Crays on lines... .legal?

[Scope]

Just wondering weather it is legal to take a crayfish on a baited line....? Spotted it in a recent publication and someone told me it wasn't quite legal. Anyone know whether this is true or not??

Cheers... Jono

p.s - I have no desire to actually do this, just thought I would raise the point

[Cowfish13]

What type of Cray's? Saltwater or fresh?

[Travis]

we used to shoot them up north on the reefs so iu cant see why lines wouldnt be legal

[Scope]

Cowfish13 wrote:

What type of Cray's? Saltwater or fresh?

Saltwater mate

[Beejay]

Im about 100% sure its legal mate, I think spear fishing for them is illegal but a baited line would be about a billion to one to catch a crayfish so im sure it would be legal.

[flexo]

Beejay wrote:

Im about 100% sure its legal mate, I think spear fishing for them is illegal but a baited line would be about a billion to one to catch a crayfish so im sure it would be legal.

Have seen it done regularly off fraser and moreton island with 4 in a session the best On hand line

[Travis]

Theres no way spearing them is illegal

[pondo]

You sure can spearfish crays.. I do it often.

[AZZA]

All this talk os crays reminded me that I have some in the freezer will be be tonights dinner with a nice creamy garlic sauce, I caught these ones with a pineapple last time I was up on Thursday Island

[ellicat]

AZZA wrote:

All this talk os crays reminded me that I have some in the freezer will be be tonights dinner with a nice creamy garlic sauce, I caught these ones with a pineapple last time I was up on Thursday Island

Bit of a bugger for your deckies tomorrow :laugh: :laugh:

[Beejay]

maybe im thinking of laws from down south years ago, sorry if i got it wrong, but im sure as a kid growing up that you were allowed to dive for them but couldnt spear them and had to catch them by hand.

As for catching crayfish on fishing lines, well I know they dont have any claws like crabs do, so I just assumed that there wouldnt be much interest in fishing for a crustacean with baited hooks, I guess I was wrong....lol

Where I come from, crayfish were always caught in baited pots in deep water in the Bass Straight.....cheers Beejay....You learn something new everyday :cheer:

[Beejay]

im just having a scout around the net now at the laws for crayfish, I found the Western Australian Laws and clearly says its illegal to spear them, I will try and find other states laws while im looking....

Fishing for lobsters

(FRMR Part 4, Division 5)

Diving

Divers may only catch rock lobsters by hand,

or by a hand-held snare or blunt crook.

Spears, nets and similar devices that can

damage rock lobster are illegal.

Pot limits

No more than two rock lobster pots per

licence holder. Pots must be pulled by the

licence holder.

No more than four pots may be pulled per

boat trip when there are two or more licensed

fishers on board.

No more than four pots may be carried on a

boat at any time.

The master of the boat and the licence

holder may be held liable if these rules are

breached.

Pulling someone else’s pot is illegal.

[Beejay]

Here are the Queensland Laws, appears you can spear them recreational but you arent allowed to use hookah gear or scuba for recreational crayfish fishing

The tropical rock lobster species caught in Queensland are:

Common names Scientific name

Tropical spiny rock lobster or

ornate spiny lobster

Panulirus ornatus

Painted spiny lobster or

painted coral lobster

Panulirus versicolor

Coral crayfish,

painted crayfish,

white-whiskered rock lobster,

long-legged spiny lobster

or blue-spot rock lobster

Panulirus longipes fermorostringa

Pronghorn spiny lobster,

surf lobster or

double-spined lobster

Panulirus penicillatus

Scalloped spiny lobster

Panulirus homarus homarus

Mud spiny lobster or

long-whiskered rock lobster

Panulirus polyphagus

Eastern rock lobster Jasus verreauxi

N.B. The range of the eastern rock lobster (Jasus verreauxi) does not extend into waters encompassed by the commercial fishery (above 14°S) and it is only taken by recreational fishers.

These species all vary in their geographical distribution, habitat preferences and biology. They have a variety of common names and some of these names have been used to refer to more than one species, leading to confusion. There is a trend for all species in the Panulirus genus found on the east coast of Queensland to be referred to by the common name "tropical rock lobster".

Gear

Commercial collection of tropical rock lobster is carried out using hand spears or spear guns or hand-held non-mechanical implements, for example, noose rods. Underwater breathing apparatus is also used in the commercial fishery. Free-diving using a face-mask and snorkel is commonly done in shallow waters.

Panulirus ornatus rarely enters pots and is therefore collected exclusively by diving. Most fishing activity is in reef-top waters greater than 5 metres in depth. In recent times, it has become more common for divers to use surface-supplied air from hookah equipment as competition has intensified for rock lobsters on reef tops. The use of hookah equipment is now the most common method of diving used in the east coast commercial fishery.

The method of capture varies, but the collection of lobster for frozen tails is usually by a rubber-powered hand spear used to penetrate the animal's carapace. As a result of market demand and better prices received by divers, live collection of lobster is now the preferred method, with divers taking the animals by gloved hand or by use of a noose placed over the tail.

Non-commercial collectors, including recreational and Indigenous fishers, free-dive using a mask and snorkel, a glove and/or a hand spear to catch tropical spiny rock lobster along the east coast of Queensland. Recreational fishers are permitted to use a rubber-powered hand spear or spear gun when taking rock lobster but are not permitted to use hookah apparatus or SCUBA.

Indigenous fishers collecting lobsters for subsistence purposes typically fish at night from outboard-powered dinghies. Restrictions placed on breathing apparatus limit recreational and traditional subsistence fishers to relatively shallow waters (less than 10 metres deep), but still allow access to most lobster species.

The eastern rock lobster (Jasus verreauxi) is also most likely to be targeted by recreational spear fishers, and the harvest methods for this species do not differ from those for Panulirus species. There is little information on the recreational take of this more temperate lobster.