Kudos for local fisheries compliance Officers
I got up this morning grabbed a plate of Weetabix and the local paper "Mandurah Coastal Times" and started to read through it got to page 5 and then nearly chocked.
The head line "Crabbing Net Fines"
Briefly the story is about nine people getting done for breaking the laws governing possession of excessive numbers of crabs and under size crabs.
Scum bags all.
To summerise the offences,
Sun Jian Wang possession of 148 undersize blue manner crabs.
Total fine $7600
Jun Wang and Li Gen Guo possession of 29 undersize crabs and obstructing fisheries officers each fines $2450.
Graham noel Gent2 counts of assaulting Fisheries Officers, yet to be sentenced.
Hannah Din and Eh Ku possessing 85 undersize crabs and obstructing Fisheries Officers, yet to sentenced as magistrate not happy that the 2 accused understood (they speak only a Burmese dialect)what was going on in court
Juanjuan An, Sicheng Wan and Yu An processing 43 crabs, each was find $750 plus mandatory penalty of $1900
To Fisheries I say good job, so a few people who do not care about the future of the fishery have been taught a lesson, hopefully.
In the popular crabbing spots there are plenty of signs in various languages so trying to use the excuse "me no understand" is just not on.
So, ok read on a bit further page 16 "Fine for punching" briefly Michael John Vanderzwan who is 198cm tall punched a 60 yr old man in the mouth. Vanderzwan was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation.
What caused this old man to receive a flogging (as well as the group he was with) the old man started to take pictures of Vanderzwan abusing a group of old people. Vanderzwan assaulted the oild man his mate then came up and laid into the others of the group with a crab net.
Hmmm, I wonder why these 2 upstanding members of society to offence at something the old group said to them about their crabbing practises at the Dawesville fore shore. One can only but wonder.
The point being with the second story is whilst F/W members are encouraged to take note and film if possible people who are breaking the law it is not without some danger.
With all this type of activity going on brings me to a statement a Mr Caldwell made in his aspirations to becoming a prime minister of Australia, however I just can't quite remember what the saying was.
Rob H
Posts: 5744
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Wouldnt mind betting that
Wouldnt mind betting that the "fine for punching" was less than the penalty for undersize crabs.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Right on
You have got it right in one.
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Sounds like your garden
Sounds like your garden variety meth head expressing themselves as they only know how.
Love the West!
stroller
Posts: 6
Date Joined: 25/11/15
148 undersize is ridiculous.
148 undersize is ridiculous. To be honest i think they will do it again.
eziliving
Posts: 865
Date Joined: 30/12/09
Not a bad strike rate. He
Not a bad strike rate. He only caught 149 from memory.
Get busy living, or get busy dying!
mikegonefishing
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 15/07/15
148 crabs certainly is
148 crabs certainly is ridiculous. I'd hope the 7600 fine would make him think again. If he is married I'm sure his wife would have a say. I know if I had a 7600 fine my fishing gear would be out the window lol. Not that I'd dream of keeping 148 undersized crabs let alone 148 sized crabs! The greed is surreal.
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
How many get away with
How many get away with undersize n over the limit?Heaps i bet, should send them back to where they come from if they dont abide by the law.