Each year, about this time, fleets of pair trawlers start heading down toward the South West approaches.

Their targets? The huge shoals of bass gathering to spawn :-(.

With fine nylon mesh nets, 1/2 a mile wide, pulled through the water between two powerful boats, nothing much escapes. Not the spawning bass, nor the shoals of spawning mullet which accompany them, nor many hundreds of dolphins.

Bass can live to about 25 years, spawn 15 times and reach weights of around 20lbs.

If you’ve ever wondered why most of the bass you are catching these days are around the 3lb mark, it’s because of this fishery, now acknowledged to be a ‘recruitment’ fishery i.e. taking mostly fish, leaving the safety of their nursery areas to gather for their first spawning.

So concerned at the devastation being wrought by these boats, MAFF was persuaded to impose a 5 tone per boat per week landing limit, last year, whilst further research is carried out. Things were probably worse than had been realised. I’ve been told that none of the boats even made that limit :-(.

We, along with others, are campaigning for a complete cessation of this fishery, destroying what many regard as our most prized recreational sports fish fishery, and endangering the livelihoods of many who depend on recreational bass angling, not to mention the livelihoods of inshore artisinal fishermen in Spain, France and the UK.

If you would like to come and join us, we are holding a vigil on Brighton beach (near the pier), at around 5pm, next Saturday , 2nd December (whatever the weather!!).

Even if you can’t make it to the vigil, please take time to write a letter to your MP etc (you’ll find some useful addresses on our website).

Tight Lines – Leon Roskilly
Sea Anglers’ Conservation Network (SACN) http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/