AFO reports with illegal activity - Poll

[ellicat]

What do you think - should fishing reports on AFO be removed where there is illegal fishing content ? or should they be allowed so people can be educated on the illegality (and also go oohh aahh)

Help a mod out :kiss:

[ellicat]

The 29th vote was an interesting one.

Feel free to say why you voted a particular way.

[ellicat]

Thread now open for posts. Sorry I put it in a Category that doesn't allow replies :blush:

Thanks for letting me know P&H

[sweresy]

quick question in regards to poll categories....

what should a members popularity have to do with it???

[ellicat]

Absolutely nothing, but it does happen. The 3rd category was a joke, but I am amazed to see it has 2 votes.

Perhaps it is the equivalent of "couldn't care less either way"

[J-DOG115]

this is all good but what kind of illeagal activity are we talking about... like posting pics of closed season fish.....or something like theft....

joel

[tiotony]

Good education I think for if somebody accidentally does something illegal, and people don't need to be nasty about it, just politely point out their error.

No need to split hairs on it either I think, I mean if we were to go that far then all fishing should be banned in stocked impoundments and freshwater creeks as you may catch a turtle, which are completely protected. Same goes for lungfish.

[Oconnell]

I voted for leave them.

But for the following reasons.

1 Mod locks the post after pointing out the illegal activity. That way it doesn't generate into all out war of words between members who do the right things and the poster.

2 Its educating new fisho's like me.

3 It may educate the poster.

[planetfonz]

i'm sure the 2 voters in that 3rd, fun option, understand that popularity is everything, and yes although it doesn't mean squat, it does happen in all aspects of life

[sweresy]

I voted for leave them.

But for the following reasons.

1 Mod locks the post after pointing out the illegal activity. That way it doesn't generate into all out war of words between members who do the right things and the poster.

2 Its educating new fisho's like me.

3 It may educate the poster.

Great points!!

[Zim man]

define popular? Hooked on trout was popular :whistle:

Serous;y though, i agree with Oconnell.

in other news i also hope i am popular :cheer:

[planetfonz]

yeah you are zim man. i'd allow your posts to stay if i was mod material!

in other, more serious news, oconnell has hit the nail on the head

[rayke1938]

It is a bit of a hard one .

If the post is wholly about promoting an illegal activity certainly delete the post.

If part of the post has some illegal activity content either the mods could delete the offending section or if possible contact the person posting and ask them to edit the post.

Rather than starting a full out war it would be better to just click the report to moderator button and give Ellicat something else to do than look for new avitars. :evil:

Cheers

Ray

[Zim man]

yeah you are zim man. i'd allow your posts to stay if i was mod material!

in other, more serious news, oconnell has hit the nail on the head

sweet i am currently doing this dance

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et9-itE5qns

now back to more serious stuff.

[Keen-as-fisho]

I woke up this morning had a cone, did a line, went to work, did a hit and run came home had two cones, did three lines.....then went and caught a Bass in closed season that was under sized and kept it.

:whistle: I vote to just keep the post up, theres been to many hissy fits lately about people doing the wrong thing. Allow the poster to be informed about the correct ruling or wrong doing but leave it at that, at least that way others can learn by it (and have a laugh at the same time )

[tomca]

I was disgusted to see that Ray Kennedy character posting a report showing a pile of tilapia in his boat! Doesn't he know its illegal to have them in your possession? The fact he was in the middle of the dam is irrelevant, ban him. Ban him now. And one of the mods put young Dan and Jack over your knee and spank them for every cod they caught.

And on a side note, Leave them up and lock the thread if it spirals out of control

[distrojunkie]

leave em as they can be educational, however if dpi personel see em and take action against the poster that is their problem. hopefully the dpi will not take the site to task over this matter.

:S

[jeff f]

ha ha bring them on

the shit fight they cause is allways good for a laugh :evil:

[sweresy]

I woke up this morning had a cone, did a line, went to work, did a hit and run came home had two cones, did three lines.....then went and caught a Bass in closed season that was under sized and kept it.

Wtf ???!!!! I thought you were a plumber?

[ellicat]

It is a bit of a hard one .

If the post is wholly about promoting an illegal activity certainly delete the post.

If part of the post has some illegal activity content either the mods could delete the offending section or if possible contact the person posting and ask them to edit the post.

Rather than starting a full out war it would be better to just click the report to moderator button and give Ellicat something else to do than look for new avitars. :evil:

Cheers

Ray

Well, I got up this morning, made a coffee, came into the office and flipped on the computer. Started rolling a smoke when the beep came for an email sounded. Looked at the email - a report to mod.

Lit the smoke while the AFO page was loading.

There were a heap of responses in the positive and a thankyou from an admin as well as most of the other posters.

Read the thread and edited some language out while waiting for the pics to download (ISP has slowed my speed after the kids managed to crack 100Gig in 3 weeks again !!). Hmmm - what do I do ? The thread is about a good time with a variety of species. The poster has obviously gone to some effort to make the post with plenty of pictures interspersed. The thread is a thankyou to another member.

Hmmm. I hadn't even had one coffee or smoke and I had to solve the world's most pressing problem.

So I did what any world leader would have done - finished my coffee and had another smoke whilst doing nothing.

As I have stated in the other thread I believe it should be left in this case as an educator to the poster and the readers. Someone can be helpful and make a post in a nice way pointing out the issues. If they don't then I delete or edit as I see fit/fair.

That is what I have done in the past and will continue to do unless Admin says their policy is different. Then it will be easy for me - I will just hit the delete button....knowing that no-one will benefit from the thread. Then I will change my avatar

[Surfingant]

I voted to leave them up. I believe the thread should be locked only if it has decended into an all out slanging match AFTER the OP has been made aware of the rules and regs and understands them. There is absolutely no need for other people to continually hammer it into somebody even if in a subtle non confronting way. So, make the poster aware, after that any posts about the matter should be removed so Ellicat has something to do and if it continues lock the thread.

[ellicat]

In addition to my previous post, I have been made aware today that some members are serial pests with place and time in regards to their fishing reports. I might take a different approach where those who have been told the correct information continue to report with no concern for the rules.

[PlasticFantastic]

Hmmm i've had a read through all the posts on the site in regards to this issue and from what I can see i'd be happy for the posts to be left up for all to see. I've only met a handful of people off this site and cant say that any of them would ever go out of there way to do the wrong thing to harm their own fishing future. At the end of the day some of the posts may contain illegal activity so to speak but at least the fish are getting put back after the photo is taken rather than turned into fish cakes. The only time i'd have a problem with fishing in a closed season as such would be if you were to fish in a area where there's a very limited chance you'll catch anything else but the protected species.

Cheers

Mark

[tyrion]

i voted for leave the post and educate the poster and others who may not be up to to date with rules and regulations. Maybe someone could organise a post on here stating the latest rules and regulations updated as needed then there should be no excuses for lack of research into your target species and all illegal activities on the site can be deleted.

[Binder4]

1800 017 116

[Gary_C]

I voted for leaving them up. Being new to the country and having inadvertently broken the law back in the US on no take species, I find the posts instructional.

At the same time, I would think that the person who originally posted the illegal activity would want to edit their post as soon as they realized that they had posted about something illegal.

As this is a fishing oriented site, maybe a sticky topic with the current rules and regulations would accomplish the educational part of it?

[Angus]

I vote leave them.

Not to condone the activity but to inform people.

If every illegal fishing account was removed there would 100% (I have had messages confirming this) be some people just no aware of the situation. Not everyone is as "fishing savvy" as some "experts" on here think they are. If there is a creek near by that appears to have fish in it, why not have a crack. I certainly would have as a kid. I cant use that excuse anymore due to the information circulated here but we need to give people (first time offenders) the benefit of the doubt.

Repeat offenders obviously dont apply under the afore statements for simple obvious and logical reasons.

Then there is the issue of fish caught as by catch out of season. This is trickier. I recently caught a barra at the Jack Off out off season and posted the photo in the report. This fish was not the intended target and my gear will attest to that. I did however remove the photo after a polite PM was sent to me. I was of mixed minds over this as if a fish is caught and not reported, it was still caught! However the argument of "we dont need other people seeing this photo and going up there to flog it in closed season" did persuade me.

As always these issues will be dealt with using common sense (which often dissapears in these threads).

If a thread can be used as a learning curve it will remain. If it a blatant sham, or dig at the site it will be removed.

Cheers.

Angus

[Surfingant]

I now just wanna know who the 5 voters are and whether they are taking the piss or not

[tugger]

I voted to leave the report but to remove the photos or wording in question from the report

[Carter]

I voted for leave them.

But for the following reasons.

1 Mod locks the post after pointing out the illegal activity. That way it doesn't generate into all out war of words between members who do the right things and the poster.

2 Its educating new fisho's like me.

3 It may educate the poster.

100% back this, Oconnel for PM

[elops]

I voted the third option :whistle:

Find it impossible to choose between the first two, some threads are genuinely posted in ignorance and should be left. Some are outright BS ie. was targeting species X,or are followed with various excuses that I know are BS. Some should with out a doubt be removed ie. deliberately targeting a protected species, Mary's in their natural range being a prime example.

[kreel]

I vote hand them from the quarter deck by their greasy bal... hang on what are we voting on?

Hang em anyway they'll make a nice chrissy decoration.

[Uthrax]

sweet i am currently doing this dance

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et9-itE5qns

now back to more serious stuff.

Pics or it didn't happen

Also

I vote hand them from the quarter deck by their greasy bal... hang on what are we voting on?

Hang em anyway they'll make a nice chrissy decoration.

Sounds like Kreel has become over excited again...

maybe it was that talk of putting the lads over someones knee and spanking them :ohmy:

[keen_as]

I voted for removal. Ignorance is no excuse, It's up to the person targeting fish or fishing in waters where "closed season fish" may be present to search and find out the rules.

There is so much information available now via different media types and obviously if they can report their catch on here they could google the rules and regs before heading out or read any of the fishing mags now available.

And I 100% believe no report containing illegal fishing should be put forward for FOTM, or any other pic comp.

Just my 2cents.

[Smiderman]

leave it there, but perhaps the mod can change the font size & colour of the inappropriate activity to high light it and pm the offender to educate him /her about the error of his / her ways

[dansike]

leave it there, but perhaps the mod can change the font size & colour of the inappropriate activity to high light it and pm the offender to educate him /her about the error of his / her ways

That is actually not a bad idea. I too have quite strong feelings about illegal fishing, but my main problem is with people ignoring the rules in relation to closed seasons. I have just read this whole thread and there a few members who are being quite hypocritical on the issue.

Does everyone remember all the questions regarding the Australian Bass "closed season" this year and every other year? The rules on "closed seasons" clearly state a fish "shall not not be removed from the water". Regardless of whether you "think" bass/barra will survive with no problems, that is the rule, end of story!! SO MANY members enforced this opinion when it was in relation to bass. The theory of whether the stress related to capture and removal from the water causes bass/barra to not spawn is still not 100% proven. I remember plenty of posts this year with most people of the opinion "why risk it" in relation to this. If it "may" cause them not to breed, then leave them alone.

In relation to the Barra in Noosa, obviously this is a very precious fishery, with them only being there due to the floods and a natural relocation. This is all the more reason to adhere to the rules. Once again, regardless of whether you "think" they should be removed from the water. Rules are rules and are there for a reason. I am not saying don't fish there, but just like bass, if you start to get a few Barra as "by catch" then move spots!! We all know that not everyone is mindful of closed seasons and plenty of people just don't care. A post on here about Barra in Noosa can travel pretty quick, and before you know it you've got the "WBB" up there destroying it!! Is this what we want???? I am of the opinion that the thread should be removed if it in any way supports fishing in a closed season, especially when that fact hasn't been mentioned in the report and no effort has been made to change locations and avoid capture of the said species, whatever it may be. I could go on and on and on....but I won't.

[regulated]

I voted for leave them.

But for the following reasons.

1 Mod locks the post after pointing out the illegal activity. That way it doesn't generate into all out war of words between members who do the right things and the poster.

2 Its educating new fisho's like me.

3 It may educate the poster.

Very good points. Point 2 would help me out too. I did vote remove them but that is more from a legal reason. Don't want any AFO people getting into trouble and the site becoming a heavily restricted forum.

[ellicat]

Can Anyone remember the specific post this topic (and this poll) emanated from ?

[shortie]

need another poll catagory.

GIVE THEM REPORT OF THE MONTH

[keen_as]

@ Elli, Schoolies??? nice cod?