Was fishing for a bit at west lakes near west lakes blvd on sat and sun arvo. Managed to catch and release some undersize KG whiting, mullet and bream. Pulled in a few tommies and even live baited a shittie. On Sunday managed to catch and release a 26cm bream.
All in all a mixed bag and at least they were biting. What disgusted me though were the people around us dumping rubbish either in the water or on the bank when a bin was less than 20m away.
Even worse was the taking of undersize fish by everyone around us. There were bream and whiting pushing 20cm that were being thrown in buckets. This was on both days fishing. When I approached some other fishers to inform them that there are legal size limits on the fish they were catching, I was politely told to "mind my own business".
It shits me that it is so easy for these people to get away with what they are doing all too frequently. (saw same family on both days).
Do these people not understand how to fish for the future?

Has been happening for years, have told people before about limits same deal got told to mind my own busines... " BAM" just kick the bucket in lol Have kicked a few in now

Sambo

After I pulled in the 25cm bream I had comments from people around me like "just need to step on the ##%+ to make him fit"

These people who take undersized fish absolutely sicken me. I've seen it a few times. Politely reminded the offenders about regulations and recieved replies from 'Oh Really?' to 'No speeka Eenglish' to violent responses. Having said that, I saw your SB posts this morning JB86. Good luck mate! Hope you get there and sort some of these people out.

I dislike these acts as much as the pro exclusion movement of conservationists.

I have looked at it from the perspective of perhaps fishers need to be excluded because too many have such a poor attitiude?

But then I look at the fish I and many others have released successfully and all those who do their best to conform and maintain stocks and I think 'no' proper policing that includes fishwatch initiatives from the public and education of our future generations comes before blanket bans that include those who do the right thing.

Had my run-ins before.....best to take down details if possible. Include regos then call PIRSA and hope they have the spare resources at the time.

TB

Tacklebags wrote:


Have called FISHWATCH many times.... waste of time though, cause the offenders are gone before fisheries rock up.... need an instant respones or don't bother.... I must have called around 8 times and not once have they showed up before offenders left...

Sambo

I know that pirsa resources are probably pretty stretched and they have bigger fish to fry (pardon the pun) but it has to be known around the community that they can rock up anywhere, anytime and frequently. The reason these people do it is because they get away with it.
The worst was seeing a family with two kids catching and keeping fish. I mentioned to one of the kids that the bream she was holding was very small and she should put it back in the water to fight another day. She asked why... I told her about size limits and the law and reasons why to release it. She didn't even know there were
Minimum size limits.... What are the parents teaching? That if you catch a fish, it goes in the bucket? Regardless of size or species?

jackblack86 wrote:


Not how I am teaching my kids...

All gov department are restircted by resources and the lack of policing only gives the conservation movement more ammo.

The fishwatch program could successfully negate this problem a lot. Problem is many fishers will no longer waste the cost of a phone call anymore because there are little resoruces to act.

Ultimately we need a government who is prepared to put there money where their mouth is....not place blanket bans as a means of regulation.

IMHO bans only disassociate human interaction with the marine environment. This only creates more ignorance of environmental issues and will not solve them.

TB

People are their own worst enemies!

Whenever we gain anything, it is always abused until we lose it, then the complaints start about authority and injustice.

It's not just fishing, it's across the board.

Have you seen how many disabled stickers are displayed in vehicles these days? I'm amazed at how sickly our population has gotten.........or are there those who are rorting the system?

The numbers claiming centrelink allowances, and the frequent numbers being busted for abusing the system!

Those who exceed the 0.05 driving law, ignore posted speed restrictions, talk on mobile phones while driving!

The amount of grafitti and mindless vandalism of property!

The list goes on and on!

Wherever there is a law, there are also those who will disregard it or abuse it.

I'm a bit like Samboman, tempted to just kick the bucket into the water and confront the people. This is NOT the course of action I would or could recommend though, as you then place yourself in a situation none of us need, and you too could be confronted by the law over it.

I can only recommend having fishwatch in your speed dial, and pick up the phone everytime, whether they attend or not. At least the complaint is lodged, and it may just lead to the area being patrolled more frequently if enough complaints are registered.

If nothing else, it at least shows the number of concerned and law abiding fishos out there!

Afternoon all, I reckon you should photograph them & their bucket of fish. Cameras have date stamped photos these days & should be sufficient to prove the offence. I have done it with hoons & usually they don`t contest. Cheers

Ranger wrote:


I fish West Lakes ALOT and have never seen a fishwatch patrol anywhere around there.... I have been fishing for along time, and have never been checked by anyone... The only place i have seen 1 ! is at St Kilda...

Not very good, Just seems like a big waste of tax payers money...

Sambo

this could be start i wonder if they mind you having a fish at the same time


www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&...SFIeu-UyS-rxUBWs9BFw

samboman wrote:


I'm with sambo on this one, I've been fishing for 20 years and seen fisheries inspections only twice. Once at semaphore and once at port Hughes. Never any prescence at west lakes. Dunno if it's a waste of taxpayers money but looking from the outside I think it could be better applied.

Ranger- you are 100% correct about the issue, people bend and break rules wherever it may be. But education can start young and hopefully kids can be shown the effects of bad fishing practices. For the ones that can't be educated come down hard, wether it is a solitary fisherman or a commercial operation ,word will get around and less people will take the risk.

It's a great feeling to catch a fish but a greater feeling to watch it swim away!

fridge wrote:


Reckon you could be showing people correct fishing techniques or correct catch and release techniques

I think I might join though, pity you can't fine people as well!

jackblack86 wrote:

I couldn't agree more!

I think society has become too soft, catering to the wants, whinges and whines of every minority group, religion, association or body. It's all about freedom of speech, political correctness, rights and litigation these days, while we spend a fortune protecting those who do wrong, rather than punishing them.

I go against the tide of public opinion, as I would much rather a police state than this "kid glove" treatment.

Clamp down on those doing the wrong thing, with zero tolerance, and let it be known that if you cant do the time, you'd best think twice about doing the crime.

The law abiding people have no need to fear, and it would certainly help to clean up our act, improve our neighbourhoods and protect the society we once had.

People complain about Singapore being a police state, and how they would never want to see that attitude here, yet I found it to be a beautifully clean and manicured city, with peoples of all races and backgrounds from all over the world choosing to live there, mixing, and respecting each other. There was no grafitti, no litter, and surprisingly very little by way of police prescence that I could see.

People there know to respect the laws, and should they choose otherwise, a good flogging tends to sort them out pretty quickly!

I know many will argue with me, but I would look forward to tough sentences and corporal punishment to get this place back on track, and regain the Australia we were so proud of, instead of this namby pamby public rights and soft touch bullsh*t approach we see these days!

People dont respect their neighbours, kids dont respect their parents, the community do not respect the laws, and those in positions of authority such as the police, teachers, etc seem to now get the least by way of respect.

We were once a proud nation where people showed respect and helped each other, where no-one locked their doors and it was safe on the streets at all hours. Kids would give up their seats to the elderly, a stranger would carry groceries for a pregnant woman, children listened to their parents, police commanded respect, we would always stop to help anyone in need, and the country grew on this Australian spirit.

Seems to me now it's all about being little America, where no-one shows respect, no-one can be trusted, people only care about themselves, and the laws of the country mean little to nothing.

Rant done..........and I feel much better now!