by all means get out there young guys and tangle with sharks and rays , they are all good fun but when you have tired them out either lead them into shore for de hooking or tape a knife onto a pole so you can reach down cut the line close to the fish and let it go.i understand young guys into fishing want the opportunity to hook something bigger than a herring that actually pulls line off the reel and dont have a boat to access better fishing opportunities, but some of the shit that goes on at places like ammo dump is unbelievable, if you are going to eat something by all means kill it but if not cut the line without gaffing holes in your fish (or ray)and let it go.   cheers

same ones that most probably break in to the cars along that stretch...the ASI was closed to vehicles because of idiots ...banning shark/ray fishing is stupid I would like to think regulars down that way could vouch that sort of crap doesn't go on all the time...and to the people who want to relay so called horror stories be aware ...there could be groups of little green people quite keen on using it as more Ammo if you get my drift...I don't fish landbased much anymore, but I would hate to see responsible fisho's rights taken away

I used to fish at ammo dump, havent in a long time because of the disgustin things that go on there, not just the sharks and rays but people keeping skippy literally 10cm long. Its unbelievable, although i think berleying is not a problem coz if ya want a shhark u have to berley, (most times) the amount of sharks that get killed on that jetty im surprised theyre still even catching them and the sad part is that fisheries dont want anything to do with it, people just dont seem to know the meaning of the word release, they just kill everything even if they aint even gonna eat it, did an all nighter down there and people next to us caught a shark, banjo shark, 2 eagle rays and they kept the lot, seen young guy like me catch octopus from there, they cut its head off and started playing with it, if people dont start treatin that place with respect, something has to and will be done to shut tha place downn!

It is a shame that the small minority can cause problems like this. But as fisherman we can't just rely on that argument because it is the small minority so its not a problem,  that will get it ruined for everyone else. I read the guys letter and it was well written, informed and not in any way against fishing. Just against the stupid minority that are hurting our sport. He is looking for some form of change thats it. 

I think he deserves some support.

^ Well said rod

Yea rod, it is a small amount of people ruinin it as most people do the right thing, change has to be made bout shark and ray fishing because only one could imagine it is decimating shark and ray population

 Hi All

My name is Mick Lee and I'm the one who made the Facebook page Stop Killing Ammo Jetty Sharks and Rays. As you have already pointed out the idea behind what we are trying to do is create awareness of an issue that is caused by the minority of anglers that fish at Ammo Jetty (mainly). As we have pointed out through the page and what I am sure some of you may have witnessed is senseless and pure cruel behaviour of some anglers, and this needs to stop.

How are we going about this I would like to see as two fold.

1. An awareness and education campaign that is designed, built and supported jointly through us, Recfishwest, WA Fisheries and Cockburn City Council. This will work to highlight that yes you can fish for sharks and rays but why it is important to do this legally, safely and humanely. Catch, Take a Pic and Release. 

2. Enforcement through regular and highly visible patrols from rangers and officers, If anglers or divers see bad practice the use the Fish Watch Phone Line and actually have someone respond.

Once we can get all parties around the table and talking we can make plans but it will take people like yoursleves and fellow divers to make this work and enjoy all that Ammo Jetty and Cockburn Sound has to offer.

As I mentioned in my page and the email to Recfishwest by no means are we anti fishing but something has to be done for the sake of you all that enjoy angling so much and us divers who love diving there. Many may not know that Ammo Jetty is one of the best macro dive sites in Australia and seeing the carnage and rubbish left behind is distressing and getting worse.

I thank you for your support, feel free to LIKE the page if you wish. I will be updating through this site now as well.

All the best, wet lines and clear vis.

Mick

Hi Mick

I (and I am sure many other people on this site) support everything that you have said in your post above.

What might be getting some people on this site upset is that what you posted on the facebook post and letter was this:

'One avenue I would like to propose is the banning of Shark and Ray fishing at Ammo Jetty'

Which is quite different to what you posted on this site:

'highlight that yes you can fish for sharks and rays but why it is important to do this legally, safely and humanely'

You might find more support from one group or another if you clarified exactly what it was you were trying to achieve, though in principle I think what you have posted above sounds very reasonable.

Cheers

Dan

 Apologies and yes I should clarify.

What we should be working towards is the safer and better fishing practices especially when it comes to shark and ray fishing at Ammo Jetty. This may involve different ways of fishing using alternative methods and catch and release only. I am not fully sure I will admit and only through open discussions can this be achieved.

I am still hoping to hear back from Recfishwest shortly and through that we can work something out for the future protection of the marine life and stocks. 

Apologies if what I have written regarding the full banning of shark and ray fishing off Ammo Jetty as extreme, but there has to be a better, safer and more humane way of fishing. This is not about just the protection of sharks and rays but someof the activities that are occurring are becoming a public safety issue as well. 

I hope that clarifies what I have written in the past and look forward to further discussions moving forward. 

Mick

The way i see it, if push comes to shove restrictions may have to be placed on ammo jetty but i think a total ban is a bit extreme.

i too have seen it multiple times and posted on here a few of the experiences that made me sick to the stomach and i havent gone back there since. being in the tackle industry myself i definately have seen a rise in the number of anglers looking for sharks in particular in that area. in no way do i or any of the other people in the industry condone the act of slaughtering for no reason because IT IS WRONG.

what i have been looking into is somehow getting into/ starting up a volunteer ranger program with the council so that concerned members of the fishing/diving community can actively suppress the rape and pillaging that occurs there nearly every night. as of yet i have had no success but im sure with campaigns like this it may be possible. i know that fisheries used to have a volunteer officer program which was squashed a few years back where they would scour places like ammo, north mole ect and see if there were any idiots around and if necessary call in the full fledged officers to fine, confiscate if neccisary.

i am a passionate fisher/diver and dont want to see the ocean pillaged so mick if you need help im in!!

Ammo Jetty Ocky

From a snorkel the day after Australia Day. This is probably the most flattering photo I took of all of the junk dumped under the jetty which I saw on this dive. Made me feel a little stupid for standing up for the fishos on diving forums in the past, but fully understand that it is a small-minded minority who abuse the place like this.

Yea on that pic, i went down last near end of last year and there was a group of divvers at ammo dump collecting all junk that had been dumped off the jetty, there was that much that they were movin 5 or more weelie bins of rubbish on a truck each time and they made at least 10 trips bak and forth in the 2 hour time i was there,

 Hi All

Thanks for the posts and support. The rubbish is actually a double edged sword looks ugly but after a while provides structure and homes for marine life but yes most does not need to be there - 20 chairs last Saturday but then again Friday was damn windy.

The Facebook page that I started has been hijacked now by some from the local angling community, who from what I understand are talking on behalf you all anglers.

I am posting this to let you know that the facebook page will be ending within the next few hours. The idea was to raise discussion and build on that seeing how we can working together can find a way to stop the senseless killing of sharks and rays. But what has heppened over the weekend saddens me, veiled threats have been made against me and other divers and any post it met with comments that are immature or have missed the mark.

What happens now will be that we have a photographic portfolio that will be sent to Cockburn City Council, WA Fisheries and Recfishwest that formally raises our concerns. What happens from that I am unsure, I had hoped for a education package put out by us the community, that may happen but more than likely more regulations.

As I hace always said I and most divers are NOT against angling in fact most of us do it ourselves, but when threats are made then soemtimes it is best to pull back.

Once again thanks

Mick

Hi All

Mick Lee here with a quick update.

First off thanks for the support so far. I have spoken to Recfishwest yesterday and they understand the issue and have provided some advice and will continue to provide support moving forward. One thing we will be looking seriously into is the grant on offer for education through Recfishwest.

For this we need to get our collectives heads together and put a decent proposal forward based on education and sustainability. The first step for this will be the changing of the Facebook page name. I admit it is an aggressive name and the page was out together quickly. As the consultation process has grown and through greater insight the issues at hand are wider reaching. By changing the name we can as a community who use Ammo Jetty can work together in making the place safer and more enjoyable for all and bring the families and fun back to the marine world. At this stage the name being considered is FRIENDS OF AMMO JETTY.

We will be looking for further support and consultation in days,weeks and months coming and hope that you will all be involved. For those that would like to take a more direct involvement please PM me and we can take it from there.

Once again thanks for your support and we look forward to your involvement.

Regards

Mick Lee

I went for a dive there on Sunday morning and probably counted about 10 of those chairs down there, cat food tins, shark remains, and endless amounts of line and hooks all over the place...... I love my fishing and also my diving so not joining sides but it is important that the fishing bodies know about what is going on. A real shame to see such a good fishing spot and dive site being spoilt by a few people doing the wrong thing. I know a few dive places that get together and do a big clean up every couple of months which us a step in the right direction.
Must admit heading out there on Sunday looking at 20 odd balloons floating around thinking to myself, how long have these people been burleying....... No sharks spotted though.