LOCAL fishos have welcomed a bust of an illegal haul of molluscs at Swansea but many are calling for tougher actions to stop what seems a never-ending cycle of out-of-towners raiding Hunter shores to excess.
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NSW DPI Fisheries officers from the Greater Metropolitan Mobile Squad discovered a group of six offenders in possession of 273 molluscs while patrolling rock platforms around Swansea at low tide on Sunday.
Collection of intertidal invertebrates is permitted on rock platforms, outside of aquatic reserves and protected areas, but the bag limit on turban snails and other molluscs is 20 per person.
Fisheries officers also located prohibited size abalone and turban snails and an octopus taken from an ocean facing rock platform within the bags.
The find was further evidence for locals concerned about regular visits from seemingly organised groups of anglers and mollusc gatherers from outside the Hunter.
Believed to hail mostly from Sydney, the groups appear to be unperturbed by previous busts, and locals expect the most recent case to do little to change the situation.
Many praised the work of fisheries officers on Facebook but also expressed their frustrations and their expectations of the raiders likely to come.
Jason Nunn, from Fishermans Warehouse at Marks Point, believes the simplest and most effective way to stop illegal hauls was to ban the collection of molluscs outright.
Nunn said punishments such as fines were not deterring the groups and the rules "can't be policed" and "enforcement is ridiculous".
He said organised groups from Sydney were using kayaks, launched from Swansea, to go to Moon Island and pillage the molluscs there.
"It's frustrating because it always seems to happen 150 metres from the DPI office [at Swansea], and it's also widespread," Nunn said.
"This sort of illegal activity is ongoing.
"The hardest part with fisheries is that unless they get tipped off, they miss so much, because they can't work 24-7 and there's not enough officers to do the policing.
"There's no point having bag limits on shellfish if you can't govern it. And these people won't obey the rules because they are ignorant.
"I think there just needs to be a total ban on taking any shellfish.
"The fisheries policy is not working. It's evident, so it should be no take.
"There's plenty of signs there saying what you can and can't do, but they are not going to ever abide by the rules set down.
"A total ban and then there's no excuse."
CLEARING SKIES
Not a lot to look forward to this weekend for anglers because of more poor weather but conditions early in the week appear promising.
Reports of catches have been hard to come by this past week as regular storms and wet weather have kept most people indoors.
However, Nunn said that the signs were good for fishing when the weather is tipped to settle Monday and Tuesday.
A southerly change on Saturday and into Sunday appears likely to keep lines dry until then.
"There were a few guys trying to have a fish and punch through it, but it was tough," Nunn said of last weekend.
"There's been a few bream, on the back of that prawn run.
"It had been a bit patchy but as expected, the run has enhanced the bream and whiting fishing.
"The whiting are starting to spread out and we're starting to see reports from the breakwall in the last four or five days.
"Water temperature has also increased a bit and I think that's why the whiting are biting better in the channel and out towards the breakwater.
"Squid had also been patchy, but on the back of that run, we're starting to see more in the channel.
"I was talking to Geoff Drinkwater and they got a few kings as well, fish up to 75cm, having a bit of fun.
"Alex from the shop here had a throw on Wednesday in the channel with some surface lures, during that calm period before the thunderstorm.
"He got a nice whiting, some bream and flathead. Shore-based, just working the edges on the tide.
"It's important to take the opportunities where we can and there's a lot to be said for fishing midweek.
"There's less people and conditions tend to be more favourable lately."
The guys from Tackle World Port Stephens said summer and winter species were still on offer in the bay.
Good reports of salmon and king fish, the odd drummer, and solid catches of whiting and squid had come through the shop this week.
