Fishing over scuba divers

[bondy99]

G'day from an Active person.

Question 1.

Was there any sign of a Diver Down Below Flag? You know, the international symbol (Alpha Flag), you can't miss it, it's Blue and White in colour.

If yes, then by law a vessel must stay clear of the area due to underwater operations. (Maritime Qld)

If no flag then the diver below is irresponsible and should know better.

END OF STORY...NO IFS BUTS OR MAYBES.

Question 2.

Did the original poster who started this topic seen the flag, there was no flag or failed to mention the flag?

Peter

[Robbo76]

Hi bondy99,

If i'm correct, he is saying that they dropped the flag and jumped over on arrival, 20m away, while he was already at anchor fishing. By law yes you need to stay clear, so does that mean every time a spearo/diver pulls up beside you and throws the flag, you have to move? B.S. They are in the wrong, end of story!

They need to respect the the line fisho's space, as we need to respect the diver's/spearo's space! I know a few spearo's that would never do that to a line fisho, they would rather keep the peace and enjoy the same waters.

nigelr your right. If that was me, I would have moved anyway. Not worth the hassle, there is plenty of ocean out there. Unfortunately sometimes, it's filled with idiots!

All the best,
Rob

[charleville]

G'day from an Active person.

Question 1.

Was there any sign of a Diver Down Below Flag? You know, the international symbol (Alpha Flag), you can't miss it, it's Blue and White in colour.

If yes, then by law a vessel must stay clear of the area due to underwater operations. (Maritime Qld)

If no flag then the diver below is irresponsible and should know better.

END OF STORY...NO IFS BUTS OR MAYBES.

Question 2.

Did the original poster who started this topic seen the flag, there was no flag or failed to mention the flag?

Peter

Thank you for your useful observations.

Just to help you with your reading comprehension skills, I have copied what I wrote in the very first paragragh in my original post in this thread ...

"my mid-week, mid-morning solitude was interrupted by the arrival of a boat which anchored about 20 metres from me. Up does the blue and white divers flag and down goes two scuba divers."

Perhaps, I should have written it in larger letters for you.



What you are suggesting, viz ...

"by law a vessel must stay clear of the area due to underwater operations. (Maritime Qld)
.....

END OF STORY...NO IFS BUTS OR MAYBES."


.....smacks of potential bullying by divers of fishermen. ie, if a boat comes close to a jetty full of kids dangling fishing lines in the water, all those kids would be obliged to pull up their lines if the international diving flag went up on the boat following your logic.

Will this happen? Don't think so!


Will it also happen out on Moreton Bay for anchored fisherman. I would think not but if you are a diver, you are welcome to try it.


In fact, I suspect that a court would apply the rule in reverse order. That is, it should be incumbent on the newly arrived dive boat to position himself at least thirty metres away from the fishing boat so as to not place his own divers at risk, if the dangers from fishing were to be the issue.


Indeed, I suspect that all responsible diving organisations and teachers of divers would say exactly what the James Cook University specifies as the common sense boating rules for its own boating operations...

"Keep clear of fishing vessels engaged in trawling, net or line fishing." (refer Item J, section 20, http://cms.jcu.edu.au/idc/groups/pub...dev_010187.pdf )


The fact is that I know that, as a boatie, I must not "operate" a boat within 30 m of a boat displaying a divers flag. See the following extract from the Queensland Recreational Boating and Fishing guide 2009/2010.


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


However, I was not "operating" a boat. Indeed, my boat was firmly and safely anchored. It was not being "operated" at all. That I was fishing using the boat as a platform is not "operating" the boat.

It is clear from the wording in the above extract that the intent of the rule is to avoid the possibility of a surfacing diver being hit by a moving boat and/or its propellor. Nothing more than that.



Many thanks to all contributors who offered advice in relation to my original question as to whether the divers would scare the fish away or indeed attract them.

The rest of you can crawl back under your blankets and await your daily visit from the nurse.


.



.

[supa29]

hey charleville good thread mate the thing that bugs me is the knockers on this thread fail to grasp the end result with your problem. the problem is that even though you were there first i bet you a weeks wage that the fisheries or water police would have fined you for fishing within the 30m range and they would not have taken your explaination for it. they dont want to hear excuses even if they are true. hard situation to be in but by the replys you been getting it seems us fishos are sick of getting walked on by minority groups and their blind reasoning of the rule book. i dont condone hooking them but that is what happens when when people get sick off being treated like s..t.
if a diver was hit by a passing boat for any reason the boat owner would be in the wrong but never the diver its a shame that minority groups run this state at the moment, but until the authorities get consistent across the board instead of just hitting the fishos out there, nothing will change unfortunately.

good fishing boys
supa .....

[gotya]

You know wot gets me is that GOD made all this beautiful water out there and we should be able to use it free of cost and restrictions.
If you want to fish, great go fishing.
If you want to dive, dont go diving around me! You'll scare the fish away!!!
If i am here first
It's my spot
Go get ya own!
Ok iv'e said enough.
Thanks.

[supa29]

You know wot gets me is that GOD made all this beautiful water out there and we should be able to use it free of cost and restrictions.
If you want to fish, great go fishing.
If you want to dive, dont go diving around me! You'll scare the fish away!!!
If i am here first
It's my spot
Go get ya own!
Ok iv'e said enough.
Thanks.

perfectly said, life is simple if we make it that way and that is simply the way it should be, easy.

supa .............

[Geoff-]

Life is simple it's lawyers who get in and screw everything up!!

Can you imagine a world without lawyers??

[Gas Man]

Life is simple it's lawyers who get in and screw everything up!!

Can you imagine a world without lawyers??

Nice one Geoff, finally some wisdom in this thread.

[b j p]

I have contacted the Queensland Water Police and Department of Main Roads and Transport to see what clarifications they can give surrounding a scenario like this. I'll post their replies once I get them.

Hopefully their answers might help some people and their 'fuses'.

b j p

[Willo]

I have posted this pic before ,But one pic describes a thousand words
The diver boat rammed the fisho boat before the fisho struck back
Willo

[supa29]

I have posted this pic before ,But one pic describes a thousand words
The diver boat rammed the fisho boat before the fisho struck back
Willo

your kiding,this will start this thread up

cant wait to hear the reasoning behind this one by the warm and fluffy brigade.

nice pic

supa........

[jez and suze]

i find this thread quite funny.

all divers being labeled because of one or 2 cock heads!
if this is always the case, no wonder greenies lable fishoes as toss pots!

the amount of d1ckhead fisherman i have to clean up after at work throughout the mangroves and estuary systems is a bloody joke!

and the whole tuff boy bull shi1t that gets pulled on here about burley, jagging and rope cutting just brings out the bogan mentality that i see so often.

i dive and fish but i do both with respect for the environment and for fellow fishoes.

careful who gets labeled, there is more dero fishoes than divers destroying their own reputations these day!

[therapy]

Charleville,
reading this thread reminded me of the time last summer at Shallow Tempest with a couple of mates, one of whom was well under the weather (rum flu). The day was calm and the water was crystal clear and we were catching nothing (as usual!!) when a boat pulled up nearby and put out a flag. 2 divers jumped in and I thought nothing of it until bubbles began popping all around the boat. I commented on this to my fishing buddies when the aforementioned mate said "I'll give the buggers something to look at " as he changed colour and leant over the side.
You could see the torrent of KFC and Bundy and coke dissapearing into the depths directly above the bubble trail and I can only imagine how it looked from there perspective. Not pretty I suspect!!! So might I suggest you take a friend who has drunk too much rum, eaten too much KFC and who gets easily seasick next time. If the divers do scare the fish, maybe some home made berley will counter their effect!!

Cheers..........Terry............

[bondy99]

Jez and Suze,

Well said people, I think you have summed it up in a nutshell for all 'responsible and reasonable' persons.

[bondy99]

Those who drink piss at sea deserve what they get and they get into a car and drive home, morons putting other lives at risk.