More than 300 whiting seized in caravan park raid

[Scott nthQld]

was he a nomad or a permanent living in a van???

Local news said he was a southern visitor.

This time of year Townsville and its surrounds are plagued with them. And most being from NSW where bag limits are daily limits, they think the same principle applies here.

DPI would do rather well this time of year with the nomads, all of them do the same, tow their vans up with their little car topper cruise the creeks and take hundreds of whiting, bream and undersized grunter (or 'grunter bream' they call them and apply thier own 23cm size limit to them) fillet and freeze them up and take them all home when it starts getting too warm.

Go to any 'out of the way' camp ground like Groper Creek, Alva Beach etc and their are hundreds of them, all doing the same thing. Makes travelling to and from work everyday a nightmare this time of year

[Scott nthQld]

328 whiting is completely over the top. And I too have witnessed the geriatric gypies at Karumba flogging the grunter beyond what most people would consider acceptable. But just what is acceptable? Can everyone out there say they have never exceeded the in possession bag limit for any species?

I often have a supply of crayfish (6 to 8) in my freezer which I thaw and eat over the summer months when good mates or special occassions come up.

Also, I don't get much of a chance to fish when at home with work, kids and sport taking up all my time. So several times a year I go north and get a feed of pearl perch and snapper which I fillet and vacuum seal.

I will eat these fish over the next few months (2 or 3 feeds a week). When supplies get low I go away for a weekend and top up the freezer. I never catch more than 5 perch and 10 snapper a day (I wish!!), and I never catch fish just to give them away to people to big note myself.

However, on my return trip home I travel with my family and my mate drags his boat back. If he were to get pulled over he would have both his and my 15 perch and 30 snapper in the ice box in the boat, but only one person in the car.

I don't belive either of us are destroying any fish stocks, but we are definately breaking the law.

My sitaution is completely different to a dude having over 300 fish in his possession... or is it?

As I asked earlier - what do you consider acceptable.

The logical solution would be for me to go away fishing more often, but that is not possible if I wish to stay married and be a good dad.

Seriously, if you have to ask that question should you really be fishing?

This bloke had over 300 whiting in his van, in his freezer.

Yes I do bag out occasionally, but I never have more then my possession limit. I like to keep fish in the freezer because i can't go fishing every weekend. If fisheries want to raid my boat, esky house etc they can go for it, they won't and never will find anything illegal in my freezer.

To me that post sounds like you are making excuses for this bloke, I don't care if he had his possession limit, but nearly 11 times over is a bit rich. The excuse to take them home so he can have fish for a few months it completely stupid, what you don't catch whiting down there? be reasonable

[murf]

Local news said he was a southern visitor.

This time of year Townsville and its surrounds are plagued with them. And most being from NSW where bag limits are daily limits, they think the same principle applies here.

DPI would do rather well this time of year with the nomads, all of them do the same, tow their vans up with their little car topper cruise the creeks and take hundreds of whiting, bream and undersized grunter (or 'grunter bream' they call them and apply thier own 23cm size limit to them) fillet and freeze them up and take them all home when it starts getting too warm.

Go to any 'out of the way' camp ground like Groper Creek, Alva Beach etc and their are hundreds of them, all doing the same thing. Makes travelling to and from work everyday a nightmare this time of year

NSW

Explanation of terms
Bag limit: The maximum number of fish or invertebrates per person in possession. Figure plus
asterix (*) denotes limit comprised of any single species or a combination of listed grouped
species.



cheers Murf

[Scott nthQld]

NSW

Explanation of terms
Bag limit: The maximum number of fish or invertebrates per person in possession. Figure plus
asterix (*) denotes limit comprised of any single species or a combination of listed grouped
species.



cheers Murf

Oh, they used to be daily limits last time I lived down there, must've changed since. I've still got an old book somewhere where is says whiting 27cm, bag limit 20 per person per day

[Chopper Taylor]

Seriously, if you have to ask that question should you really be fishing?

This bloke had over 300 whiting in his van, in his freezer.

Yes I do bag out occasionally, but I never have more then my possession limit. I like to keep fish in the freezer because i can't go fishing every weekend. If fisheries want to raid my boat, esky house etc they can go for it, they won't and never will find anything illegal in my freezer.

To me that post sounds like you are making excuses for this bloke, I don't care if he had his possession limit, but nearly 11 times over is a bit rich. The excuse to take them home so he can have fish for a few months it completely stupid, what you don't catch whiting down there? be reasonable

as i said in my post - this bloke is completely over the top.

How could you imagine anyone on this site supporting some pillick who had over 300 whiting in his freezer. He has an obvious and blatant disregard of your states fishing rules and I hope they through the book at him.

What I was asking is for your opinions on an angler who had twice the bag limit bag limit of pearl perch in his freezer (10 fish).

Judging by your response I will take it that you do not support any breach of fishing rules. And that is fair enough.

And in answer to your question - yes we do have whiting down here. But it's not a fish I specifically target as the bones are too fine for my 18 month old and 3 year old kids. Although they do like the whiting sausages which I get at the local farmers market.

[sleepygreg]

whiting sausages???? now that sounds like a delicacy worth investigating!!

[Chopper Taylor]

whiting sausages???? now that sounds like a delicacy worth investigating!!

check out this link Greg.

http://www.greatlakesadvocate.com.au...ea/442195.aspx

I know that they have taken off in a lot of places now.

[murf]

check out this link Greg.

http://www.greatlakesadvocate.com.au...ea/442195.aspx

I know that they have taken off in a lot of places now.

bugger there goes my cheap bait

Craig a butcher mate had the idea of fish snags when we were at Fraser a few years back, looks like he should have followed it up


cheers murf

[TimiBoy]

328 whiting is completely over the top. And I too have witnessed the geriatric gypies at Karumba flogging the grunter beyond what most people would consider acceptable. But just what is acceptable? Can everyone out there say they have never exceeded the in possession bag limit for any species?

I often have a supply of crayfish (6 to 8) in my freezer which I thaw and eat over the summer months when good mates or special occassions come up.

Also, I don't get much of a chance to fish when at home with work, kids and sport taking up all my time. So several times a year I go north and get a feed of pearl perch and snapper which I fillet and vacuum seal.

I will eat these fish over the next few months (2 or 3 feeds a week). When supplies get low I go away for a weekend and top up the freezer. I never catch more than 5 perch and 10 snapper a day (I wish!!), and I never catch fish just to give them away to people to big note myself.

However, on my return trip home I travel with my family and my mate drags his boat back. If he were to get pulled over he would have both his and my 15 perch and 30 snapper in the ice box in the boat, but only one person in the car.

I don't belive either of us are destroying any fish stocks, but we are definately breaking the law.

My sitaution is completely different to a dude having over 300 fish in his possession... or is it?

As I asked earlier - what do you consider acceptable.

The logical solution would be for me to go away fishing more often, but that is not possible if I wish to stay married and be a good dad.

I wouldn't condone any breach. If I have 10 (5 for me, 5 for Mumsy) snapper in the freezer (a rare occurrence, admittedly!) then it's C & R only. Ditto on any other breed. If you don't go fishing much, well, get used to running out, or use the local Fishmonger.

Recreational Anglers must be squeaky clean.

Cheers,

Tim

[Lovey80]

Good call Timi but I believe there is some small grey areas concerning the in possession limits. For example we use to use Botchie whiting as bait for Jacks. We would have a huge camp site set up and the guys that stayed most of the time were there for 4-6 weeks every year. Now they use to keep these holding pens for the livies and 2,3-4 boats sometimes would go out and catch whiting and bring them back. There would be up to a couple of hundred of live whiting sitting out in the creek waiting to be scooped up when the right time was for jack fishing and off we went. The weren't bag limits for them but there is now so lets say this same senario was this year.

Now if 5 or 6 anglers bagged out in one day on live whitting and brought them back to the livie holding tank. One boat goes out to check the crab pots, one group nicks off into town to grab beer and ice leaving one or 2 people in camp to make sure nothing gets pinched and then fisheries shows up like they do every year at least once or twice????? What then?

Technically if the two left in camp admitted that they were in possession they would be nicked? But being not that stupid if they only admitted to being in possession of the bag limit and the rest were someone elses and they would have to wait for the return of the others to varify it.

I am getting to my point hang in there.

Boys and Girls, These in possession limits are there to stop guys like this one rorting the system. Guys that are also doing black market stuff. If your in the right and happened to get caught out by circumstance then I am pretty sure your gong to get off with a warning.

That case where someone came in from M'ba filleted thier fish at the Kawana side (where there is cleaning tables) then went to the M'ba side (where there is room for a boat and trailer to be parked) and got nicked by fisheries as they came out of the waters was a joke and should always be challenged in court.

Cheers

Chris

[mylestom]

Local news said he was a southern visitor.

This time of year Townsville and its surrounds are plagued with them. And most being from NSW where bag limits are daily limits, they think the same principle applies here.

DPI would do rather well this time of year with the nomads, all of them do the same, tow their vans up with their little car topper cruise the creeks and take hundreds of whiting, bream and undersized grunter (or 'grunter bream' they call them and apply thier own 23cm size limit to them) fillet and freeze them up and take them all home when it starts getting too warm.

Go to any 'out of the way' camp ground like Groper Creek, Alva Beach etc and their are hundreds of them, all doing the same thing. Makes travelling to and from work everyday a nightmare this time of year

Scott,

Sorry, but you draw a long brush stroke, these feral cannot be painted as (ALL OF THEM DO THE SAME).

People will and do take offence to this type of statement.

Mate, I'm from NSW, retired and travel regularly in all states of Australia. I believe that this type of broad statement is offensive and should not be said.

While there are a minority of idiots, of all ages and types, to label them with this type of statement and age group is not on.

Read lots of your posts over the years, however this time cannot agree with you.

I will be travelling to Alva beach in a few weeks, and yes I will be fishing. I'm grey and travel by camper and boat on regular basis. But anyone who knows me or my lovely wife, would tell you that our basis for fishing is for the future.

I write and compile regulations for competitions in NSW, and have had a hand in the regulations for comps in NSW. Not all, or even the majority fit your description.

This bloke or any others of any age group or type, deserve all the fines and punishment thrown at them. But please be factual.

Sorry but this time, I can't stand back and let this type of statement unanswered.

Enjoy your fishing.

Regards

Trev

[TimiBoy]

Boys and Girls, These in possession limits are there to stop guys like this one rorting the system. Guys that are also doing black market stuff. If your in the right and happened to get caught out by circumstance then I am pretty sure your gong to get off with a warning.

That case where someone came in from M'ba filleted thier fish at the Kawana side (where there is cleaning tables) then went to the M'ba side (where there is room for a boat and trailer to be parked) and got nicked by fisheries as they came out of the waters was a joke and should always be challenged in court.

Cheers

Chris

In most cases, where there's "gray" there's an old trick. It's called "passing the attitude test". Usually Fisheries, Coppers, whoever - will treat you as you appear to deserve to be treated. If you act like a d!ck, well, that's how the world will come at you.

In the case above, if the guys explain the situation, and point out the camping gear about, the worst the Fisheries fellas and chickies would do (imo) would be to sit down, have a cuppa and share a yarn while they wait for the proof to show up.

Cheers,

Tim

[finga]

In most cases, where there's "gray" there's an old trick. It's called "passing the attitude test". Usually Fisheries, Coppers, whoever - will treat you as you appear to deserve to be treated. If you act like a d!ck, well, that's how the world will come at you.

In the case above, if the guys explain the situation, and point out the camping gear about, the worst the Fisheries fellas and chickies would do (imo) would be to sit down, have a cuppa and share a yarn while they wait for the proof to show up.

Cheers,

Tim

Yep, attitude says a lot alright.

If I was the Fisheries dude I'd just go and count the sleeping bags/swags etc.
That would give an indication of the numbers present unless some were sleeping 'very close together' but we'll not get into that

[Lovey80]

Yeh mate exactly my point these rules are there to punish those that flaunt the system. For the extra they need to really smash the guys with on one hand the take in the boat at the time and then whats at home.

I once new a very good young fisho that use to work for his brother who was a Pro crabber. Heard many a story from him but for the most part I thought he was a good bloke and they never messed with Rec pots or anything like that. I did feel sorry for him when he told the story where because of the tides they used to check the pots as fast as possible so they could get all thier areas done and get out again without being stranded. But they were breaking the rules as they would dump all the crabs on a deck on the boat in the last creek and once they were in an area were they knew they could get out they sorted the crabs and threw the undersize and the Jennys back (so not immediately). One day fisheries got them as they were hooting back to the deeper water with undesize/Jennys on the deck and they lost the lot. But fair enough they broke the rules and it was only thier word that they intended to get rid of them and you cant take everyone on their word.

The same guy also claimed that he thought that in certain areas he use to fish that he could make a living purely off fishing line like a rec and staying within Rec bag limits but illegally selling the catch. It was just a statement and he never did it to my knowelege but these possession rules are there to hammer anyone caught doing things like this.

Cheers

Chris

[Lucky_Phill]

Jono-ss How about a back up to the story ?

name ? fine ?

A summation by the magistrate ?

Statement by QBFP officers on how they got the tip off and if the ' Perp " was aware of the regs. IE:- did he say, yep got me, or was he completely ignorant.

Further, does this crime come with a criminal record ?

IMO< and nothing to do with this case in particular and not going to get into a debate about it. I have very good records of whiting catches in a SEQ river that go back to 1945. Numbers of anglers, numbers of fish and weights. This has remained consistent to this date, despite the anglers numbers increasing 100 fold. Not too sure why this is other than to say this particular river system has NEVER been commercially fished.

LP
.
.
.
.
.
.
.