Respect your mates while fishing this Easter - Qld Fisheries

[Member]

Respect your mates while fishing this Easter

News release | 28 March, 2012 - Qld Fisheries

While it's an ideal time to hit the water over the holidays, those casting a line are reminded to respect their mates and fellow fishers.

Fisheries Queensland recreational fishing manager Tony Ham said with many people expected on the water these holidays, being considerate of others should be front of mind.

"Easter is the last break of the year where Queenslanders get to enjoy a four-day weekend so there´s bound to be many people flocking to the state's most popular swimming, boating and fishing spots," he said.

"There could be crowding at some places, so it's important fishers show respect and courtesy toward one another.

"Sharing the waterways responsibly will ensure a positive experience for all fishers and their families."

Mr Ham said fishers should be well prepared to catch fish.

"Being prepared for catching fish means, most importantly, knowing the size and bag limits," he said.

"If you don't have a copy of the current recreational fishing rules or bag and size limits, you can download these from the Fisheries Queensland website.

"Similarly, you can order a single copy of each by calling 13 25 23.

"Make sure you're also set up to measure the fish you land.

"A sturdy ruler or coil measure tape is recommended for accurate measuring.

"Refer to the rules to make sure your fish are within the legal limits and carefully return any undersize or unwanted fish to the water.

"If you can't remove hooks from fish without damaging them, it is best to cut the line as close to the hook as possible."

Crab Pots
With many people also planning to set crab pots, it's important to remember that it's an offence to interfere with any crab pot that does not belong to you ­­- this includes lifting crab pots from the water, even to check who they belong to. You should also remember where you place your pots and ensure you attend to and remove them yourself. Finally, there is no longer an age restriction on the use of crab pots in Queensland.

Being a responsible crabber also means correctly labelling your crab pots as follows:

    for crab pots with floats, the surname of the owner should be clearly marked on the float, and the surname and address of the owner should be clearly marked on the pot
    a light-coloured float measuring 15 cm in every direction is required, on which details can be permanently marked with a soldering iron
    for tied-off pots, fishers are required to clearly mark their surname and address on the pot, and their surname on a tag attached to the apparatus, which should be visible above the waterline
    stamped aluminium tags are recommended for these pots as the details won´t disappear.
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/documents/Fisheries_RecreationalFishing/Responsible-crabbing-in-Qld-DL-flyer.pdf

If anyone witnesses or suspects illegal fishing activity, they should call the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.

[Member]

Question for Tony. Acknowlege the crab pots in that rust water stuff mate, but does the same rules apply for cray fish pots in sweetwater in regard to tagging, lifting, floats etc etc?

I'd put a 20 on there being as many crayfish traps in freshwater this Easter than there are crab posts in the rustwater.

Understand the spin doctors edit the cr@p out of things at times, but it would be good to see sweetwater anglers get some more guidance. 

[Member]

No, rules are different for fresh, must also have christian name on the float in fresh.

Secondly info is wrong for pots tied to permanent structure or staked from the bank. Rules are same as for using floats -  they clearly state (for both fresh and salt) the OWNERS name, not the fisherman's name. IE If you take a mate and use 8 of your pots, its YOUR name that should be on all 8 pots regardless of them being on floats or tied up.