View Full Version : Crab Trap Questions?
After fishing my local waterway last week, we left at 10pm and got on the water, but when we started cruising we narrowly missed 8 different crab traps in the channel. Are people allowed to put them in the channel and leave them at night almost invisible to the naked eye unless some sort of light is emitted on it. Should they not leave some glow sticks in them to make them more visible. This could be dangerous to some extent yeah?
Kamil.
G'day,
The quick answer is no.
Matt
plfishfingers1
12-01-06, 09:16 PM
No mate they are supposed to be placed in areas that do not hinder safe navigation.
They are also supposed to have a name and boat name or phone number.
The traps are supposed to be checked every 3 hours as well.
Sometimes the traps dont have long enough rope on them and a high tide can float them off in a line with the outgoing current. This used to happen quite often on The Hawkesbury River.
The easy solution is to move the traps in the same vicinity or just report it to waterways as they have the same powers as Fisheries.
All the best
Peter
G'day,
They can have name and address OR name and boat rego number. TRAPS ( as opposed to dillies) must be clearly marked with the words CRAB TRAP. Buoys must be 10cm at least in diameter. There is no requirement for phone numbers or for checking time.
Also there doesn't seem to be any other limitations on where you place them, except that there are closures. For example, dillies are prohibited from Berowra on weekends and completely from Cowan etc etc.
Matt
plfishfingers1
13-01-06, 03:24 PM
Dear Macman
I am sorry but you seem to be misled in thinking that you can place them anywhere. I am sorry to tell you but they must never go in areas where it hinders safe navigation and if you call a fisheries officer he will put you down the right path. Checking time is 3 hours as per fisheries officers. This applies to Pittwater and may also apply to other areas as does the rule of no traps in channels.
Imagine if you were allowed to place the traps in the channels, youd never get up the river for untangling traps off your motor.
Every weekend Waterways and Fisheries remove traps that have been placed in channels along Pittwater because of the dangers they pose.
All the best
Peter
G'day,
You may be right about the placing of traps/dilliesin channels, although I haven't seen a written regulation anywhere, but it is probably a waterways regulation.
As for Pittwater, Crab nets are prohibited on weekends anyway, so anywhere is out of bounds on weekends.
3 hour limit for checking, again where is the regulation for this ? I have never heard of it, can someone else please tell me if I have been living in an alternate universe all these years :)
Matt
Here is some Fisheries information on Crab Traps (http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/recreational/saltwater/saltwater/crab_trap)
plfishfingers1
13-01-06, 07:34 PM
Gday Dave & Macman
I only know about theses regs because I have had discusscions with a couple of local officers. I was informed about this in October 05 and have not put a trap into the water since.
I too used to leave out a trap so my customers could start the day by checking them for any crabs that would venture in overnight. They informed me that this was a big no no and it must be checked every 3 hours.
This is on Pittwater.
Have a good night.
Peter
Gday Dave & Macman
I have had discusscions with a couple of local officers.
Probably fisheries officers from the same class as the ones who told me you don't get squid in Sydney... or the ones that asked me what sort of fish I was holding when I landed a bonito... or the ones that thought one of my jewies at Akuna Bay was a trag... :roll:
Or maybe the ones that fined a guy for undersized Yellowtail Kingfish when they were Yakkas! That was recently apparently!:rolleyes:
Maybe there are different rules for different sections of waterways.
plfishfingers1
13-01-06, 09:49 PM
Well what can we expect when the whole show is run by a farmer.
I dont think that there are different rules for different sections but I do agree that these so called officers can make up the rules as they go. Lack of knowledge and the need to play god seems to govern the rules though.
I love that last one about the fine for undersized kingfish and they were yakkas!:eek:
Got to tell that one to my customers.
Peter
bluecod
13-01-06, 10:50 PM
Comes down to education [of the Fisheries Officers] again. In the 70's they were being provided 6 weeks training so they knew all commercial and amateur rules - since then there have been massive cutbacks in training etc so don't be surprised if there is some ambiguity about the calls they make.
If you're ever fined by a FO - and you dispute it - don't forget the onus of proof lies on the government - so get your facts right and take it to court.
G'day PLFish,
Look I'm not trying to pick a fight, its just that the net is a great source of misinformation at times. You, me and many others just want to know the regs and stick to them. I think the 3 hour thing is rubbish, some of these fisheries blokes obviously make it up as they go. Lots of this stuff is pretty problematic anyway, BUT these guys do it for a living.
Here's a question for you as an example. I am sitting on Narabeen Beach with a 20cm whiting out as live bait for jew. Am I breaking any regulations ?
Matt
You're breaking the law by using an undersized fish for bait.
plfishfingers1
16-01-06, 08:33 PM
Hi Macman
I know your not picking a fight so dont fret. Thats whats great about this site, everyone can voice their opinion without the threat of being banned.
I too am on the water everyday as charters are my only living. The 3 hour thing is a joke but it was explained to me that it is apparently required to release the trapped fish inside.
As for the Whiting. It depends on which way the officers want to lean.
1 If the fish is over legal length you are allowed to use it as a bait. Sand whiting of course need to be 27cm so other common whiting like stout or trumpeter could be used.
2 There was a list of bait species that can be used but I dont know whether anything came of it.
On the list were the usual species but I cant remember if whiting were included or not.
You may be able to tell me?
All the best and have a great night.
plfishfingers
G'day,
OK Swoff gets 0/10. I'm using a trumpeter/winter whiting for which there is no size limit. PLfishfingers gets the money. But it illustrates the point, even people that think they know the regs quite often only know part of the story, and the regs as posted and written up by fisheries are inadequate, and the rules differ so much from state to state that no one ever knows where they stand. If there is a requlation stating that traps or dillies should be cleared every 3 hours then it should be published in thier rules broshures and on the web site.
So much of this stuff is clearly retarded thinking. For example you are not allowed to use dillies in Cowan but there is no prohibition on traps, go figure.
Matt
heckendorfmortgage
23-01-06, 10:23 PM
After fishing my local waterway last week, we left at 10pm and got on the water, but when we started cruising we narrowly missed 8 different crab traps in the channel. Are people allowed to put them in the channel and leave them at night almost invisible to the naked eye unless some sort of light is emitted on it. Should they not leave some glow sticks in them to make them more visible. This could be dangerous to some extent yeah?
Kamil.
Lets say no, however the placements of the traps in shipping chanels is probably more of a waterways regulation issue than fisheries. Perhaps the waterways website would enlighten us.
Crab traps should have enough rope to allow for rising and falling tides to keep the rope vertical beneath the float a couple of links of chain is reccomended. That way its unlikely that a vessel underway will foul their prop.
The legal number of crab traps is 1 per person, dillies 5. So I'm suspecting that 8 floats in would probably be dillies.
MH
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