Tagging Crab Pots - Fisheries

[Noelm]

NSW rules stipulate a weight below the float, about 2% abide by it I reckon! We had our bag limit halved, and one net taken off us fairly recently. Sharefarmers are the same everywhere unfortunately.....a couple of years ago, my wife and I were crabbing and while running our lift nets, I saw an oldish looking boat pulling one of my traps, I started towards them at "ramming speed" then noticed they were wearing Fisheries uniforms! They said they were just checking what was marked on the float was actually what was there (we have to have CT on a trap float and CN on a net) they said lots of people have one float, but a line of 4-6 traps all strung together. I said that's OK by me to check, they did so, found it was all legal, asked a few questions including "how we were going" never asked to see the crabs we already had though, which is kind of strange. I think Fisheries are pushing sh!t uphill, limited inspector numbers, people using GPS to set traps at night, thousands of misinformed tourists, pros fishing, then there is the cockle gatherers, the Oyster pillagers, the jetty/shore/bridge fisher folk, a whole gambit of "stuff" under their wing, and everyone is trying to find a loophole.

[Noelm]

I guess I should add, I personally have never run across a "cranky" inspector, maybe I have been lucky? I don't know, every time (even though it's a very limited number) they have been courteous and more than happy to point out slight issues and just say "fix that later". Many years ago, way out over the shelf trolling for Marlin, a big (about 60') Fisheries Patrol boat came over to us, pretty inconvenient having to pull in 6 troll lines, but anyway....they asked what we were doing, I was kind of tempted to say something like "6 troll lines out...guess" we just said trolling for Marlin, they just kind of gave us the "once over" look and took off! No idea what they were looking for.

[tunaticer]

I think the law should be amended to 4 pots per person aboard the boat....without needing to change the name on the pot.
I own 12 pots in total, I run 4 per person aboard the boat that day.
The people aboard the boat change as often as my undies....you try writing other names on the floats and tags after 3 trips....

Compliance is 4 pots for person maximum....if I do not have the right amount of pots per person I will happily have the conviction recorded and pay the fine.

[Noelm]

I can see the logic in both sides, it's much easier to police if the user named on the trap, is in the boat...kind of, but, 2 people 8 traps...done,but it's kind of open to bending the rule, you could have other traps in different names, and just check them at random, and bring home just the right number, not saying what's right or wrong, but, laws need to be yes or no, not definitely maybe!

[stevej]

If you were out at the shelf they were out there for a drug bust from a container ship helping the cops out and out of boredom inspected you

re the crabs I’ve only tried once around Gosford and the unemployed trash stole All our traps

[NAGG]

It's my opinion that too many fishoes are missing the point

The regs are there to limit how many pots or traps each fishoe can use ........ not a case of if the missus is in the boat - thats another 4 (whatever) & the young bloke is there .... that's another 4 (whatever) - If that is how people are taking it ..... you're taking the piss .

All the pots should be tagged ..... 4 for you , 4 for the missus & 4 for the young bloke

The missus should set her pots & the young bloke sets his pots ........ & they then pull them up . ...... That's how it is meant to work

Let the fireworks begin

Chris

[Cobbo1]

I think the law should be amended to 4 pots per person aboard the boat....without needing to change the name on the pot.
I own 12 pots in total, I run 4 per person aboard the boat that day.
The people aboard the boat change as often as my undies....you try writing other names on the floats and tags after 3 trips....

Compliance is 4 pots for person maximum....if I do not have the right amount of pots per person I will happily have the conviction recorded and pay the fine.

This is exactly how I fish, personally I can’t see why it can’t be this way

[Cobbo1]

It's my opinion that too many fishoes are missing the point

The regs are there to limit how many pots or traps each fishoe can use ........ not a case of if the missus is in the boat - thats another 4 (whatever) & the young bloke is there .... that's another 4 (whatever) - If that is how people are taking it ..... you're taking the piss .

All the pots should be tagged ..... 4 for you , 4 for the missus & 4 for the young bloke

The missus should set her pots & the young bloke sets his pots ........ & they then pull them up . ...... That's how it is meant to work

Let the fireworks begin

Chris

Sorry mate, no fireworks here but I disagree, if I take 2 mates fishing and we use 12 pots, even with my name on the pots we share the catch, fisheries fining people for not having the ‘correct’ name on the pot is taking the piss

[chris69]

When it’s all said and done the rules are the rules and the fisheries enforce them everyone can be as honest as they want it’s the dishonest ones we all pay the price .

[Noelm]

Just as a side note, when I Crab, and I do it often, and class myself as pretty good at it (trumpet blowing) I only use at a maximum, 10 lift nets (usually only 8) regardless of who I have with me, more than that, and it's too hard to look after them. Checking them every 10 minutes is hard work after a few runs. Traps however are more a set and forget affair, put them out, check them next morning and take them home, 2 per person as defined by the law.

[NAGG]

Sorry mate, no fireworks here but I disagree, if I take 2 mates fishing and we use 12 pots, even with my name on the pots we share the catch, fisheries fining people for not having the ‘correct’ name on the pot is taking the piss

If fisheries fine people for not having the correct name on the pots - they are enforcing the law (as they should)

As I said - just having more people on board should not be the basis for how many pots a boat can use ......... You'll find that the law would view it the same way

Chris

[Noelm]

It's my opinion that too many fishoes are missing the point

The regs are there to limit how many pots or traps each fishoe can use ........ not a case of if the missus is in the boat - thats another 4 (whatever) & the young bloke is there .... that's another 4 (whatever) - If that is how people are taking it ..... you're taking the piss .

All the pots should be tagged ..... 4 for you , 4 for the missus & 4 for the young bloke

The missus should set her pots & the young bloke sets his pots ........ & they then pull them up . ...... That's how it is meant to work

Let the fireworks begin

Chris

I will have to check, but I think the law states that the person must be capable of using the gear, meaning if your baby is with you, then that's not another 4 traps, the wording is to prevent such practice. Most of my crabbing is 3 people, so, legally here in NSW, I could use 6 traps and 12 lift nets/witches hats/dillies (in most locations) which in my mind is plenty of gear to look after, here in Lake Illawarra there is literally hundreds of boats crabbing most days during summer, multiply that number, but at least 2 people per boat and the number of traps is staggering. Fisheries would have a hard time checking a quarter of the boats/gear on any one day, let alone over the entire summer! So, the regulations are very concise in their wording, and so they should be.

[Cobbo1]

If fisheries fine people for not having the correct name on the pots - they are enforcing the law (as they should)

As I said - just having more people on board should not be the basis for how many pots a boat can use ......... You'll find that the law would view it the same way

Chris

Not disagreeing with you regarding them simply enforcing the law, my post was not so much a rant about fisheries but to make other people aware of how detailed the rules are on crab pots and tagging them. Qld law states you can use up to 3 fishing lines with a total of 6 hooks per person, but says nothing about the rods needing to be tagged by the user, have you ever taken someone fishing and lent them a rod? Have you ever taken someone fishing and caught more than the bag limit for one person but with a second person on board you were ok? If I go by myself and use 4 pots I take 4 pots worth of a catch home (limited by the bag limit of species), if I take someone with me we take 8 pots worth of catch home and split it. So I absolutely believe that the amount of people on board should be the basis for how many pots you can use, as that is the basis for almost everything else fisheries base their laws on.

[Cobbo1]

When it’s all said and done the rules are the rules and the fisheries enforce them everyone can be as honest as they want it’s the dishonest ones we all pay the price .

100% agree, as above my post was not so much intended as a rant about the laws, more so just making people aware so they weren’t caught out.

[NAGG]

Not disagreeing with you regarding them simply enforcing the law, my post was not so much a rant about fisheries but to make other people aware of how detailed the rules are on crab pots and tagging them. Qld law states you can use up to 3 fishing lines with a total of 6 hooks per person, but says nothing about the rods needing to be tagged by the user, have you ever taken someone fishing and lent them a rod? Have you ever taken someone fishing and caught more than the bag limit for one person but with a second person on board you were ok? If I go by myself and use 4 pots I take 4 pots worth of a catch home (limited by the bag limit of species), if I take someone with me we take 8 pots worth of catch home and split it. So I absolutely believe that the amount of people on board should be the basis for how many pots you can use, as that is the basis for almost everything else fisheries base their laws on.

There is no law about not being able to loan someone a rod ........ but I wont fish more outfits than I am allowed to fish with because there are others on the boat .

& yes - I've asked my deckie to release fish because they have exceeded their limit . I actually did this on my last Evans Hd trip when a mate pulled his second jew in quick succession . I didn't even consider that legally we were able to keep 1 each - In my mind it wasn't the point . What if I then caught a jewie ? ...... I would have to release it , wouldn't I ? I'll always release fish when I've hit my limit & often before I get there if I feel that there are better class of fish around .

Now - I'm not trying to be a saint ...... just trying to follow the regulations in the spirit that they were written . Food for thought ...... I believe this is why there are more & more possession & boat limits being imposed - (fishoes taking the piss).

Chris