bag limits
Submitted by JIM1 on Mon, 2011-06-27 18:25
in a highly unlikely case, jane doh has 100 herring in her freezer, caught over 4days, she then defrosts them and takes them with her fishing as her bait because shes clearly mad, mr fisheries stops her and questions her about this.
what on earth would happen to poor jane doh? would they take them, fillet them and see if they weighed over 20kg? would she need to provide proof she caught them over a bag limit period? would they go back to her house to make sures shes not a crazy cat lady?
in short, i want to start stocking up on bait instead of buying it, i imagine i would have say 20 herring max at any one time but always wondered what would happen if you got sprung with a large amout of bait.
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Adam Gallash
Posts: 15644
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Ok
Next question, do you need to have a fishing license to be in possession of your 20kg of fillets? Is the fishing license just the act of fishing, or does it cover possessing fish?
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smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
good question Adam
I asked it of fisheries while up north a while back and couldnt get an answer.
I asked-
If Im away on holiday and have caught my 20kg, give it to someone else in my family/car (without a licence)and carry on fishing?-"no you cant do that".
What if I do the same thing but give it to someone else in the caravan park? Have I (or he) done anything illegal? "dont think so"
But whats the diff if its labelled with the "possessor"? Why is my son not allowed to own fish but a stranger is?
Id hope fisheries would take a pragmatic approach but then you cant count on it.
Look what Fisheries themselves were doing with the RV Naturaliste up north a couple of years back?
Nauti Buoy
Posts: 595
Date Joined: 20/04/09
Beach
you could say you caught them all off the beach!
cudbfishn
Posts: 1311
Date Joined: 06/04/09
Finfish possession
Finfish possession limits
(FRMA S51, FRMR Part 4, Division 3)
A finfish possession limit is the maximum quantity of finfish –
either whole or in pieces – that you may have in your possession
(control/ownership) in WA. This is:
• 20 kg of fillets of fish; or
• 10 kg of fillets of fish and one day’s bag limit of whole fish
or fish trunks; or
• two days’ bag limit of whole fish or fish trunks.
! NOTE: These limits now apply throughout WA, including
permanent places of residence. The following baitfish are
not included in the finfish possession limit: hardyheads
(Atherinidae), sardines/pilchards (Clupeidae), whitebait
(Engraulidae), garfish (Hemirhamphidae) and mullet
(Mugilida). Commercially purchased fish are not included,
but you may be asked for proof of purchase.
cudbfishn
Posts: 1311
Date Joined: 06/04/09
So catch gardies. or dont
So catch gardies. or dont keep more than 60 herring or fillet them.
cudbfishn
Posts: 1311
Date Joined: 06/04/09
Also if you catch a fish you
Also if you catch a fish you then have to chuck the bait out and also make sure you have no other fish in your freezer.
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Per person
Wife 20 kg kids 20 kg each it's all a joke
squidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
100 Herring
100 herring usually goes like this, 3 Herring =1kg, when filleted one usually ends up with a third of the initial weight.
So it's simple 100 herring in fillet form would probably nett you 11.11kg of fillet, so what's the fuss.
I agree with Tomcat..... Hubby, wife and kids can all take home 20kgs of fillet, it's joke...
Paul G
Posts: 5215
Date Joined: 12/12/07
Only if the wife and kids
Only if the wife and kids have a licence
Active Gyp-Rok solutions ,Residential and commercial ceilings and walls
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Landbased
Doesn't matter if your on land
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
I believe your correct but it
I believe your correct but it doesnt seem to say that anywhere?
gib77
Posts: 53
Date Joined: 14/02/10
Hey slightly off track, but
Hey slightly off track, but whats the size for Harlequin?
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Licence
So that means if I give 20kg to a mate he must have a licence I don't think so
black gen
Posts: 762
Date Joined: 13/04/11
fish
if you go fishing and catch your 20kg of fillets (and you have a fishing license), when your back on land you can "gift" up to 20kg of fillets to anyone, license or not.
the way that you can justify it to fisheries aswel if they were to ask, but they wouldnt because its not legislated that you cant gift fish.....what if you went fishing on a charter boat (where you dont need a rfbl) caught your days fish, it was filletted for you and then you now have 20kg of fillets??
if it were the case that everyone havn fish in their possession had to have a license, then they could sit on the road out of coral bay, exmouth etc and ping all those that go on the charters......
lots of the fisheries laws are flawed...although i still believe that 20kg per person is absolutely ridiculous....then need to be severly cut....
thanks
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
maybe but...
it may well be that 20kg abused to the limit is far too much.
But not everyone lives in a coastal city and can go every weekend to get a couple of fillets at a time.
Nor do many have the inclination to do that.
There are many here who think along the lines of catch and release, and/or dont freeze anything. That suits them and is great.
But its no more "fair" to force that on others who like to stock up a few (farmers etc who live a long way out-met many while living in CB) or fish just for the pleasure of chewin on a fish, than it is for Pew Group to tell everyone not to throw a line in at all.
We tend to see more and more on the various forums and shows, certain fishers "looking down their nose" at people who like to take a feed home, or fish solely for that purpose.
Each to his own I say within reasonable limits-but one size DOESNT fit all.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
So what do you do
if you get 2 solid Grey Bands or the like. Your gonna end up with more than 20kg of fillets.
It's all relative and there will always be people bending/breaking the laws.
If your worried about it do don't it.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
But that would still be your bag limit
Which you are able to keep 2 days worth.
I do see the gray area here, because it would not be illegal to have the 2 fish, which is under the limit, but if you fillet them, you can end up over the limit with fillets.
Would be interesting to bring that one up in a court of law!!
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
agreed Matt and Crasny
It is always going to be impossible to cover all. Already the possession/catch regs are very complex. For those of us that fish fairly regularly we can generally keep up. But I must admit a concern each time I get checked by a "newby" Fisheries person.
The last 2 times I was checked, first they had to make a call to a more senior officer for clarification and next time she didnt know what a Robinson Seabream was. Took several photos for "identification purposes" and was "pretty sure" it was a spangly.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
That's rediculous
considering the amount of training you have to do to become a fisheries officer if you can't identify species you shouldn't be in the job, simple.
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
bag limits
yeah theres alot of grey areas and I have stated this before. Alot of people go fishing for spanish macks up north. one fish in the 25-30kg weight range is going to count for 20kg of fillets. bearing in mind how long a mackie is most people couldnt freeze them whole when travelling, and if you chop them up its counted as trunked or fillets i believe. also catch and release isnt an option for this species as they mostly die after they have given it there all plus cliff fishing you can't 'swim' a fish to help it recover.
20kg of demersal fillets is alot of individual fish but everyone who goes fishing is entitled to keep their bag limit and when you factor in what it costs you to go fishing these days at least you can get plenty of feeds as some sort of subsidy.
I've also come across a few officers who didn't fill me with confidence when it came to fish ID
aaasnapper
Posts: 218
Date Joined: 15/01/10
It does seem to be flawed
It does seem to be flawed doesn't it. So basically it would be legal to have two days bag limit of in your possesion as long the fish is whole or trunked.
However, assuming you prepare only one the fish for filleting on any given day you maybe breaking the law.
ie. Now you have to meet the criterea of 10kg of fillets and 1 days bag limit. Which depending on the size of your fish it may now exceed your possesion limits.
However, it is also flawed going in the other direction, with the argument of having 20kg of fillets which can equate to alot of whole fish. Granted the argument of people who live a great distance from the ocean is valid with stocking up.
I believe we all agree with the rules and regs and in the vast majority of cases these rules would cover most situations.
null
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Agree with everyone about
Agree with everyone about this topic. Its pretty open ended for something that you can get prosecuted for and end up with your name in the local rag along with the fine you got.
Tomcat, I definately agree with the old wife and kids joke, 6there are quite a few blokes up here that take the missus and kids out for the day purely to increase the bag limit for the day. Kids dont even fiah, just watch a DVD in the cab while dad takes 8 reds and 8 trout - lucky the Dog and cat cant hold lisences!
And remember, these limits are possesion as well, not just for the day you got them, its the amount in your freezer etc.
terboz123
Posts: 1358
Date Joined: 13/04/11
The rules are open to
The rules are open to interpretation basically..........which sucks there is nothing straight forward set in stone, when you cant say " but if i did this......."
a hard days fishing still beats work
PGFC member
GCGFC membersquidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
There is
"ONE" bag limit right accross the whole state, is there not??
The "LAW" is 20kg of fillets or 10kg of fillets and 1 days bag limit in one's possesion at home or on the road.
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
not quite
Abrolhos (and maybe other areas?) are 10kg of fillets
Fish13
Posts: 56
Date Joined: 24/07/11
the RFBL covers fishing from
the RFBL covers fishing from a boat and doesnt say anything about fish posseion. If you put your wifes name on the catch then who says what? the catch is labelled.
Currently in my fridge is
one breaksea cod, 3 skippy and 3 whiting. 6 whiting fillets and 4 mullet fillets. 10 herring and 15 mullet and 2 tailor.
Anyone see a problem with my freezer?
Squidder the law is
2 days bag limit
or
20kg of fillet
or
10kg of fillets and 1 days bag limit.
Fish13
Posts: 56
Date Joined: 24/07/11
the more confusing thing is
the more confusing thing is you have to label whole fish if cuaght from different regions. imagine being in bunbury with a 45cm snapper? but i caught it in jurien bay! you better make sure its labelled that it was cuaght there
squidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
I think
you are right re the two days catch, must have over looked tha one.
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15644
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Couple of things
Not all fisheries officers come from fishing backgrounds. They have to learn all the hundreds of fish species and as a newbie out on patrol, its not always easy to remember all of them. Also consider not all of them are locked in at the one spot, mobile patrols have to go between the south west, gascoyne, pilbara and kimberly often over several weeks and have multitudes of species they need to identify. I still see plenty of experienced fisherman mistakingly identify fish, in saying that, I'm no expert either, but it was part of my job to do so for a few years so have a fair idea, but for newby officers it's not always the easiest of tasks - its only when they get 'the attitude' that it becomes a problem in my opinion.
As for the fisheries research vessel and the 'fillets' they had back then. I'll let you guys decide on this, but as a result of that saga, all fish which are now caught on that boat for research purposes are now thrown back over the side with fillets attached. Soooo.... Instead of a few people taking home some fillets from fish which were going to be killed anyway, everything now goes back to feed the sharks (it hasn't changed the amount of fish that are going to be killed for research purposes)
Possession limits, if you have 2 big grey band and it puts you over your possession, then I guess its up to the disgression of the officers, but I think if you handled the situation right then it wouldn't be a problem. But if they saw you get your 2 big GB, then head out again the next day, well you would be well and truly in the firing line. As for labelling your catch in someone elses name, a non fisher, I was always under the impression that you were able to do this but I'm not sure if the move to a RFBL system means that the person in possession needs to have a license now. As said above, it makes it too difficult with charter operators, so I guess if you go out and catch your possession limit -> you can still assign it to anyone as long as it is labelled correctly. (I would check before doing this though and I'm in no means condoning the practice)
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