Lucky Escape Update.

[jim77]

After my run in with fisheries a couple of weeks ago i have been waiting for confirmation of my caution in the mail as a couple of people thought i might still get a sneaky fine...

Well it the letter came yesterday and i'm thankful to say that it was only a caution. A very detailed report was included with time, loaction, exact size measured by them etc, and a slap on the wrist saying i was very lucky to be let off and don't do it again! Obviously there was no mention of the inaccurate measuring devices supplied by NSW fisheries!

Be careful out there raiders with marginal fish and i hope people will be more careful after my encounter. My minimum take home size is now going to be 68cm so there is NO chance of copping any future hassle!

I just wish that fisheries had been around Sth Head on saturday as i saw numerous Rats being hastily thrown into iceboxes (#ickheads!!)

Tight lines

Jim

[Day's Fishin]

Good to hear you didn't get a fine Jim. I'd like to see some of the inspectors go to some of the piers up along the north coast & do their job. The amount of undersize fish been taken is unbeliveable & where's the fisheries officers? One old fisho told me last time I was up there that they don't do anything because their scared of been set on by all the collective, obviously I'm not talking about family groups, or typical fisho's.

Regards Jeff

[Stacer560]

jim77, i read your first post about how there measuring device said 64cm and the fisheries chart said 65cm.

You should have maybe queried them and asked how do they know there measuring device was accurate?

These days these devices are made in china (bunnings sell measuring tape that are cheap) and i have also been a victim of using a cheap measuring tape and been out quite a bit on my carpentry work.

anyhow, glad the officers used there brain...

and i agree, if they want to make real money, go to north and south heads on the harbour and catch those guys taking the rats

[Captin]

We all make genuine mistakes from time to time, we are human afterall, and the majority of us that love our sport of boating and fishing learn from it and make others aware that they may not be as lucky as us if they end up in the same situation.

Good to hear that the inspectors were compassionate enough to let you off jim77 with a caution and weren't there to punish you for thinking you were doing the right thing.

[wahoo76]

After my run in with fisheries a couple of weeks ago i have been waiting for confirmation of my caution in the mail as a couple of people thought i might still get a sneaky fine...

Well it the letter came yesterday and i'm thankful to say that it was only a caution. A very detailed report was included with time, loaction, exact size measured by them etc, and a slap on the wrist saying i was very lucky to be let off and don't do it again! Obviously there was no mention of the inaccurate measuring devices supplied by NSW fisheries!

Be careful out there raiders with marginal fish and i hope people will be more careful after my encounter. My minimum take home size is now going to be 68cm so there is NO chance of copping any future hassle!

I just wish that fisheries had been around Sth Head on saturday as i saw numerous Rats being hastily thrown into iceboxes (#ickheads!!)

Tight lines

Jim

I know what you mean. Dumb ass people every where putting undersize fish in their buckets. Ive had a few arguments at whalfs with farkwitts that dont understand what fishing is all about, let alone understanding the English Language. Its bullshat.

Its hard enough to get onto legal fish these days and when you see undersize been taken home, i understand why.

Hope things change soon and authorities get very strict with more numbers of them or i feel sorry for my 3 young boys that im trying to build into serious fishos .

Good luck.

[out n about]

thanks again for the warning jim and lucky you didnt get a fine in the mail as well.

i will now take fish that are 1cm over the legal size to play it safe

Merry Xmas

Dave

[jewgaffer]

Hi Jim77

Thanks for sharing this information Jim....I was hoping Fisheries wouldn't issue you with a fine for such an elementary mistake they themselves made by not checking on the accuracy of the measurements on the many thousands of boat stickers they ordered on our behalf ....What more could anyone do but measure a fish on the sticker supplied and simply take the measurements provided by the Government as being correct...

Overall I think the main problem is that there are fishermen out there and more than likely in hundreds and also many occasional or once off fishermen who may not be aware that there are size limits and bag limits for some species nor do they know which species are protected or what the protected species and even the various other species actually look like for that matter.

In some cases the lack of such knowledge can be inherent throughout a whole family for instance and there can be many other families who are also not conversed with fishing regulations pehaps due to say being isolated to an extent or for whatever the reason be...

To better protect and maintain our fish stocks, a solution to this lack of awareness that given time may well have a more adverse affect than anticipated, might be that the Fisheries Department at least supply some sort proper printed material say in the form of a card/licence, something like a "fishing passport" for instance, without making it as complicated as it might sound, and then make producing same a conditional requirement before say a tackle shop supplies fishing tackle or bait to card holders or their agents and issue all fishing licences in card/ licence form, and make them only renewable yearly... I suppose this is basically just some sort of a suggestion for somebody to take up with Fisheries to at least address this particular problem ....

By the way keep up the good fishing Jim77. Your reports are always a good source of information in regards to when and where the better fish are available in Sydney Harbour .....

Cheers

jewgaffer

[anthony f]

?

These days these devices are made in china (bunnings sell measuring tape that are cheap) and i have also been a victim of using a cheap measuring tape and been out quite a bit on my carpentry work.

ARRR now I know why my house and every thing in it is out of square