Recfishwest Survey
Evening all,
Been out of the fishing game for a while and only just getting MOJO back, but still get the Recfishwest updates and the latest survey has me a touch cynical.
For clarity, I rarely keep anything that I catch and personally view those who use the argument of being able to take home fish as justification for spunking 000s of dollars on a boat as crazy. But this latest questionnaire has me concerned that we are being played for fools. Somehow they have managed to crowbar the whole COVID situation into what is according to the ToR is a 'plan for the future'.
The questions seem 100% loaded towards giving the minister a mandate to cut limits and takes then turn around
and leverage the 'results' of a recreational fishing survey.
Anyone else got issues with it or am I jumping at shadows??
Nick1712
Posts: 32
Date Joined: 04/04/14
... and apologies for the
... and apologies for the formatting, my phone has shite itself!
Curndog
Posts: 449
Date Joined: 21/11/16
I got no issue
I got no issue with it. It's true during covid time and since then a lot more and I mean ALOT more people out on the water and that's all the way up the the coast. I was in shark bay a few weeks ago and locals were telling us what a raping Denham has taken and having to empty the offal bins twice a day taking away tons of carcass's. I've fished there a few times so have some marks but had to go a lot further to get into anything decent. I usually go coral bay every year and have next year booked (booked before covid) and now ppl reckon it's impossible to get accom up there next year.
I sort of got the shits on at the start of the questions and on one of them I started banging on about the sharks being the bigger problem up there rather than bag/possession limits. I was glad that further into the questionnaire that they identify the sharks as being a problem but no doubt will fall on deaf ears and rather than culling any sharks or catching them and sending them off to be eaten they will lower bag/possession limits instead. I wouldn't care if they lower the limits as long as they properly address the sharks as being the bigger issue to "fish stocks" and start getting rid of them not trying out this bullshit shark deterrents on fishing lines.
Stevo81
Posts: 1278
Date Joined: 16/04/12
I did exactly the same as
I did exactly the same as you mate, started the shark rant in the first available comment box before getting to the shark section.
•••••••• Electrical Contractor NOR ••••••••
Jim
Posts: 1336
Date Joined: 05/05/06
havent seen the survey but I
havent seen the survey but I just cant see how they could cut metro bag limits anymore but I wouldnt put it past them because they will find a way. I wouldnt fill one out. Give them and fisheries nothing to use against us.
Bend over
Curndog
Posts: 449
Date Joined: 21/11/16
I should have mentioned my
I should have mentioned my comments were based on north west fishing. I agree Jim if they lowered the west coast bioregion limits it just about not worth going. Maybe that's what they want
beau
Posts: 4104
Date Joined: 24/01/10
Photos of whole fish in the
Photos of whole fish in the bins and even whole mulloway just left behind on the fileting tables floating around social media was a terrible look.
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
I m with Jim
Never fill one out . Waste of mully I don’t mind eating them .
timboon
Posts: 2957
Date Joined: 14/11/10
Clutching at straws Beau, If
Clutching at straws Beau,
If you are worried about the odd fish that has been wasted ( without knowing any backstory ) then you obviously dont have an understanding of the commercial fishing industry...
1 example and sure this is going back a bit but still... WHen the Orange Roughy fishing was big back in the day in Tassie at a place called the Hill, boats would line up to shoot the net at the Hill... If you got the shot right you'd fill your net in minutes, like 50 Tonne of Roughy, boat would slow down and labour, You'd know the net was full and you'd pull it up... The big boats might be able to do another lap and line up but the smaller ones would be at capacity and have to head for ST Helens...
If you missed the shot and were off to the side you'd get a net full of Dory...
Dory were worth much less than the Roughy so they'd open the bag, dump the 10,20,30,50T whatever tonne of Dory and go back around and line up...
Dory is a delicious fish and the thought of that still pisses me off 20 years later...
While industry has changed it aint perfect and most fishing where a net is involved ( PRAWN TRAWLING!!! ) there is a shitload of bi catch waste...
Anyway sorry to hijack the topic but the people that have the ultimate say know enough to know the odd wasted fish at a filleting bench aint no threat to the rec fishing.
They also know the money it brings in for the state so there is a fine balance...
Perhaps while so many are fishing the need for commercial fish has diminshed somewhat...????
davewillo
Posts: 2410
Date Joined: 08/09/16
I agree Boonie that dory are
I agree Boonie that dory are delicious but I guess market forces will always win out. don't think I've eaten roughy unless it was called something else.
As I haven't been a boat owner for a long time (until yesterday!) and my best mate/boat-owner likes fishing for pelagics, I buy more fish than I catch. Plenty of others on here probably never buy fish but I certainly do. Would never buy a bloody cray though!
PGFC member and lure tragic
sea-kem
Posts: 15002
Date Joined: 30/11/09
I hear what you say Boony
I hear what you say Boony but sadly the green minded flogs take great pleasure in sharing the pics of a wasted rec fish or two and get great mileage from it.
Even though we know rec fishing and any wastage is a drop in the ocean compared to commercial waste and by catch.
And geez whenever a pic of a Huge bass is put up on social media the inane comments are mind blowing.
Love the West!
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
I don’t think
You got what he meant . Could be wrong
timboon
Posts: 2957
Date Joined: 14/11/10
Oh yeah I get that green
Oh yeah I get that green side of things and I didn't mean to come across snappy at Beau but you just never know, It could have washed up or something and someone thought the waste bin at fillet bench best place for it. I dont even know the pic of the Mully he's talking about but yeah the green movement is strong nowadays!
Onya Dave, what sort of boat did you buy?
davewillo
Posts: 2410
Date Joined: 08/09/16
Sea Ray 315. Not a fishing
Sea Ray 315. Not a fishing boat but with a big swim platform it's a boat I can easily fish from. Boat I can spend time doing lots of things I enjoy like drinking beer with mates and weekends at Rotto and GI.
My days of hardcore bottom-bashing are largely behind me. I'm more interested in a feed of whiting, some squid, snapper when they're in close and doing some trolling around Rotto. Had good success on YTK's in the past and shark mackies when they're around. Got a mate that I go to the FAD's with and he wont take fuel money so that base is covered!
PGFC member and lure tragic
beau
Posts: 4104
Date Joined: 24/01/10
The photos of overflowing
The photos of overflowing fish bins in Coral Bay and Denham and the dried up mulloway left on the filleting table is what has kicked all of this off Timboon.
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
nah ...dhuie , mortality and
nah ...dhuie , mortality and the 10 year half way evaluation of demersal changes is what there about with the survey ,,,
you all should be expecting to see an increase in the demersal ban time imo
recs have likly continued to take more demersals than is within the long term sustainability of the biomass ..
technology has again since the 2008 implementation kept pressure high on the recovery of stocks ,, ,, most boats have top gear in them nowdays and id be surprised if we dont see some sort of reductions with demersals ... reductions of effort or trade off with species of some sort is my guess
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
beau
Posts: 4104
Date Joined: 24/01/10
Not so sure hezzy. The email
Not so sure hezzy. The email and survey I received is all based around North West trips and trip possession limits.
"Recfishwest is keen to hear your views on whether you think the current State-wide possession limit is enough, too much or too little for your next fishing trip"
"Anyone who has travelled along the coastline north of Perth in recent months would have no doubt noticed a lot more people out and about than ever before."
"You may have heard some community concerns that this is leading to more fishing pressure on our fish stocks."
"However, this has also resulted in a significant increase in recreational fishing participation across the State, to the extent that several regional communities are now concerned about the levels of fish being landed and the impact this may be having on local fish populations."
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
yes , i think your right
yes , i think your right there beau ..just checked and did this one around bag , possesion limits the other one is also looming though
any bloody excuse to cut recs back again
poor form from the minister to knee jerk from a small incident
was not that long ago a lot of these communities wanted to have tourists ..when local borders where closed , only happy if your spending it in cafes and overpriced shops etc
lets see what proposals come from it
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
WSHN4FSHN
Posts: 224
Date Joined: 19/09/12
Hezzy I wouldn't be surprised
Hezzy I wouldn't be surprised if the demersal ban gets extended into the Gascoyne coast region. I think we may also see trip limits implemented. If they do come in we could become limited to 10kg. I think that's a middle ground they'll be aiming for to reduce the immediate pressure and increase short-medium term sustainability. You can bet your bottom dollar though that any changes that do happen, won't be reversed for at least 10 years.
Burley it and they will come.
rob90
Posts: 1528
Date Joined: 06/02/13
More bans on demersal
More bans on demersal fishing may mean ive gotta dust the bream gear off and find alternatives. For me with the yak or the ski to go out and find a 2 fish bag is a full day of physical effort, to potentially only feed for a night or two with the odd occasion getting some fillets to tie me over to the next outing. Longer ban sucks unless its during winter when swells are up and winds normally shit. But during prime weather for me in small boats I'll be fecked. He who cries loudest always wins. Generally thats the greeny hippies who dont have anything better to do with their lives then drink kale smooties and make signs bagging out people actually enjoying life and nature.
Hi my name is rob............. and I'm a........... fishaholic
Skull
Posts: 630
Date Joined: 03/01/12
They need
They need to be careful of what they wish for,
afterall if they drop the possession and catch limits a lot of people will stop going to Exmouth, Coral Bay, Shark Bay etc etc due to the costs.
Therefore the towns will suffer economically, when we travel up North we certainly contribute to the town by what we spend on accomodation, food, fuel bait, ice, restaurants, the local bottle shop and the list goes on.
We don't take everything with us from Perth but if the possession limits are lowered or the catch limits lowered it will not be worth it for us and I am sure others will feel the same.
Skull
sea-kem
Posts: 15002
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Exactly mate, they would
Exactly mate, they would want a good long hard think about any reduction on bag/posession limits up north before implementing any change. A usual spend for my yearly trip to Gnaraloo is around 3k with just my mid sized boat. Mulltiply that by the hundreds or more likely thousands and you are talking big economic $ for those regions. To have them cry about a few wastedfish is pedantic, but to be clear I don't like to see it.
Anyway this is a once in a lifetime event and guarentee things will be back to 'normal' in a year or two.
No easy answer there will always be ignorant clowns where ever you go.
Love the West!
Skull
Posts: 630
Date Joined: 03/01/12
True
True Andy,
I hate wasting fish and I am pretty sure most if not all readers on here would be the same,
Sadly sometimes things go a bit pear shaped and a fish gets wasted but overall I feel that is a rare occurence,
Rather than having the normal influx of overseas visitors this year there were a lot of WA residents who couldn't wait to get away after the lockdown
Wonder out yonder the government said, support the local communities the government said so we did and now this survey pops up as if to potentially punish for doing so,
I stated on an earlier post when the wasting of fish and the shire having to empty the bins twice a day was raised they are doing so for a number of reasons and it isn't only due to wastage,
But if those bins are getting emptied that often the town should be celebrating, as that means people are in the towns and adding to the economy. Can't have your cake and eat it too. You can't get the tourist dollar without the tourist which this year has been mostly made up of fisher people supporting the local communities.
Cut the limits any further and this will stop and then what?
Skull
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Knee jerk
The tonnes of daily waste the Denham locals spoke of was a gross exaggeration. Theres only 2 bins at the main filleting table, so maybe 1-2 hundred kilos if it was emptied twice daily.
It was also coincidental that there was magnificent weather, at the same time the state had come off the back of a 3 month border lock down, right when school holidays started..... The whole of WA was itching to get out, the weather gods turned it on, and by golly fish were caught. It was a pleasant change from the HOWLING southerlies that plague that area for 99% of the year, which makes catching fish hard.
I'm not 100% sure about professional fishing, but I know the cray industry shut down during covid, so something to consider is how much alleviated pressure was taken off fish stocks for the few months before the state opened back up? Its certainly something the locals don't think about.
I noticed on all of the FB pages that the locals always stated "tourists are depleting OUR fish", like living there entitles them to exclusive rights to fish in that area. It seemed to be a typical attitude of everyone that lived there.
I just did a trip to dirk Hartog with the family 3 weeks ago. It wasn't a fishing trip, but i managed to bring back a few kilos of fillets, mostly Mackie. I spoke to a local duck whilst I was filleting, and she said not much had been caught over the last few weeks. The 2 bins were empty, and I saw a few boats come back empty handed for the 30 mins I spent at the table. I'll bet my house they don't broadcast that on FB.
dano83
Posts: 790
Date Joined: 25/05/12
They are already talking of
They are already talking of dropping to 5kg possession on the island
there's going to be no point going there fishing anymore.
as you know a lot of time and effort goes into getting in to dirk
the fishing pressure has increased dramatically since 09 though with the rise of popularity due to social media
before you wouldn't see anyone for 2 weeks now you get ppl coming up wanting to fish the ledges with you
timboon
Posts: 2957
Date Joined: 14/11/10
Scotto you nailed
Scotto you nailed it...
There are some dopey fuckers that make these rules and regs though.
Closing another bio region is a bit like "a marine park", the pressure will just increase over the border from it...
The locals at Peaceful bay ARE NOT welcoming of visitors during the ban to the West...
Haven't we already discussed that the fishing ban down in our bio doesn't even coincide with when Dhu spawn etc??
I'm certainly no expert on that matter but fellas like Little Johnny are...
PLUS.... Why are the pros still allowed to fish and net through the ban if its about breeding stocks??
Anyone filling out the survey needs to highlight if they bring home 10kg of fillets north of canarvon they've lost 20kg of additional fillets to the sharks up there in doing so!!
Surely the rule makers don't get out on a boat north of Kalbarri to see the shark issue for themselves??
Chinbald
Posts: 317
Date Joined: 21/02/09
October Holidays bins at Denham empty.
Blew its arse off. Lucky if they had to empty the bins all week.
And the sharks where active as always. I culled a few but not even a dent on the population.
timboon
Posts: 2957
Date Joined: 14/11/10
Nice one Chin...
Nice one Chin... Powerhead?
I'm all for sinking a few grey suit ships...
Apologies Merman and Pesc but let em rott on the bottom...
Pescatore70
Posts: 183
Date Joined: 03/12/19
No apology needed Boon.Thats
No apology needed Boon.
Thats your opinion and others have theirs.
In respect to the restrictions and bans, I certainly don't have issues with them other than how they determine the parameters (duration, numbers etc..) but I shake my head at how they happily roll these out but them and the environmental Monitor bodies conveniently ignore the huge dent to certain fish stock by commercial fishos and ignore the damage to the Cockburn Sound eco by the large industries there.
Much easier to deal with Recreational fishos..
SeperateKnob
Posts: 668
Date Joined: 28/11/16
Had a quick look for the
Had a quick look for the survey and couldn’t find. Can someone please post?
WSHN4FSHN
Posts: 224
Date Joined: 19/09/12
Try this mate. Not sure if
Try this mate. Not sure if it will work or not.
https://recfishwest.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=77a1cc2ef5b08dfe3cb33b3ce&id=dc52f17f1b&e=2b86050110
Burley it and they will come.
donnyboat
Posts: 51
Date Joined: 16/09/17
recfishwest survey
well some demersible shut down, why dont they do it properly, I have caught plenty of demersible fish after December 16 through to end of January, that have rowe in them, but it would not be political correct to close the fishing for that long, as the minister would loose vote.
if they do it properly, then how many more fish would spawn, also now that we can catch rocklobster all year, there are more people trying to catch bait for there pots, I believe this is decemating the reefs, & as they catch the odd demersible whyle catching bait, when they release them, how many really live.
while our ban is on, the pro`s are still fishing, & charter boats are still operating, close it from October to Febuary, if they are really concerned about fish stocks, maybe increase the minimum size of fish we can take.
I cant recall the last time I caught my quota, not to mention the cost of licensing boats & trailer, and we do pay road tax on our fuel that we use on the water.
most pencioner cant aford to run a boat these days, just my 2 cents worth, I must admit, the chap that spoke on the country houur representing rec fisher on Friday, spoke very good, cheers don.
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Rec fish
Fisheries all in same pot . People keep recording there catch ( actually goes against you ) In the end. some people catch little / some do well . Then they work out average . Mmmm. Most think there doing right thing by filling in there catches ( wrong). Just an opinion . Vegetables have feeling to . Green green green. More sanctions longer bans . Nothing wrong with protecting spawning fish by all means for future generations . But have they got it right ? I forgot there all educated / scientists ect .
donnyboat
Posts: 51
Date Joined: 16/09/17
Rec fish west survey
Yes little Johnny, I think they forget that to, talking about records, I have a mate who lives @ green Head, he was keeping cray fishing records, for the fisheries for many years, the week before the season opened for the amitures, the pro`s had 193 pots in the bay up there, cheers Don