Rex, pictures like that are horrific and no excuse can be made for dumping fish.

However, let's consider another side to this question. There are often anglers prosecuted for taking undersized fish or taking an excess well over the legal limit. How about harvesting undersized shellfish and for taking crays, paua, scallops, cockles mussels, pipis or tuatua in excess of the legal bag limit.

These people are also doing terrible damage to the fishery and are usually slapped with the mandatory wet bus ticket. I can understand the frustration at the commercial sector, but like us, there are commercial guys who are also disgusted at the way some of their own abuse the quota system.

It may have happened but being a reasonably long term member of this site I can't recall the amateur guys making too much of a fuss about our own bad pennies.

I have no interest in what members think of me, sticks and stones etc. However, I recall in very recent years complaints about an amateur tournament where the catch was left in a trailer, in stinking hot sun by the weigh station. This rightly drew critique as a shocking waste of fresh fish. I have seen prime snapper hung on hooks at weigh stations, showing off to the public the day's catch, never considering that is prime table fish hung out in the hot sun. A local club used to have a gantry for just this purpose, it was in regular use at the Paikea club's annual beach tournament.

I mentioned very recently where amateurs need to put their own house in order. The way sharks used to be displayed at the Hawke's Bay Game Fishing Club when they held the Coruba competition is a prime example. Somewhere I have pictures, personally I found them quite sickening. I believe I know where they are, if I can find one I will post it here.

Beware, incoming!!! I expect to be openly condemned for daring to make this post. So what, nothing new. I love fishing and I detest all those that bring bad publicity to the sport I love: amateur and commercial alike.

I will now don my hard hat.