. It was all word of mouth to friends and neighbours, pubs, in the back door of fish and chip shops and one industrious fellow even had his own fish van mixing his own stuff in with legally purchased product.

Scalem in your scenario it's borderline, if the person catches extra fish to make sure he gets those dollars it's over the line in my opinion. If you just had an good day and caught more than you could use and someone slipped you a token amount for petrol money I can't see the problem.

I think the measure is, if you expect to be paid and won't give them fish any more if you don't get that gesture of respect then it is a sham.

[finga]

"Scalem in your scenario it's borderline, if the person catches extra fish to make sure he gets those dollars it's over the line in my opinion. If you just had an good day and caught more than you could use and someone slipped you a token amount for petrol money I can't see the problem."
Nope, I reckon any cash payment is out. $5 isn't going to make much difference to your pocket and any more then $5 the neighbour might as well go down the shop and buy some fish.
Now if you had to sit with your neighbour and have a stubby or 6 then that's another story.

"I think the measure is, if you expect to be paid and won't give them fish any more if you don't get that gesture of respect then it is a sham"
What quantities of fish are we talking about??
4 or 5 kilos or a few fillets??
If it's 4 or 5 kilos then you caught too much. A few fillets or a feed then why not just give it to them.
If you respect your neighbours or friends a couple of dollars shouldn't make any difference. Just give them the fish.
Why not ask them over for a feed of fresh fish if it's a respect/friendship thing ??

..........

[imnotoriginal]

Straddie,
if you read the report about it on the courier-mail's website I'm pretty sure the bloke with the salmon made the point that they were pros that specialised in wild-caught fish for consumption
Joel

[blaze]

ok, well I will fess up. Dont crucify me.
Back in a former life as a 17/18 year old young keen fisho I used to sell a few fish, not many but just enough to offset fuel cost for a boat I probable should never owned because of lack of funds. Now I could have sold tonnes of fish in them days but never did because I though in my own way that was wrong and just greed. Most of the fish were line caught but in them days I would set a net or 2, this was all legal back then (apart from the selling) and there were no limits to speak of and certainly no policing of the few laws there was.
In todays world I take a dim view of amatures selling fish (I know, you are going to say 2 faced). These days I often bring back 30 to 40 flatties for the boat and none are wasted and a lot of family/friends get a feed of fresh fish they other wise would not have got (please also remember we catch that many flatties in 1/2 hour). I will accept no payment of any sort for these fish that are given away (not even a stubbie), my payment these days is that I have done someone a good deed (should see the joy on a kids face who has sat on the river bank for 4 or 5 hrs catching and letting go 100mm salmon when you motor up in the the boat and give him a fish thats 5 or 6 lb, Thats enough for me).
So I have been there and done that, wont claim the rightious path but have learn ed with maturity of grey hair and the hope of a better future for our kids and fish stocks
Now shoot me
cheers
blaze

[JEWIENEWIE]

No need to shoot a man who has found the error in his ways.
Jewie

[roz]

ok, well I will fess up. Dont crucify me.
Back in a former life as a 17/18 year old young keen fisho I used to sell a few fish, not many but just enough to offset fuel cost for a boat I probable should never owned because of lack of funds. Now I could have sold tonnes of fish in them days but never did because I though in my own way that was wrong and just greed. Most of the fish were line caught but in them days I would set a net or 2, this was all legal back then (apart from the selling) and there were no limits to speak of and certainly no policing of the few laws there was.
In todays world I take a dim view of amatures selling fish (I know, you are going to say 2 faced). These days I often bring back 30 to 40 flatties for the boat and none are wasted and a lot of family/friends get a feed of fresh fish they other wise would not have got (please also remember we catch that many flatties in 1/2 hour). I will accept no payment of any sort for these fish that are given away (not even a stubbie), my payment these days is that I have done someone a good deed (should see the joy on a kids face who has sat on the river bank for 4 or 5 hrs catching and letting go 100mm salmon when you motor up in the the boat and give him a fish thats 5 or 6 lb, Thats enough for me).
So I have been there and done that, wont claim the rightious path but have learn ed with maturity of grey hair and the hope of a better future for our kids and fish stocks
Now shoot me
cheers
blaze

Blaze,

I've always considered you a god like creature!!!!!

At the very least you are honest.



I've been offered money at boat ramps for some of the fish I've caught, it's so tempting to knock back folding stuff, but I'm glad I have. I did one day give away a whole mackeral to a young bloke, he seemed so desperate, but I had caught more fish than I could eat in five months.

Still, can I take the high moral ground?.. I give fish and crabs to my neighbours up at Agnes, they keep an eye on my place, I know they would anyway, if I gave them fish or not, I've given fillets to the girls at the real estate, but still I feel I am repaying them in a way.

The most common reason I've heard is "it helps to pay for my fuel", that one doesn't wash with me, the money you save by putting that sea food on the table, adequately makes up for the cost of fuel.

After all, your vehicle uses fuel to get you to the supermarket?

I think the worst, is the person on the dole who does this sort of thing.

r.

[roz]

Do you put them in? I haven't had to, as a chat was enough but having met you once there is a bit of a size difference between you and I. So you really have to decide whether the "crime" warrants you going to court.

Hi there straddie,

My fighting weight might be around 53kg but I wouldn't think twice.

BTW are you going to the June M&G? if so, Cya there.

cheers r.

[blaze]

maturity changes ones view on a lot of things Roz, some things we cant/wont learn by other peoples mistakes and we need to make our own. I made plenty early on
cheers
blaze