Ok I'll stop having a dig at ol Normie Moore when the "BP" drops from his last little effort. He's currently off annoying the cray fishermen at the moment.

and on that topic, I heard a rumour that the "rope" or material they use to do the cray survey and base the forth coming catch limits,(preseason) was a different one to all the previous years hence the low count and subsequent reduced catch tonnage allocation. Having said that; the Cray fishermen are all commenting that this is one of the best years thay have had in the last 10yrs?? You have got to wonder at the parameters they use for their surveys.

Anyway back to rotto, I was amazed to see that if you go over and anchor they expect a fee even if you don't use the facilities. If you do use the facilities how is that different to using any other facilities anywhere else in any other shire /fishing/ picnic spot up or down the coast? I think it's just another money grab $$$$$$$$ for the government.

It's a con...

If you utilise "other" boating facilities at Rotto, what are they;

is there free water, reduced priced fuel, effluent pumping station for the larger boats?? What does the fee cover, to drive over there, anchor on sand swim to shore buy some lunch have a swim and then go home, or off for a fish or dive.

Do I need a permit to refuel at Rotto after fishing the FADS?

I have also heard that if you have a state wide "national Park" permit, (another cash grab) this is not valid for Rotto as it's not a national park, it's zoned separately??

They will try anything to lock people out or charge them a fee, look at what happened recently down south with the Water Corp trying to lock fishers out of the SW rivers. Thanks to some work and digging by "Jacko" (think it was) Their signage etc was all illegal and they had to remove it...

NO "MOORE" TAXES

NO "MOORE" FEES

FISH FOR FREE

i can see the reasons behind a fee if your anchored, or on a mooring, as they have to pay for rangers and DPI to enforce boating regulations around rotto like speed limits etc.....

and with moorings im sure some of the fees go to upkeep on the mooring itself.

But i was not at anchor, nor on a mooring, nor was in in close in a bay, i was only pulling up my cray pots then moving on.

It seems that as with all things in this once great country we now must pay for what was/is considered to be an elitist hobby,getting a feed of Mutton fish (free) Herring,Gardies,Whiting,& the multitude of other fish that we once enjoyed catching,I agree whole hartidly that there must be management of fish stokes and the amount taken,and I support the concept of fishing for the future,but it seems that due to some irrisponsible actions of recreational people and even some proffessionals,all driven by greed or total disregard for sustainable fihing all must suffer,After all,how many of us have caught 5/6 dozen Herring/Whiting and then could not be bothered cleaning them and having given some to friends dump them. We all know of Shamatures selling Dhu fish and other types I know of 1 person who supposedly built a holiday house at Coral Bay on illegal fish sales.I have personally seen (in the past) cray pots filled with under sized crays hanging from a Pro boat and I have attended parties where under size crays were the norm. Professional cray fisherman catching demersale v5 type of fish for grog money,and local people going out and getting the Marron before the season opens to beat the blow ins. We all pay a lot of money for our hobby and we also enable others who do not pay a lot to enjoy catching fish with us,but I agree,unless a person  is landing on Rottnest or any were else and using facilities why should they have to pay after all the beach is free,and if a person sets their pots some were and do not use any facilities why should  they pay,People on this site said how the pensioners who went out to pull their pots fora couple of hours had been fined,for not having a ticket,but they used the ramp and car park also the wash down,I have no problems with fines being issued in these situations but not for a person pulling his pots off an Island that is suppose to be the people Island,I cannot afford to go there but I will fish (legally) I hope around it and i think I will be giving a ranger a verbal for trying to charge me.Gee,I need that a good bitch on a Sunday morning.jersey

Pretty sure you don't even need one to anchor, just to land or use the free moorings. Never heard that you needed one to pot, although I don;t pot myself so never really looked into it.

As I'm not a diver I don't know.  I would have thought that if you need a license or permit to operate pots you probably also need a similar license or permit to dive???

i would say yes you do if your diving and at anchor.

However im not going to pay for it,

This is from their website.

regs on their website say:

(5) An admission fee is not payable in respect of a person —
(a) who is under 4 years of age;
(b) who is a member of the Authority;
(c) who is a permanent resident on the Island;
(d) who is a member of the crew of a vessel or aircraft in which persons are carried to the Island for reward;
(e) who has paid an admission fee and has not returned to the mainland since that payment was made; or
(f) while he is on a vessel or aircraft that enters within the limits of the Island and leaves without being anchored or moored, or in the case of an aircraft without landing.

reading that states only if your at anchor or moored,

You should be able to 'pass through' rotto waters, or pot in rotto waters without paying fees

Sounds like we're going to have to drift from now on!

"within the limits of the Island"?

Its the marine reserve marked on the map you can download from thei RIA website.

Till: you do need to pay landing fee's (for the boat not person) to anchor even if you do not step foot on Land. To this if you have a tender on a bigger boat thats more than 6hp (i think theres a size limit as well) you also legally need to pay a yearly landing fee for the tender as its a registered boat. Not a lot of people pay this and its not really policed but by law you do need to pay it. I agree with paying a landing fee for one boat, as Bodie mentioned there are people/services that need to be paid to maintain the bays but paying for a tender is a joke.

In regards to need to pay a landing fee for crayfishing off Rotto I have never heard of that nor would ever pay it unless you were actually anchoring/mooring there. I think the ranger assumes you have pots there so would be also anchoring/resting there at some point.

To use the moorings at Rotto is another fee completly (if you don't own one), you pay a yearly subscription which gives you the ability to use any mooring on the island which is suitable for your boat size (color coded). However if the owner of that mooring or a registered user (i.e. a mate of the owner) comes along you HAVE to get off the mooring and find another.

Everyone entering the Rottnest Island Reserve, including the marine reserve, is required to pay an admission fee as a contribution to the conservation of the Island and the provision and upkeep of facilities. Visitors arriving by ferry pay this fee as part of their fare.

Direct quote from the boating info for Rottnest island.

http://www.rottnestisland.com/en/Travel_info/Boating_information/Pages/Marine_sanctuary_zones.aspx

Zoneing shown on this page.

Basically if you enter with in the area you must pay. For me i like the idea of seeing money go to the Island in fees. It dosn't go to the government. I fell the island is allready totally under funded and this seems to be the only way it can be done by charging people for a user pays service. 

For me i have a my yearly pass and mooring fees paid for. But i just built a 4.7 mtr cc to take with me (i'll tow it) to use around the island and too and from the shore, surfing that type of stuff and even though i pay over $500 bucks allready for the big boat still have to pay for the small one aswell. Seems harsh but thats life.

I disagree with how the money is beeing spent and were it goes but i still agree with paying so i just have to do so. 

What a load of shit Rotto is.

Take a boatload over for lunch and be charged $150 to land so I can go and spend money in there business.

It's like having a doorcharge to eat at Mc'Donalds.

All of this to pay good money for exceptionally bad service and ridiculous prices!!!

Now I cant even drop a pot??? GO F#@#K YOURSELVES Rotto Island Authority.

When it's cheaper to take the family to Bali for a week than 20km's offshore ... then we've got a big problem.

MOORE MOORE MOORE!!!!! Prick of a man

Rod P is correct, double checked this at RI Visitor's Centre the other day. As soon as your boat enters the reserve you have to pay a landing fee... what a joke. $180- for a year pass, these guys just cream it

Is that $180 per person or per boat? If you pay the $180 per year do you and your pasengers have the rite to anchor come ashore and use all the facilities or is that another charge?

I think its about $180 per boat for your right to use the waters. Stepping foot on the island incurs a further fee of about $18 per person landing fee each trip. The $180 covers your boat for the year. I think but may be wrong.

yeah correct that's the way I understood what she was saying as well mate

Nah you've got it all wrong. You can either pay a user fee of per person per visit or you can purchase a yearly sticker for your boat and that covers you as many times and as many people as you take for that year.

I here what people are saying is that i don't even step foot on the island so why should it cost me anything, but what about paying for the rangers boats to have to patrol the sanctuary zones.

 For me I'd like to see a massive big hotel project ( not high rise but upper class ) go onto the island. There is loads of space and then have them pay for water pipes to the island and sewage treatment works. The two biggest problems that the island faces..

Interesting, it was clearly stated to me by the RI authority that the year pass covered the boat only. Your correct that you can take as many as you want on your boat as long as you don't step foot on the island (even mooring but not 100% sure on that) as soon as you do then $18- per person. Rotto is starting to become ridiculously expensive and as one character at the pub pointed out to us, it was cheaper for him to take the wife and 3 kids to Thailand. 'Upper Class' Hotel project will not do anything to reduce the costs for your bog standard West Oz family wanting a holiday on their own door step... just my opinion. 

It won't reduce the cost that is correct , but sadly the island authority is running at a massive loss and with a resort any new increases can be worn by them. Or the other offer is the public pay more, or they shut the place down.. The death just recently is a prime example. The standard of accommodation is honestly short of third world. The water supply and sewerage supply will soon be at its limit and then watch them charge for entry.

Don't misunderstand. I believe the current fee charges are simply too high as well. Just trying to explain them a little better. Many of the workers on the island are even volunteers. I believe the island has been mismanaged for far too long and that is what has gotten us all were we are today. Over charged and under serviced.

No yearly pass covers people as well. I've been paying if for years.