what to do when people take undersized fish?

[4heckssake 8]

Hi folks, I've been fishing at the same spot a few times this week and have observed another angler catching and keeping a few undersized salmon trout. well in fact this guy seems keeps every ST he catches and if they are similar to the ones i was catching about only one in every four or five were of the legal 21 cms. He told another angler that he had caught 60 the previous day. i think there is also a bag limit being ignored here. what should i do, have a word to him?? what would you do?

[talbo 0]

Report it.

[Ben m 0]

Strike & Hook does not promote illegal behaviour. Tampering with another persons gear, whether they deserve it or not, is an offence. - Ugly

[ausea 4]

Most regular fisho's see this all the time.

[waspy 3]

Hard to say what to do ,he might take note or he might tell you to go and :c yourself maybe just take note and report it give a description of him and let the authorities deal with it ,when he sees the fisheries officers bee lining it for him hell crap himself if there illegal .

[rookiee 0]

I would just go over to talk n educate them first. Let them know what species, the minimum size, maximum catch limit for one day and then explain the heavy penalties (big big fines!) if they are caught doing wrong thing. Might need simple sign language if they can't communicate with you. I'm guessing new anglers like overseas students and new migrants would be the main culprits as they do not automatically know the laws. If after educating them and you see them doing it again then report them, cos after that you be a solid witness.

[bricks 24]

Might think he's catching tommies yeah?No size limit and 60 per day?He may be genuinely making a mistake.

[Ben m 0]

Strike & Hook does not promote illegal behaviour. Tampering with another persons gear' date=' whether they deserve it or not, is an offence. - Ugly[/color']

Sorry for speaking the truth and having no faith in our useless fishwatch system. Someone had to tell it how it is. My patience ran out regarding fish thieves years ago.

[ashleycraig80 0]

take a pic with your phone, if he brags about keeping them than he wont care if you take a picture with a ruler next to it. Than report them and their registration to PIRSA, you may need to give a statement at local ps.This just isnt on. Makes me sick

[Ugly4Life 41]

Strike & Hook does not promote illegal behaviour. Tampering with another persons gear' date=' whether they deserve it or not, is an offence. - Ugly[/color']

Sorry for speaking the truth and having no faith in our useless fishwatch system. Someone had to tell it how it is. My patience ran out regarding fish thieves years ago.

I understand your frustration mate. Any sensible fisho does. I have to deal with the pricks every day at St Kilda, fishing on the wrong side into a sanc zone and taking under size everything. Don't think it pisses me off to the max too? I don't have much faith in FishWatch responding either. The last time I called them they messed me around for 45 minutes before connecting me to a field officer that was out in the middle of the gulf. Not something that inspires confidence when you're watching people break the law in front of you.However I am just enforcing the rules here as is my job. There is a reason why illegal activities are not to be promoted or discussed on Strike & Hook and whether we think it's the truth or the right thing to do is irrelevant.

[fridge 6]

get every bit of evidence including car rego if possible,give the authorites every thing on a silver platter as it seems thats the only way of getting results complacency is killing this countrytake some drugs to bali and explain to the officials i didnt know it was illegal

[Ranger 48]

I would agree this one may well be an honest mistake.I've lost count of the number of people I've talked with, who confuse Tommies with ST's.....in fact, my new neighbour is defence force, recently posted to Adelaide, who was telling me of the Tommies he caught at Pt Gawler the other day......I had to explain the difference tween the two fish to him.My own suggestion if you see something like this, is to have a "polite" word, explaining size and bag limits, and the difference between tommies and ST's.Don't place yourself in a position of arguement or interference if the person becomes belligerent, angry or arguementative.....you don't need the aggravation or repercussions from anything arising out of conflict. I must admit, I've become frustrated/angry and kicked a bucket into the water before. It was silly of me, it's not advised, it's not legal, I should have known better, and it could have gotten me into a lot of trouble.....I let my anger and frustration get the better of me, don't you go doing the same!Call fishwatch with details, as it's their job to deal with this type of thing, not ours, regardless of how frustrating and annoying it can be.

[Tacklebags 404]

Australia doesn't even chase out foriegn ships that plunder patagonian toothfish and other deep sea species found in our EEZ anymore. The last patrol (outside of boat people interception/illegal fishing in the north west) was two years ago. At least Howard's libs chased these hull fillers away or captured them.No need to worry though. We have marine parks.

[wishing2Bfishing 0]

im so disillusioned by politics, i just want the country to be run by someone who has Australia's best interests in mind and not by people looking to gain status etc. put the money into the places it needs to be put, in this case fisheries, and get things sorted. i could go on all day about it as im sure alot of people could but i would be wasting my breath. all we can do is do the right thing ourselves and report those who do the wrong thing. if nothing happens then... :pinch:

[Tacklebags 404]

im so disillusioned by politics' date=' i just want the country to be run by someone who has Australia's best interests in mind[/quote']Got to luv Julia Gillards speech today about more taxes on superannuation and hard times for us all etc when Bob Hawke and others have just spent the last few years selling off Australia's assets to foreign investors.Everything of value is becoming private owned and hence the government is running on a shrinking pool of revenue resources.I wonder if they will take a pay, conditions or superannuation cut themselves then put that money into fisheries officers, police and hospitals? :sick: After all, it was the people of OZ not the quick sell off and gross mismanagement that is to blame for billions of state/federal debt isn't it?

[fridge 6]

so the government is missing out on a revenue stream by not implementing enforcement of the rules with regard to catch etc and pings us before we hit the waterif cant tell what your catching dont fish,no speaky inglish is no excuse let alone ignorance.if i dont know what it is its back in the drink

[ausea 4]

Just look at every day things that go on..Speeding over the limitunregistered vehicleIntoxicated driverUnlicensed driverTaking over daily limit fishTaking under sized fishIt happens everyday everywhere