CRABMAC meeting Tuesday

[webby]

Hi all,
Thought this would be some interest.
Also have the results of the latest RIS.
Some of the resolutions passed.
Sandcrabs; Notch to Notch measurement passed
Size measurement, two sizes were put forward at 12cm and 12.5cm notch to notch.
The taking of females was No, with research to be done on the fissablility of taking females.
QFS will undertake a review of all crabbing apparatus, mainly looking at the flimsly ones that are on the market, and hoping to set a standard that all pots and dillies be of uniform design and material.
QFS will all so be looking into the Floation devices and making them a more uniform size and colour with the possibliity of a flag or pennant, produding from the float, so they are more easily seen.
QFS will also be looking at a more secure means of Pot identification, for example a chip inserted into the pot or engraved ID markings on the pots.
Below are some of the RIS results for sandcrabs.

[webby]

Some interest of catch summariesd for the east coast of queensland.
Plus Qld boating and fisheries patrol, are trying to do their work.
The following were caught and fined.
Pinkemba
12/2/03 possession of 6 jennies and 2 undersize bucks.
14/2/03 possession of 12 undersize crabs and 4 undersize sandies/ 13 jennies and 2 female sandies/possession of 10 bucks
03/03/03 possession of 11 undersize crabs plus 3 jennies
04/03/03 possession of 11 undersize crabs plus e jennies
07/03/03 possession of 2 undersize crabs plus 7 jennies
07/03/03 possession of 2 undrsize crabs plus 7 jennies
02/04/03 possesson of 8 mud crabs and 7 undersize mud crabs
02/04/03 possession of 10 mud crabs and 6 undersize mud crabs.
02/04/03 possession of 10 mud crabs and 4 undersize mud crabs.
regards

[Lucky_Phill]

Thanks for the report Brian. Makes some interesting reading ( to me anyway ).

The poor old Gar are coping a flogging.

That's all very well, but those figures don't include unreported allowable " by-catch ".

The case in point is the Tailor. At our meeting QFS stated that 62tonne of Tailor had been caught in their catch quota of 120 tonne, but 24 tonne was processed as " allowable by-catch ". Just goes to show that the system isn't working.

NSW has got it right. BAN NETTING FOR TAILOR !

Phill

[Lucky_Phill]

I also note that it appears the Pro Crabbers in the northern part of the State bandied together and made their presence felt.

At least they had the sense to agree on not taking Female crabs.

Phill

[dazza]

Interesting numbers Brian,
imho the problem with pot floats is related to share farmers
if you have a bloody great float for all and sundry to see, you can bet your left nut that your pot will get raided or pinched all together.
i personally use the smallest float which is legal, in attempt to keep the theiving bastards at bay, which sometimes works.
Are their any moves at present to address this problem?
it will be a very difficult problem to solve. i know they have done some micro chipping.
Have to agree with Phil,
"alowable by catch" just goes to show how backward our fisheries management really is, but hopefully things might be changing
cheers
dazza

[jaybee]

I dropped a pot near the red beacon out the back of green a few nights back thinking i will pick it up on the way home, it was in line with some pro pots. Sure enough on the way home it was gone, at first i thought someone might have run over it, none of the pro pots disappeared, but then i had a bigger float then theirs. :'( :'(

[imported_admin]

Webby

Extracted some figures out of the Reduce size to 11.5cm

Total votes - 923

Agree - 388
Too High - 28
Too Low - 448
No Comment - 59


Did they give a clear indication at the meeeting that it will be 12.4cm Notch to Notch ?

Or are they just saying at this stage it will be notch to notch and still thinking about the measurement?

Interesting to see that up north the majority are in favour of 11.5cm. Maybe they relise that the fishery down here would not withstand the pressure and collapse and they would end up with a monopoly on the market ;D

Interesting that there are only 284 votes on the Notch to Notch but 923 votes on the measurement of the Notch to Notch and 922 votes on the taking of females.

How/why would people vote on the measurement if they didn't vote on where it was to be measured ?

[Gazza]

Hi Webby , thanks for the interesting info regards crabbing :D

With the "taking of females part" i think most would say No , as I would , if it meant a 10 bag of keeper females ?

Investigating 1 or 2 larger size being allowed to be kept as part of the TOTAL 10 bag e.g. only 8 bucks allowed if 2 (max.) females kept. ,would be more realistic? approach.

As for QFS making what sounds like "expensive" changes to the humble pot (chicken wire or nylon) ,and "expensive" floats and "expensive" ID ???

Why bother at all ,they're "expensive" enough NOW ,we just don't want them stolen ,IF they have your name,address,ID and (legal)float >:(

[webby]

Hi In answer to steve ques;
The resolution we passed, re the notch to notch and the size 12 or 12.5cm is what will actually go before cabinet.
The vote was 10-2 by the crabmac committee for these new regulations.

The ris responses i posted were not the full response, there were a few vote from nsw and vic, but you were only looking at 13 vote from nsw and all agreed on the new measurements, 1 fm vic and 1 from sa.

The main emphasis on the float sizes and pennant type marking was leaning more towards the commerical offshore crabbers, who have a lot of their pots on trot lines which is, they have 10 or more pots sunk, attached to a single float. And the idea was to disguisish between fish traps and crab pots offshore.

As regards to Rec crabbers, the idea was to try and stop people from using clear coke bottle etc, in regards to pot constructions, their only looking at some of these flimsy pots you see in store these days, made of 1/8 gauge wire and cotton strands for mess, these are the one that are causing enviro damage by being wash away etc.
Some of the dillies you see these days for sale in stores , the bloody wind could blow them away.

In regards to pot id tags, where only looking a t some way, where if a pot is stolen the villian would have to destroy the pot to get rid of the id attached.
So if any of you can come up with a better idea of pot id please pass it on.
regards

[imported_admin]

Webby

Where did the 12 com from. I hope they are not going to say that the majority of people said 11.5 was too low and now they will come up with a measurement between 11.5 and 12.4.

The question should have been 11.5 or 12.4 so they couldn't twist it any otherway.

[webby]

Of the 10-2 vote half of the 10 wanted to make measuring more uniformaly along with the 15cm for muddies.
And to round all measurements down without a decimal involved.
.5 cm is not that great a loss i feel.
Everyone sand crabbing when this is all finalized will have to carry a new measuring device, so they can get the notch to notch correct size.
Now we just have wait and see what the cabinet decides.
regards

[imported_admin]

The point I was making is that reading the RIS we were lead to belive that there wereonly two measurements proposed, 11.5 or 12.4

The majority said no to 11.5. Now, as expected, we will end up with a measurement between was was proposed even though the majority of people would have thought when they said no to 11.5 they were saying yes to 12.4. The RIS only ever said that there were two mesurements proposed, so how come we now hear another measurement ?

[webby]

As we all know RIS is mainly for feedback from the public.
ITs still up to the revelant committees to decide, with help from the Ris to set the new rules whatever.
Im not saying 12 will come in, but we had to give the cabinet two measurement to make their mind up with.
And 12 & 12.5 is still better then 11.5.
regards

[Gazza]

Of the 10-2 vote half of the 10 wanted to make measuring more uniformaly along with the 15cm for muddies.
And to round all measurements down without a decimal involved.
.5 cm is not that great a loss i feel.
Everyone sand crabbing when this is all finalized will have to carry a new measuring device, so they can get the notch to notch correct size.
Now we just have wait and see what the cabinet decides.
regards

Hi Webby , "free" plastic(with QFS adverts.) similar to what "is already handed-out" , (if you ask, politely) for 15cms ,with a 12/12.5 'pricks' on the back for sandies ???

p.s. clarify existing C-style 15cms. measuring ,i.e. 15cms for t-2-t is also coool? for Sandies ,anyways , but not the "new min" which I think SteveB is pointing out , o.k?
Regards
Gazza