Shark bitten fish

[samson]

I'm curious to hear any opinions regarding fish once bitten in half, can they still be kept if portion is under legal size which seems to happen a lot, and also does a half eaten fish count towards your possession limit, as some sharks tend to leave a fair portion sometimes that doesn't make the legle size.

I ask this as for years i have kept big pieces of fish that didn't make the grade that i may have been prosecuted over because there was agood feed left on them that would have been a waste to throw away.

You also have the other side of the equation - what if you have an oversize fish whether it be a barra, cod or flathead; can you keep the piece if it just makes it under the maximum size with the piece missing. What happens with mauled, protected species like groper or barramundi cod - would you have to throw back even though there's no chance of survival.

Cheers Samson

[disorderly]

Good question samson,
I recently came home with 3 and two thirds spanish mackerals and wondered how sympathetic the fisheries police would have been if they had checked.
I was not overly concerned as it was after dark and a weekday.But I did wonder as I thought it would be a waste to throw back so much good tucker.

cheers Scott

[Blackened]

G'day

I have no idea, but bloody good question.

From a measuring point of view.... I understand it as per the diagrams on the DPI website that fish were measured from lip to tail.

So in effect, if you have a fish that was sharked, buit was obviously legal before it was sharked... no worries.

But if you have a smaller fish that was sharked and was allready just over legal then... whoose to know the real length?

Dave

[HIGH and DRY]

i heard that they should be able to determine quite accuratly the size of the fish, going by the scale size. Id hate to run the risk, but its a great question.

[unka]

as for the protected species like barramundi cod and groper etc you still can not have these in your possession Sharked or not ( in my opinion).

[Chezzy13]

Mmm that is a good question??, maybe ring the fisheries dep, and ask.

[Kleyny]

I'm with chezzy ring the fishreries and ask. Things that could cost you money is better asked by the people who will give you their Education bill.

neil

[samson]

I agree with you unka regarding protected speices although i did see a pro down south years ago bring in a dead white shark while they were protected caught on a drop line it was given to fisheries for research although i'm sure he checked first.

Regarding checking with fisheries i have once with a feild officer with a cobia head he didn't seem to have a problem although i'm sure if you had one of those arrogant pricks that didn't like you it might have been a different story.

Size is my main issue as being commercial the possession limit doesn't affect me as much as it may you guys.

Cheers Samson

[robyoung2]

I wouldn't mind betting it'd have to be in fact larger than the usual size.
A fish that's been deemed as mauled (I forget the right term), defined by both gill rakers broken from the throat etc, requires the fish need to be 2 cm above the legal limit. (if my memory seves me well from club fishing days...does that sound right Jim?)

How would you figure it out though?

I remember fishing in the surf on the Morteon beaches, and wading on outer banks. The rod would double up, th eline stop dead, and a nice fat whiting head would "pop" up out of the water, the bottom half bitten by a shark right at our feet.

them was the days. Too young (dumb) to be scared.

cheers
rob

[jackson4300]

its a good question, have kept half fish before without really thinking of that. But havent really needed to worry about going over the legal possesion limit

Best idea, get it up before the shark gets it

[Poodroo]

I sent this one back regardless. I felt kind of strange about eating another animal's leftovers. (Not that the shark left me that much)


Poodroo

[Chezzy13]

Fish head chowder soup.. ..

[oztrav]

it could set a precedent with the gropers and that, whats to say that someone caught one and just cut it up a bit to hide the fact, but with the other kinds of fish common sense should prevail, sharks dont pose much to me cause i am quite a poor fisherman and i release most of mine but check fisheries and get them to send a letter of it to you in case you geta bozo inspect yoour catch. Any way I dont think i would want to get into a animals leftovers either we are the top of the foodchain.

[disorderly]

Quote from Poodroo

"I felt kind of strange about eating another animals leftovers."

Better get used to it Poodroo,soon ya gunna be eatin',drinkin' and bathin' in it!

cheers Scott

[robyoung2]

OZtrav,

whats to say that someone caught one and just cut it up a bit to hide the fact

That's what he 2 cm extra bit is to deal with. If you break a fish's (both) rakers fromt he throat, the fish lays flatter on the ruler and so could be either something that a fisherman did to get his hook out, or could be a trick to get it "over the line". I just don't know if it's a fishery rule or club rule is all.