Went out in my tinnie today off Kite Beach to search for and destroy the elusive green slimy crabpot float and whatever is attached to it. Unfortunately I couldn't find it. If anyone sees it out there whilst wearing a gps, can you circle it and post a pic of your track so I can work out it's gps coordinates. Cheers.
Good on you Richie. I saw that when I was sailing on Saturday. I reckon it was maybe a bit further north of where you looked.
It was almost dead low tide when I was out on Saturday, and it was still underwater, so probably hard to find unless you're out there on a lower tide.
Nik towed one in about 2 months ago that didn't have a float.. bloody fisherman.
Sounds like the one that holed my board a few years ago.
Kite Beach eh? I always called it Dog Sh!t Beach.
Anyone know the rules for removing crabpots from the water? There are quite a few with no floats off Thompson's Beach at Vic Pt. My son tells me he knows of people being fined when caught removing them previously. Cheers
^ You'd think the bloke who put them there should be fined for creating a navigation hazard.
If their marker buoys aren't there and they are a hazard there shouldn't be any fine for removing them. Of course that doesn't mean there wont be.
Those pots are often collapsible anyway so you could flatten it and leave it there or just drag it into deeper water. The fisho can find it if he has a good look.
I reckon if they don't have proper white floats ,marked with name etc, they are illegal. I am therefore doing my civic duty to remove them.
I'm pretty sure the one I'm after is just a derelict old piece of sh1t. The float is just a drink bottle covered in slime attached to filthy fouled rope.
Regs definitely require a bright coloured float, min 15cm diameter, with identification, and require all pots to have adequate clearance for craft at the lowest point of tide. So I'd think at the least, moving it further out is fine and if it cant be identified, bad luck.
I found (catapulted over) a crabpot today, but was fairly new, the telstra rope was barely slimey. As per usual, no float... Managed to get one of the RQYS boats with the junior sailors to grab it and take it in.
Unfortunately I assume the crabpot of death is still out there.
^ or mines. Go out there with a metal detector.
There's some pretty low tides today and tomorrow. It might emerge enough to spot it.
I messaged Qld Fisheries re abandoned pots at Vic Point and got the following response:
It is not lawful to interfere with someone else's fishing gear, even if the pots are abandoned. Your best bet would be to report the pots to the 24-hour Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. Then the local QBFP can remove them.
So I will contact them to get them removed. Will advise if successful - Cheers
Update - Spoke to Fishwatch who were very understanding on our predicament. Said they are about to do a big clean up of old pots in the Redlands and should have them removed in a week or so.
Select to expand quoteShifu said..
Why do these wankers just abandon them? What's the matter with people?
Plenty of that action goes on here at GB.
It is one thing to interfere with other people's fishing gear, but it could be argued that the gear is no longer being used for fishing. Abandoned is the correct term I believe. As such, it would be a civic duty to remove the 'litter' and dispose of it responsibly. If there is a phone number on the float then a polite call to the owner could be made, otherwise it is just a piece of rubbish.
^ Common sense would remove the illegal ghost fishing trap.
But the law sez otherwise.
You arent supposed to mess with others gear even if its been unattended for months or has no identification markings.
Ever noticed they never leave their good crab pots behind?? 
