Failure to remove fish fins will cost $$$

[StevenM]

Yeah thats the theory, but how long does it take for the fish shop man to fillet and skin a fish????

Regards, Tony

Thats right Tony..or cut it off

[Poodroo]

Well personally I think it is a whole lot of hogwash. If I catch a decent haul out there do you really think by the time my family and friends put their hand up for a share of the catch that I am going to share what's left with the shops? I think we as recreational fishermen are basically divided into 2 types. Firstly those who love catching and eating what we catch and secondly those who love catching but don't eat and therefore release their catch. This basically leaves a minority of blokes who would actually go out there with the intention of making a fast buck on the black market. So if I am reading that correctly does this mean all coral reef fish need de-finning? Have never done this ever if that be the case. Have even had catches checked by the water police but no mention of the fact any of the catch had all their fins intact.

Poodroo

[fishingjew]

Well i have never heard of The pectoral fin removal legislation till i came across it in the news section of the dpi this morning


http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xc...4_ENA_HTML.htm

[finga64]

I was speaking to a lady at the DPI to get some information and she couldn't tell me which species are classed as coral reef finned fish (say that 10 times with a belly full of Stoney's) so the safest thing to do is cut the fin off on anything going in the esky.
Again, it's a case of not enough info to the people that should know about the new rules and a matter of no info at all to the majority of us
Chaos rules

[cactus_jack]

This is all news to me as well, I didn't know this legislation existed until now, I s'pose it's like so much other legislation: in that it tries to achieve an aim but remains inefficient and unworkable, with the genuine innocent angler getting pinged and the real offender probably finding a way around the law

[choppa]

Sounds stupid to me, what if your keeping it alive to see if you can get a bigger one (tossing the smaller one back if you do) bit cruel to cut it off alive, and can the fish survive with it removed if you end up letting it go?

well,,, i must say,,,,,,,,,,the ol' choppa is stunned,,,,

not at the quote above,,, but by the amount of replies so far that state they had no idea of the legislation???

this has been raised before,,,, and has been,,,, and still is part of dpi&f news,,,

and the idea s simple,,,,, you catch a fish,,, you fin it,,,,or,,,,,,you keep it alive and replace it with a larger specimen,,,,

to date all fines have been applied to dead fish,,,,,any ""live well"" fish ,,, has the onus on the fisherperson vs the inspector,,,

ie to say,,, if the fish (and the story that goes with it),,leaves an amount of doubt,,,your fined,,,if the fish,, (and your story behind it) substantiates a clear picture of a feed for the table,,,,carry on fishing,,,

most of the fines that have been issued have been placed on fisho's with an esky full of dead fish,,, with no fins removed

i posted a thread response here somewhere a while back on the $$$ value of fines and penalties that are actually handed out on average per year,,,,,its pi$$p00^ beyond belief

hoges and whiteman's response to the value of the blackmarket in selling fish as small,,,,,,in honesty,,, send me both your mailing addresses,,,, i'll fill your letterboxes with actual facts on the size of it

thank god i c&r,,,,,,,,,,,,and chopjr on sundays

[Heath]

HAve been knocking the fin off reefies for the last few years. Like anything you just get used to it & do it.

[finding_time]

Yeah thats the theory, but how long does it take for the fish shop man to fillet and skin a fish????

Regards, Tony

hi tony

Got back in brisbane at 3.00pm yesterday and knocked up the fish cleaned up and then decided to head up to the local fisho for $5 worth of chips for the trout fillets the family and i were about to have for dinner . The fisho commented to me that i only ever buy chips , dont i eat fish? I told him that we eat fish 3x a week but i catch my own and had just got back to brisbane from paradise( 1770) and had plenty. Well guess what?? He walks around the counter and quietly tells me that if ever i have any fresh fish that i dont want he will buy all i can spare!!! > > >

I dont fish for profit i fish for fun and would never consider selling anything i catch but i bet there are a few that do, so i dont think the pectoral fin removal stops any fish being sold on the black market!!

Ian

Ps. I'm also very suprised at the lack of poeple who didn't know of the rule regarding fin removal

PPs. Those trout fillets were bloody good!!!!

[Fixation]

Be good if some of the officers actually checked your catch as well and told you about the rules if they want to crack down it. I've been pulled up about 3 times now recently and the officers had no time for looking through the esky. Even though I offered to show them my catch they were only interested in safety gear....
One guy did pull us up on it up at 1770 and the old man offered for him to empty the ice slurry out of the esky to look at the catch and the officer promptly replied with..... "Oh I can see you guys are doing the right thing. You got fish measuring stickers on your boat."
How ridiculous!!
I can't blame him for not wanting to get dirty but isn't this part of his job?
Now I know the DPI have got alot on there plate but taking an extra couple of minutes going over things with each vessel isn't too much to ask I wouldn't think.

[timbacutta]

I know there should be better communication between the DPI and the fishing public about fishing rule changes but the onus is still on fishermen to know what the current rules are and to comply to them. As an avid fisherman, I make it my business to know what the latest rules are and strive to obey them at all times. Finally it is up to the individual. I hate over regulation as much as the next bloke, but in this day and age we have to make the best of the hand we are dealt. So get out there, catch some fish, cut the pectoral fin off the fish we have to and have a good time.

Jeff.

P.S. Don't forget the Coral Reef Finfish closure from 16 - 24 October.

[Mullet_Musketeer]

I find it hard to believe that the blokes with massive boats and trawler nets really need protection from the possibility that a couple of mackerel will turn up in the local fish shop from rod and line fisherman. I also find it unbelievable that we - through our taxes are actually paying for this to be drawn up, legislated and then enforced.

Take and possession limits, safety gear - of course we all understand the relevance of these rules - but protecting trawlers from recreational fisherman - someone must have been smoking too much wacky backy when they came up with that.

[finding_time]

I find it hard to believe that the blokes with massive boats and trawler nets really need protection from the possibility that a couple of mackerel will turn up in the local fish shop from rod and line fisherman. I also find it unbelievable that we - through our taxes are actually paying for this to be drawn up, legislated and then enforced.

Take and possession limits, safety gear - of course we all understand the relevance of these rules - but protecting trawlers from recreational fisherman - someone must have been smoking too much wacky backy when they came up with that.

If you think about it it's also there to protect the fish. Pro's have a quota and any fish that end up in a fish shop that rec fishos have caught are outside that quota and there by harming the fishery. I know you will say that rec fishos will catch the fish any way but if they are getting paid for there catch they may take more that if it was for personal consumption and may make more fishing trips if there is a return to be made. Also pro fishers PAY for there fishing quotas and have every right to have these protected!!
Ian

Ian

[newchum]

the removal of the fin to me is a way for the fishos to identify the people who are playing by the rules, it will not deter anyone who is willing risk their boat for a few extra dollars from fishing for profit. also heard that the guys fillet at sea ,sneak in at the wee hours to avoid detection. not much chance of the shop being caught with blackmarket fish then. those fools make our pleasure more painful. it's not hard to play by the rules and still have a great time on the water

[Scalem]

Well there you go!

I wonder if this sort of rule is relevant to certain areas? As my favourite area to fish has been Mud island, I hardly think that this area can be classed as coral reef, and therefor the species caught there are usually Snapper and grass sweetlip in the summer, with a mix of estuary cod and bream close in. Mud is also a common stop off point for the boys in blue, and I have been checked so often it has nearly become a nuisance with the regularity of checks. I have never been asked or reminded about this rule. Would I become complacent by thinking this does not apply to Estuary and Bay areas? I would hate to think anyone thinks it only applies to outside fishing... then find an inspector who thinks differently. By then it's too late.

Anyone who knows without me spending time looking for the answer with lots of reading?

Scalem

[rando]

To all those doubters, a couple of years back I worked for a large corporation and one of the fellows was a regular offshore fisher and a member of a fishing club, he regularly boasted of catching 100s of kilos of fish And that other club members had done the same or better. This is preceeding present bag limits. It seems odd that he also had a business relationship with a retail seafood outlet.
I am pretty sure this is not an isolated case.

I think anything that puts obstacles in the way of abusing the environment is good for all.
MHO
rando