Black market fish-What would you do?

[Steve_Monckton]

G'day everyone, I was just reading onerabbits thread about the selling of mulloway on the sly and acknowledge that this is a fairly serious but common practise. I get pretty excited about the jew coming in and love catching them on lures. I spend a serious amount of money on good gear to go and catch them with the intent of having fun and bringing home a couple for a feed for my family and friends who love fish but who have not got the inclination to go and risk life and limb to catch them for themselves. I will share the catch with them but have NEVER asked for any sort of payment. I have noticed that for a number of years now there are a lot of fisho's who go out to catch jew and sell them and are not backwards about hiding the fact and have even came up to myself and mates with offers to buy our fish (at a discounted price of course) so they could resell them to make some beer money or whatever. I know for a fact that a lot of these blokes fish nearly every night of the week and all night alot of the time and do catch a serious amount of fish. Because of my Australian attitude I don't believe in dobbing in these people, I have had words with them but you can't change their attitudes>WHAT WOULD YOU DO??>WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING?> I fish for a lot of different species in the rivers, off the rocks and out to sea and have not seen a fishing inspector for the last 4-5 years. The fish are a limited resource, if we look after them now they should be around in good size and numbers in the future. If we don't, well, I hope you like golf!!

[Geoff_Atkinson]

Dob the bastards in. I bet they take more than their bag limit as well

[solwota]

i'm with sea raider dob them in.It may sound harsh but bystanders are offenders by default (philosophically of course) .

[Roo]

i agree. not enough regulators in our neck of the woods. No need for vigilantes but i would be making an anonymous complaint to fisheries. I know it is hard to do but we shouldn't stand by and let them pillage "our" resources. We paid, so we get a say. >

Good Luck Rabbi.

[Jeremy]

SHAMATEURS are scum and should be dobbed in.

Jeremy

[karana]

Well there are as many mulloway around now as there were 40 years ago from my experience most of which is open beach fishing specifically for them. Hookups on the correct moon and tide are very predictable and at times it is a matter of changing rigs to catch something else rather than full on plunder.

So for anyone who has worked out the system a high rate of return for a few nights would be expected. As for selling them I have been offered a lot of money in years gone by on the Tweed Wall but always rejected the offer of course. I was offered $250 for an 80 pounder in the late 90's, I wondered if it was for retailing or for boasting.

Problem is with mulloway if your drive there and back is an hour each way you might be fishing for no more than 10 minutes before hookup. Makes the whole thing a slight waste of time that's why I gave up fishing for them.

[Flash]

In your own mind, what is the magnitude of evil with these guys?
As bad as taking underies? Jennies in roe?
How about if you saw one chucking a brick through a shop window and stealing stuff, breaking into cars or knocking a little old lady down for her purse.

The phrase "dob in" and it's negative connotation are a very handy sham to stop honest blokes like yourself stopping them from continueing their practise.
They depend on you to assist them in their crime.

I hope that gives you another angle to view your dilema from.

[GES]

Rabbi

Any recreational fisher who black markets fish is taking more than his/her fair share, is causing a loss of market to those who are licensed to catch and sell fish and certainly doesn't give a damn about you or anyone else. Dob them in!
But if you do, make sure you provide the inspectors with all the information you have on names, addresses, car regos, who they are selling to and any information on how they operate that you are aware of.
This information is invaluable to a law enforcement officer and will save him much time and effort in trying to find the info for himself.

Unless members of the general public assist in that way, no one can complain that the inspectors do nothing. Like all enforcement organisations, they are limited in man-power and resources and all appreciate a bit of help from the general public to do their job and preserve OUR fish stocks.

GES

[Gbanger]

thats new south welshman for ya!!!

sorry, still dirty about last night..

[Steve_Monckton]

G'day gbanger, Actually I had my money on QLD to win.Bugga. Thanks for the views people. I fish for jew on a regular basis and know the tides and the moon phase that jew come in on, I have found that they were very predictable and still are, but the sizes are getting smaller and it,s taking a whole lot longer to find fish. I am not an advocate for anyone who takes more than their fair share and I would like something left for our kids to catch in years to come. Who knows what the future holds for us fisho's(the honest ones), cheers.

[gogecko]

Fisheries dept hotline 1800 017116 is in my mobile phone for just such a reason. They depend on tips from guys like us to do their job.

Andrew

[aussiefool]

I must admit that have been asked to sell all of my jews that I wanted to get rid of and, yes it was very tempting to take up the offer as I 'm on a carers pension and look after my wife full time. (Anyway that is beside the point) So on a very limited income and tossing lures onto the rocks on a regular basis, I was very tempted indeed, but giving it a long think I personally could not morally live with myself if I take up the offer. I can see why some people could be temped to take up such an offer. So back to your question it boils down to you, if you could live with yourself if you do nothing or "dob" them in for trying to make a few extra dollars. But it is against the law to sell fish if you are un-linenced to do so
Aussiefool
Andrew

[baldyhead]

One thing to remember about "dobbing in" is that if you provide the info to the Authorities and it goes to court AND you are called upon to give evidence in person...which the Defence for the Accused has every right to ask for... Then YOU leave yourself and your family open to RETRIBUTION and believe me this can be most unpleasent especially if the Accused is of a violent nature.
So think very carefully when you decide to "dob someone in!"

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

just to stir some philosophical debate,

where do i stand ...


my malaysian neighbour gives me the finest organic pawpaws, italian lettuce & sugar peas you have ever tasted;

i give my malaysian neighbour the frames from fish I clean & the odd prawn (some logan river prawns look very odd.... i think its the mercury...) & sometimes bags of fillet. He prefers the frames - go figure.

[Flash]

They are thieves, simple as that.

If fear is a problem, put in an anonymous tip.
They don't need you to testify if they have the evidence in hand from a routine inspection.
The inspectors don't need probable cause because they are not entering private property.

I have no respect for people who use the no dobbing policy to continue with their crime.
That policy was invented by criminals to help criminals commit crimes.