Marine Authority / Crayfish inspectors

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Fiekus

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Just have to vent a bit... :twisted:

We normally catch at Rooi Els and just to put it out there... there have been many occasions when we go home with nothing because we refuse to take the undersized ones. We do it just for recreational purposes and enjoy getting out to the sea when we can. We catch off the rocks with a rod and net.

Anyway... just had to state that. Today we arrive at Rooi Els at 7h40 am and notice the sea was quite rough. Low tide was only scheduled for 10h52 am so we decided to wait on the rocks. We had just got there, unpacked our gear and started to chill when out of the blue an inspector approaches. He tells us that he has been watching us for the last 30 mins and we had been catching. The law states you can only catch between 8 am and 16h00 and we were very aware of that as two of our friends were fined last year. We were dumbstruck but this guy asks for our permits so he can issue fines. WTF :confused:
We explain we had just got there and he goes "explain that in court". We spent a few minutes arguing and pleading but he gets all upset and says he asks the questions, we answer, "do we understand each other". Man my blood was boiling and then I had an idea that I should record this ***** on my cell-phone. He gives me cr@p that I am breaking the law now and I should stop. I continue and then he grabs my phone, but I happen to hold on too tight for him. I admit... and this is the part he could nail me on, I then told him if he tries to confiscate my phone again I'll throw him into the sea ... :o That was stupid yes but then he writes in his book I threatened him and all that. Well, needles to say I wasn't sticking around until he called the cops so I slipped away while he wrote a fine for one of our friends.. R500. The other guy told me afterwards he got a R1000 fine because his permit was in the car.
So, yes I was wrong and admit that, but what p!sses me off is that we were NOT catching and the onus is now on my friends to prove that, or simply pay the fine, which this guy is banking on. This happened to be with a marine inspector or whatever they're called, but is it like that with other 'authorities' too that because you wear the badge you are always right and it's up to the other person to waste their time and money to prove their innocence. It just sucks big time and I just wanted to state that lol! :)
 
WTF was he doing trying to grab your phone?

What law is there preventing you from recording the conversation.

Fsck him IMO!
 
Fiekus...

2 things, if he tried to grab your cellphone you lay a charge of assault at the cop station, plus, you are innocent until proven guilty, if you had nothing on you at the time he couldn't fine you.. for anything. That includes your friends.
 
Fiekus I am sure you must be fuming.

Did you get the name of the guy? Do you know what vehicle they were driving ? Did you get is registration number ?
 
Roundhouse said:
Fiekus I am sure you must be fuming.

Did you get the name of the guy? Do you know what vehicle they were driving ? Did you get is registration number ?
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LOL yes I am fuming. I keep replaying the entire situation over and over in my head trying to find a better answer for him or I should have done things differently. I saw his name tag yes but didn't write it down. I'm sure it should be on the fine he issued, will check with my friends, thanks for the advice :D
They drove a white double cab but again, I didn't want to stick around and wait for the cops as he said in afrikaans "jy ken nie vir my nie".. " you don't know me" so as to say his word is law and we must shut up.
It actually put me off from going crayfishing there again because what if this guy is all macho again and remembers I threatened him? Not taking that chance... so now it's spoilt for me :(
 
Fiekus : i wouldn't let it slide tbh.

If the marine inspectors are doing their job properly, then I will give them all the support in the world, BUT if he's trying to be all powerhungry and such like, then I would push back harder and get his job taken away.
 
lay charges against him, and where it happened. do the right thing, innocent until proven guilty
 
Gradius said:
lay charges against him, and where it happened. do the right thing, innocent until proven guilty
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This is a worrying turn of events. I've been harassed by them whilst snorkelling and their attitude is guilty until you can convince them. When the real poaching happens, they won't intervene because they are outnumbered or it's too dark!

If that had happened to some people I know, that guy would have been swimming back to his office. Try and locate him and speak to his seniors. You would be doing us all a favour. If you had no crayfish, then what evidence has he that you were fishing for them??
 
Wow the cape guys are harsh hey. Here in KZN the Parks Board or Parkies as Well call them are usually alot more friendly lenient.
 
Sackboy said:
This is a worrying turn of events. I've been harassed by them whilst snorkelling and their attitude is guilty until you can convince them. When the real poaching happens, they won't intervene because they are outnumbered or it's too dark!

If that had happened to some people I know, that guy would have been swimming back to his office. Try and locate him and speak to his seniors. You would be doing us all a favour. If you had no crayfish, then what evidence has he that you were fishing for them??
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I've emailed everyone I could find on the Marine and Coastal Management website and also directed them to this thread :D
Hopefully someone will notice and track him down. I also supplied the name I found on the fine he issued.
 
If you still have that conversation that you recorded on your cellphone, then as far as I'm concerned there is actually only one acceptable outcome from all this.

This official needs to lose their job immediately.
 
GayTechie said:
Wow the cape guys are harsh hey. Here in KZN the Parks Board or Parkies as Well call them are usually alot more friendly lenient.
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+1 for KZN Parks Board.
Just don't kid yourself with the "lenient", if you're caught you can have all your assetts attached with which you commited the "crime". Includes your vehicle so watch out.
 
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When I was younger I met a few Natal Parksboard guys. Their whole setup is absolutely world class. Cape Nature are a bunch of amateur cowboys. Compare the infrastructure at Midmar with anything in the Western Cape.
 
Drake2007 said:
+1 for KZN Parks Board.
Just don't kid yourself with the "lenient", if you're caught you can have all your assetts attached that you commited the "crime". Includes your vehicle so watch out.
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+2 Helluva nice bunch but don't push them.

My friends dad was a volunteer inspector and one day he asked this guy with a young laaitjie for his license as the guy had just caught some crays. Guy was like searching for it and then went 'oops, must have left it at home, will go and fetch it if that is ok?' so my mates dad tunes 'no problem, I'll wait for you" so the guy drives off leaving the laaitjie behind. So my mates dad waits & waits & waits and after about 30min asks the laaitjie 'where do you stay, you're dads taking a bit long' and the laaitjie responds 'Durban sir'. Poor oke did a 90km return trip from ballito to dbn, mates dad assumed he was local. Mates dad was like wtf 'if you told me you lived in durban I would have let you go' :D
 
Lol..

I actually have a lot of respect for the KZN Parks Board ppl... they seem to do their job properly, and have a good reputation.
 
I would have called the cops and laid a charge of assault against him - he has no right to forceably take your phone.
 
I would have told the warden that he was incorrect, and said that "I am innocent until proven guilty, and I think we should phone the police right now". I would have then phoned the cops to come right away.
 
Should have just told him to wait for the cops, called the cops and then told cops the story. I wouldn't waste my breath arguing with "inspectors". I admire your restraint, personally I'd have trussed him up like a turkey and dumped him off at the local police station.
 
Update

Guys just thought I'd post an update... I got a reply!!

Well it was from the Chief Director: Marine Resource Management to state that he has forwarded my email to the Chief Director Monitoring, Control & Surveillance as well as to the Director: Compliance. I am keeping their names out of it... :)
Wow I never expected anyone to respond....
Anyway, not sure what's going to come of it but it gives me hope that someone will possibly follow it up.
:D
 
Fiekus said:
Guys just thought I'd post an update... I got a reply!!

Well it was from the Chief Director: Marine Resource Management to state that he has forwarded my email to the Chief Director Monitoring, Control & Surveillance as well as to the Director: Compliance. I am keeping their names out of it... :)
Wow I never expected anyone to respond....
Anyway, not sure what's going to come of it but it gives me hope that someone will possibly follow it up.
:D
Click to expand...

That certainly is encouraging!
Keep us updated! :)
 
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