Sunday, September 12, 2010

Are we cannibals from Africa?

We've just had friends for dinner. They were very tough and had to be stewed for a while. Not that ALL South Africans are cannibals all of the time, it's just the price of meat here. And we've run out of enemies to cook :-). Heh. Which is why we served fish and calamari, and had a nice bottle of riesling. The cats were mightily certain we were cooking fish for them. The meal was fun -it's been a while since we entertained. Still, it is at times like this - after dinner, that you realise how nice having someone come in to do the dishes was. Anyway, we gradually piece together more of the island people - hear of people who make wind turbines and cut the blades with a chainsaw. Nothing like precision tools ;-). Sounds like my dad's Free State micrometer - a 4 pound hammer.

We got told of someone who has a cow and calf to sell - we want to do our own milk and our own chooks - but the time and cost might be too much right now - as the veg need a lot too.

I've decided - as I am going to be very busy writing for the next while, that I need to set up a project list or I will simply never get to any of these.
At the moment a crab-catching expedition,
a scallop scouting expedition - I still have to see them underwater and alive - have found a lot of fresh shells. Season is closed, but I would like to find them.
getting and hanging a mullet net. Got a reply and a price from Haverford.
A razor-clam expedition.
As sort of longer term projects prawns and eels need to be looked into, as does the big mincer. I want to get some wallaby, and turkey and do some sausage.

2 comments:

  1. One thing about being walking distance from the James River was going down in the morning and throwing out crab pots. Generally we preferred to use the type of trap where the sides closed when you pulled the rope (easier to dump out the tiny ones) but if we had a lot to do the pots were it.

    Same with minnow traps.

    Sometimes we'd drive up to the fresh water tributaries and put out traps for perch and catfish.

    Can you use traps on flinders?

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  2. Traps - the short answer is yes. Bait traps are allowed -
    "One bait trap per person can be used. The trap must comply with the following dimensions:
    no larger than 500 mm x 350 mm x 250 mm
    entrance not larger than 65 mm
    mesh between 10 mm and 40 mm.
    This does not include equipment designed as fish traps which are prohibited."

    and I have a rock-lobster pot licence - the season is now closed for rock-lobster.
    "A licence is required which allows you to use one recreational rock lobster pot to take rock lobster and giant crab. The pot must comply with the following dimensions:
    no larger than 1250 mm x 1250 mm at base and 750mm high;
    escape gaps should be at least 57 mm high and the lower inside edge no more than 150 mm up from the floor of the pot;
    if there is only one escape gap, it must be at least 400 mm wide and if there are two, they must each be at least 200 mm wide;
    the hole in the middle of the neck of a rock lobster pot has to be large enough to allow a buoy of 200 mm in diameter to pass through it without touching the sides; and
    no objects, such as bait sticks, may obstruct the opening.
    The rock lobster pot buoy must be marked with the licence number and the letter "P" for pot."

    So: so long as I fit between those limits, I can see no reason why not.

    There are limits on giant crab(deep-water species) but no regulations on the others - besides not being stupidly greedy or selling them.

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