Went boat fishing friday from ocean Reef, spent 6.5 hour out there only for small gain. While I was there I encounted a 50/60 ft trawler slowly working the ground off from Ocean Reef Thursday night up to Mindaries favored grounds where I encountered this trawler in daylight hours previously I had only seen the lights as it worked at night out off O/R.
We all know that fish are attracted to the sound of a diesel engine well this thing must of had a resonating box attached to it even when I was 4 nm away I could still hear it.
I have to say that I was offended by it being in so close, at a guess it's closest point to land was about 4 nm working out to 10 nm back and forth working to a grid in places trawling the ocean floor at about 2-3 knots and then about 5.15pm it began working O/R again into darkness. I gave up watching .
Surely with the tight restrictions on fishing and numbers caught what is this thing doing in so close.
In New Zealand they are not allowed to trawel within 10 nm of the coast
What say ye. There where a lot of boats like myself out there. Maybe its time to sell the boat if the Big Boy are allowed in that close.
Cheers Mag