- Regulations will be drafted to allow fishers on boats to pool their catches
- To share bag limits, fishers will need to be actively involved in the fishing
- A common sense approach that removes complexity and confusion
Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly has approved the drafting of regulations to allow recreational fishers to share bag limits when fishing from boats.
This coming change to Western Australia's fishing rules represents a common sense approach that recognises existing recreational fishing practices and is aimed at simplifying the rules.
Importantly, this change will enable fishers to legally share catch from rock lobster pots.
Under the existing legislation for example, a licensed recreational rock lobster fisher can only retain eight rock lobsters from the pot with their gear ID attached. No further lobster can be retained from that pot. The new arrangements will allow more than one bag limit of rock lobster to be retained from a single pot provided there are other licence holders onboard.
Other examples of sharing bag limits include fishing for blue swimmer crabs or line fishing for scalefish such as whiting and herring - where the combined catch is placed in a single icebox.
The formal process required to change the rules will need to take place. It is anticipated the new regulations will be gazetted by mid-2018. In the meantime, compliance officers will be taking the proposed change into account when they are checking fishing activity.
Comments attributed to Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly:
"It just makes sense for recreational fishers sharing a day out on a boat to share their catch, provided the boat limit or the applicable combined bag limit is not exceeded.
"Following concerns raised by Recfishwest that existing catch regulations for licensed fishers onboard vessels are confusing, I was keen to find a way to simplify the rules.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8148
Date Joined: 07/05/12
So my 5 year old son only has
So my 5 year old son only has to fish for bait and I can now bring home 4x demersals? Beauty, thanks Dave but I'd still like to see the dhu boat limit increased to 3?
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
sea-kem
Posts: 15005
Date Joined: 30/11/09
I reckon 1 per person per
I reckon 1 per person per boat.
Love the West!
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8148
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Even better but I'd settle
Even better but I'd settle for three per boat but 3 is pretty much my comfort/logistics limit for a dhu bash. Truth is, how many dhus end up floating dead on the surface when a crew of three are trying to get one fish each (2 dhus and another demersal) to take home when they'd have happily steamed back to the ramp with a third dhu.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
2 per person
Max 6 per boat with 3 licences . Any 2 catergory 1 fish per Licence holder no matter what species.
z00m
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 10/05/14
Dhufish bag limit 1perperson
Dhufish bag limit is 1 per person and max of 2 per boat regardless of the number of licenses on board.
rules.fish.wa.gov.au/Species/Index/14
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
I know the rules
But this would make it easyier.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Yes Johnny, and this would
Yes Johnny, and this would make it same as coral trout, further simplifying rules
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.
PJim
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 26/04/11
Dhuies
1 per licence holder on boat
still trying
Posts: 1062
Date Joined: 27/06/17
have just read some comments
have just read some comments regarding this on the crayfishing Facebook page some people really do struggle with common sense. I have a 12 yr old son he has had his boat fishing licence for 3 years now and this year i got him cray as well in my opinion he helps alot in launching and retrieval of the boat he may not pull the craypot up but he keeps the rope neat and away from me as i pull it up i believe he is actively fishing and i know he eats his fair share.
rather be fishing
PJim
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 26/04/11
I agree
I also have a 12 year old who helps. I do get him to just "pull" the rope with me so for all observers he is actively participating
sea-kem
Posts: 15005
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Lol that's why I quite that
Lol that's why I quite that page mate, too many muppets on there.
Love the West!
Pete F
Posts: 310
Date Joined: 07/01/18
What about beach fishers who
What about beach fishers who share an icebox
Cheers
hooty
Posts: 198
Date Joined: 25/05/10
And does this mean when
And does this mean when there is more than one diver in a boat they are able to surface with more than eight crays?
Alan James
Posts: 2224
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Good question
and I am about to provide you with the answer. I think the question needs to be put to Fisheries for their interpretation.
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Probably will need to wait
Probably will need to wait until they actually get the legislation in place, as for now it is just a request from the Minister to his department to go easy.
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.
dano83
Posts: 790
Date Joined: 25/05/12
geez I was scared to open
geez I was scared to open this....... looks like they are finally using common sense shame they couldn't use the same common sense with Brett carter
Walfootrot
Posts: 1385
Date Joined: 23/07/12
That's why they are doing it
That's why they are doing it ?
More drum lines, kill the bloody sharks!
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Brett's a hard one
Gone very quite . I'm for any rule change that makes it simple . Take all buzz words out ,and words that can be interpretated different ways . Spot on common sence.
resurgence
Posts: 578
Date Joined: 23/04/14
Am I missing something?
Isn’t this the way things work already? If I have three licensed anglers on board then I can have 6 demersal species on board and/or nine pelagic species. What’s different under this new statement?
Pete F
Posts: 310
Date Joined: 07/01/18
Previosly you had to catch
Previosly you had to catch your own 2 dermersals and 8 crafish etc, You were not allowed to share the fishing limits.
If there was more than one bag limit in any container or bucket your catch was to be labeled..... Not sure if there has been changes to the labeling rules?
Cheers
resurgence
Posts: 578
Date Joined: 23/04/14
Possession limits?
Sure you’re not referring to the rules around possession limits?
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
You do not have to catch
You do not have to catch your own possession limits, dont even need a licence for a possession limit ashore
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.
Pete F
Posts: 310
Date Joined: 07/01/18
The possesion or transpot
The possesion or transpot limit is the number of fish in your control. I have never seen an exclusion about boats for this rule ? It says labling is not required only if.... you are still on your trip and have one days limit and all the fish are not stored with anyone else's.
So if you have seperate esky all is well.
Cheers
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
.
Not sure who you are referring to here Pete?
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.
quadfisher
Posts: 1146
Date Joined: 28/09/10
Kinda
Its whats been informally happening since day dot , but this just puts it into law , to hopefully stop overzealous officers
making up rule interpretations on the spot.
So you go out with your mate , he catchs 1 blackarse cause he,s a useless pr@@k , and you catch 2 dhu and big pink , now from
mid 2018 you can go back to ramp legally and not have to tell porkies about how he got a dhuie , on his pink ladys rod and reel!.
So instead of the time wasting, nick picking over the cray seasons , and lies about your ham fisted mate catching trophy dhuies, from
now on it will sensibly revolve around the bag and size limits x the number of licences aboard.
Cray wise , 3 go out , all have licence, you pull the first pot of the day that belongs to gazza , you beauty 24 legal crays , clip tails , go home.
Fish wise as mentioned.
Only thing to watch is the actively fishing bit , as in your 2 teen daughters on facebook in the car , and your missus on a deck chair
at the waters edge , wine glass in hand , doesnt mean you can come in with 40 crabs from scooping.
quadfisher
mrwinta
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 14/01/10
If only...
If only the rules were written with witty examples as you have explained them, there would be a lot more folk who would grasp the concept and perhaps in turn lighten the mood of the overzealous fisheries officer when some poor bugger has slightly misinterpreted the rules.
Anyway- its a step in the right drection.... I'm still up for removing minimum size of any demersal that doesn't release easily.
Cheers
Winta
NEVER PUSH YOUR GRANNY WHEN SHE'S SHAVING
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18035
Date Joined: 11/03/08
with so many diff rules and
with so many diff rules and regs these days something had to happen as common sence isnt too common these days with fishing of any sort.unfortunately there are some out there who will try to find a way so they can take more than they should. hopefully these new rule changes will work out for the best.
as far as dhuies go i feel that 1 per licenced fisher on the boat would be a fair call to a max of 4.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
I agree
I think there are a few people out there who are going to catch the allowable limit of whatever it is, it doesn't matter.
I've paid for a licence and by hell I'm going to take my dollars worth to hell with whether I need to or not.
I'm a strong believer in limiting my catch, not catching my limit just because I can. However I do acknowledge each to their own and if it's within the law then that's that.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18035
Date Joined: 11/03/08
fish for fun not for the
fish for fun not for the freezer.
altho sometimes you get lots of portions off a few fish then you share with others that cant or dont get out and fish. a case of share the joy
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Pete F
Posts: 310
Date Joined: 07/01/18
Fisheries managed to confuse
Fisheries managed to confuse the issue with this one, seemed like a great common sense idea at the time. However seems to have never been legislated, so if you follow the message from this media release you could be prosecuted.
I spoke to fisheries today about sharing the boat limit for demersal, answer is officially you can still only land 2 fish per person. Not 3 by one fisher and 1 another.
Cheers
diver
Posts: 149
Date Joined: 25/09/08
If it applies
To the ray fish limit then yes great ,commone sense,sadly lacking with many public servants this would meean that three dives,two experienced at catching crays could catch what the novice is unable too as long as the size,breeding,and damage rules still apply.
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
In regulations
Long as your taking part in the catching exercise. And as long as your not over limit it’s allowed . Pretty common sense ,pretty sure any officer would see it this way . Be a hard one to get booked on . Who knows ?
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18035
Date Joined: 11/03/08
It would be a hard one to
It would be a hard one to prove if the fisheries say one person out of 3 caught more than others. Same goes with fishing , who can prove who caught what . As long as you don't publicly advertise it it's your word against theirs
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
sea-kem
Posts: 15005
Date Joined: 30/11/09
That pretty well sums it up,
That pretty well sums it up, just need to be very careful what you say to them these days as they film everything.
Love the West!