Thousands of netted tailor dumped on Moreton Island

[Macks forever]

From Courier Mail 18.7.13
National parks rangers investigate thousands of fish dumped in Moreton Island creek

THOUSANDS of fish have been dumped in a creek on Moreton Island National Park, with locals alleging they were thrown there by fishermen illegally netting in the area.
An island resident said it was not the first time fish had been dumped on the northern part of the island off Brisbane, an area often used by net fishers.
"I don't know why they dumped them there,'' the resident said. "Maybe it's to hide them from the rangers but it's not just one event. Tonnes have been dumped and it's been going on for ages.
"Some of the fish are relatively fresh, some are mush and some are just skeletons.''
He said some of the catch was tailor and fish were of a substantial size, which suggested they had perhaps not been properly chilled, forcing fishermen to throw them away.
"It's anything goes up on the northern end of the island at night,'' he said. "They know there is no policing so they do just what they like and they're pretty feral.''
National Parks Department southeast region director Rob Allan appealed for help to track down the culprits.
Fish were thought to have been dumped on the weekend and rangers and Fisheries Department inspectors went to a creek at Yellow Patch on Monday to investigate.
The area is in a Yellow Zone under the Moreton Bay Marine Park zoning and netting is allowed with some restrictions.
Queensland Seafood Industry Association chief executive Scott Wiseman said whoever dumped the fish was acting illegally.
"We don't know who this was but professional fishers' nets are supposed to be monitored all the time,'' he said. "The whole idea is that as much bycatch as possible is released unharmed.
"We'll follow this up and see if any of our members are operating in the area and make sure they are doing the right thing.''

Read more: http://www.couriermail.com.au/nation...#ixzz2ZLxsjSYr

[Daryl McPhee]

Unacceptable behaviour and a less than satisfactory response from the QSIA.

[Macks forever]

Queensland Seafood Industry Association chief executive Scott Wiseman said whoever dumped the fish was acting illegally. ....."We'll follow this up and see if any of our members are operating in the area and make sure they are doing the right thing.''

You mean cover it up. If they were serious they would have an investigation and report the culprit to fisheries or the police.

But then again, QSIA only have a small percentage of commercial fishers as members anyway..... they are really just a PR machine.

[Lucky_Phill]

Contacted Premier and Minister.

Also did the full version complaint to DAFF , but when I clicked the submit button, I got this response.... pic below.

[seatime]

typical pro practice is to bury them. wonder if the creek wash exposed them?

the need to review & modify the practice of beach netting should be paramount for 'fisheries'

[Shark Poker]

Contacted Premier and Minister.

Also did the full version complaint to DAFF , but when I clicked the submit button, I got this response.... pic below.

I wish we could leave that type response when we are not quite ready or satisfied and the Gov't wants their taxes...
The fish dump is sickening and it is almost like we are being programmed to accept such poor standards.

[wayno60]

And ill bet thats the last we hear of it...

[tunaticer]

Moreton Island has how many shore based pro netters??
Offshore netters could not access the dump site unless they walked their dories in about a km then dumped them.....very unlikely.

The story states there were several states of decay of the fish.....leads me to think it is one pros dumping ground he returns to regularly. Set up a covert video survielance camera in the bush nearby. I think this story is so full of holes that it will not get a result.

[Shark Poker]

Netting should be stopped around highly populated areas and their surrounds like Moreton Bay.

[Bonus]

There is only one person with a K4 licence to net the ocean beach area on Moreton Island and someone else is using his licence. The fishermen concerned come from the bribie area and the fishos know who they are and so does everyone on the island. There is a loophole is the legislation which allows them to use a bait net in the yellow zone around this creek. The idea of a yellow zone is no netting for human consumption and yet the rangers and fishos do not care. The pro fishermen are obviously selling the fish for human consumption and not for bait. If you used a bait net to catch taylor then they would chew straight through it. A taylor net is thick mesh and is usually reinforced with tar. I complained to both fisheries and the rangers a couple of years ago and they could not care less. I heard through the grape vine that they were also running their nets down the southern end of the island. I hope that they were not netting in the green zone at mirapools or short point. Until fisheries or more importantly National parks get off their butts - it will continue.

[TREVELLY]

Mystifies me the level of double standards tolerated between this activity and every fish carefully scrutinised in the esky at a boat ramp.
Especially when what you say points to one culprit.
That sounds like one license that should be taken out of use with no buy out just taken.

[Bonus]

There is definitely only one commercial fisher (crew) on Moreton Island, but I gather the fishos need evidence such as someone seeing them dumping the fish. I doubt that they would get an admission from the pro fishermen. The pros net at night time as well which means all the rangers and locals are not active on the beach at that time. I don't know which creek they dumped the fish at but the main creek at heath island is also a green zone. The beach in front of main creek is yellow zone. All the other creeks are National Park.

[Aussie123]

It may not be a pro doing it.
Didnt they recently catch a rec angler on one of the islands with a heap of illegal nets?

[hungry6]

This will be a case of , "It's not what you know, but what you can prove and evidence before a magistrate"

[Shark Poker]

This is just Bulls#it!
If a local wants to, they could catch and photograph him soon enough.
I mean the offender is obviously just a dumb poor turd , leaving evidence like that.
Please Fwd the info to myself or someone else at Ausfish if you are concerned about the repercussions of reporting them.
Pauly (0409 530097)