Went down to Flinders today for a surf, beautiful summer’s day here in Melbourne, about 27C glassy, clean, very small but loads of fun.

While taking my board off the roof I see a group of about 8 people proceed to take their diving gear down the beach. Pretty obvious what they were doing - seen similar groups down the beach raping our shores of abalone, limpits, sea urchins and anything else that’s alive all of my life. While paddling out, I spot another group of about 8 people who got the idea before the others and paddled real close to them to see their booty of abalone they were taking. Asked one of them what they were doing and informed them that it was a marine park and that what they were doing was illegal. He said “solly (sic), didn’t know”, to which I replied “don’t say sorry to me, say it to your children - when there is nothing left for them.”

After a couple of hours I return back to the beach and see the first group returning to their car. Annoyed, I said “what did you get - abalone” to which they replied “no abalone, just some fish”. Told them that it’s a marine park and that you can’t do that here and was told, as I expected, to f’ck off.

They took off in their cars and ten or so minutes later I left. I proceeding up the hill, towards Flinders and I see all these flashing lights, and guess who was camped up the top of the cliffs watching every move with binoculars - A whole F’cking squad of fisheries rangers - about 8 guys and three cars. I made a point at stopping at the scene just to eyeball the guy who told me to f’ck off 10 minutes earlier, who was now handcuffed, I looked him in the eye and just let off a cheeky gentle smirk.

Seeing groups of people, with a purpose to rape our coast has always pissed me right off. I’ve usually said something directly to them, if I felt comfortable doing so - despite knowing it falls on deaf ears.

I’ve never been against anybody fishing and enjoying some of the fruits of our ocean - I’ve done it myself for years and hope my children will also. What upsets me is that some cultural groups will impose their own dysfunctional cultural values on the rest of us.

It was really satisfying to see the fishery rangers doing what they are supposed to be doing.