Crab pots and Kids

[WannaBFishin]

Hi guys, just wondering at what age can my kids "own" their own crab pots and actually have their own names on the floats, I thought it was when they were big enough to lift the pot themselves??

[netmaker]

used to be 16 but now any time after your missus pops them out is okay.

[WannaBFishin]

I did think they changed it from 16, thanks for that

[Bull]

as long as they are with you they can be any age

[Horse]

They have to be old enough to handle the pots themselves

[Bruce Micheal]

They have to be old enough to handle the pots themselves

Exactly what horse said!
No age limits and you don't have to be with them.

[Bull]

Crabs and lobsters

Crabbing gear
Crabbing and fishing gear
Crab pots and dillies
In tidal waters, when fishing for blue swimmer crabs, mud crabs and spanner crabs, no more than four crab pots or dillies (or a combination of pots and dillies) may be used per person. Also a person must not possess more than four crab apparatus per person, on a boat on the water.

Crab pots and dillies must be marked by an identifying tag bearing the surname and address of the owner.

When not attached to a fixed object (for example tied to a tree above the high water mark), all crab apparatus must have a light coloured surface float attached. The float must not be less than 15 cm in any dimension and must be marked clearly with the owner's name.

When tied to a fixed object, a tag must also be attached to part of the rope that is above the high water mark. The tag must be marked clearly with the owner's name.

The use of inverted dilly apparatus (witches hats) was phased out from 2 April 2010.

When fishing for spanner crabs, the frame of a dilly must be made of solid steel of a thickness of at least 6 mm and no more than 1 m in each of its dimensions. If a collapsible trap is used it must be made of rigid material and have one or more collapsible sides.

Female or undersized crabs must be removed from the trap and returned to the water immediately.

Note: The age limit for the recreational use of crab apparatus has been removed.

[Bull]

Exactly what horse said!
No age limits and you don't have to be with them.

your only allowed 4 pots each so if you have 12 pots there has to be 3 of you running them.

[netmaker]

They have to be old enough to handle the pots themselves

are you sure horse? fisheries have enough problems making cases already. sounds hard for someone to have to measure whether or not someone elses kid could "handle" a pot. that would be akin to saying the decky up front who can't use a cast net doesn't get to take a bucket of prawns home;D.

Part 6Declarations about possessing or using particular apparatus
Division 1Regulated persons
65 Regulated persons for pt 6

Any person is a regulated person.

[Horse]

That was the the way it has been classified for all bag limits. They are not possessing or using the apparatus unless it can be shown that they can use it.

[cobiaman]

That was the the way it has been classified for all bag limits. They are not possessing or using the apparatus unless it can be shown that they can use it.

Didnt that rule get changed a little while ago?

[sandbankmagnet]

That was the the way it has been classified for all bag limits. They are not possessing or using the apparatus unless it can be shown that they can use it.


I'm in strife. Half my deckies wouldn't pass that test and they are 40 odd year old blokes.

[Lucky 1]

That was the the way it has been classified for all bag limits. They are not possessing or using the apparatus unless it can be shown that they can use it.

This is also exactly as it was explained to me when I contacted DPI(or whatever they are called now) At the time(about a year ago) I asked about the bag limit for snapper as I was taking my young one offshore. He clarified it applies to all bag limits, as I also mentioned crabbing. Basically if they can use the device, then they have their own bag limit. With all this fresh around it is a great time to take a kid crabbing :)

[netmaker]

i don't suppose anyone has seen the legislation on this? buggered if i can find it and i have done a bit of looking. seems a bit strange that someone will need to judge whether someone else can "use" a crab pot. what if someones daughter isn't strong enough to manhandle large crab pots but is the worlds best baiter and crab tier? what if someone else takes a disabled person out crabbing? are they not entitled to their bag limit because they are disabled and "cannot use the apparatus"? sounds discriminatory against the weak, young and disabled to me and i would love to see fisheries try and explain that to a disabled person. i wonder where that would appear in the legislation. what about a bloke too old to handle the pots but is still a first class skipper and navigator? is he not entitled to his bag too or is he now to be treated like a child?

as the fishing guide that is widely distributed shows what bull has posted (Note: The age limit for the recreational use of crab apparatus has been removed.) and gives no further criteria, and the regulations state that any person is a "regulated" person (good thing they haven't weighed into the "when is a new person a new person thing") i think fisheries would have a hell of a time trying to prosecute anyone who followed their guide. they may well verbally advise people trying to exploit in the negative but that doesn't necessarily make it correct.
so back to question 1, anyone seen the legislation on it?

[gruntahunta]

Get Phill onto it....he'll find it....hmm the guide says age limit has been removed but does not say any other rules have been removed, not that I have ever read that one about having to be able to use apparatus although It is mentioned often.

C'mon Phil...get onto it mate!

[WalrusLike]

I would guess the use rule is only to stop two year olds having a bag limit.

Seems a bit silly since if you have really young kids on board your not likely to catch a bag limit in any case.

Most seven year olds would be better fishermen than me so age doesn't really come in to it much I would say. :)

(Using Tapatalk on iPhone so can't easily 'thank' or 'like'.)

[Horse]

They should clarify the situation. It is rorting the system if some bogan drags his Missus and newborn out in the Tinny so that he can plunder a few more fish or Crabs. On the other hand I have seen three year olds heavily involved in fishing and Crabbing. They can't handle the processes by themselves but are active participants. I would imagine these kids pass the test for using the apparatus

[kingcray]

i take my 4 yr old son (nearly 5) Bailey crabbing with me because he LOVES IT. If i take him i usually take my 4 pots plus an extra 1 or 2 for Bailey to use because he likes having 'his pots' so when he catches crabs they are 'his crabs' , not mine! i was pulled up by fisheries about 6 months ago they asked to see my gear. I had my surname only on all 6 pots as the rules only instruct to have surname, and also phone number and boat rego and they were fine with that.

[netmaker]

They should clarify the situation. It is rorting the system if some bogan drags his Missus and newborn out in the Tinny so that he can plunder a few more fish or Crabs. On the other hand I have seen three year olds heavily involved in fishing and Crabbing. They can't handle the processes by themselves but are active participants. I would imagine these kids pass the test for using the apparatus

totally agree. i don't like rorting either but think any type of proficiency test would be too subjective and open to challenge. by the time it goes to court, junior is more proficient than dad as he has been training daily for months now;). they would be difficult cases for fq to win and i think they have accepted that and taken the easy way out by removing the age limit.

[WannaBFishin]

I did do a bit of a search on this but as you have seen the info is a bit scarse. I have put my nine year old daughters name on some pots as she loves catching crabs, and will sort it out with the fishos if the situation arises. Maybe then they can clarify it for me then, as they write the ticket out i'm sure. Cheers for all the posts but it seems it is pretty vauge to more people then just me.

[kock81]

no age limit at all
a person is a person
over 20 weeks a foetus is a person so if your partner is pregnat over 20 weeks must be ok to have another 4 crab pots.
cant find anything about being capable of using the apparatus, just being on the vessel.

[Triple]

no age limit at all
a person is a person
over 20 weeks a foetus is a person so if your partner is pregnat over 20 weeks must be ok to have another 4 crab pots.
cant find anything about being capable of using the apparatus, just being on the vessel.

Still trying to find the legal definition of a person in australia? But am sure WA has set precendent with its foetus laws but agree that no age limit is just that... Nowhere in the legislation does it state must be able to handle the pots that is the fisheries officers personal opinion and would be easily challenged in court otherwise they would be up for discrimination against handicapped/disabled and elderly etc etc. Half the old blokes on here couldn't handle "their" pots without the young deckies help ;)


This comes up often and ive said the same previously - http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?186703-Crab-pot-and-kids&highlight=crab+limit