Latest Report outlining DEFRA's future Intentions

[Cranfield]

Well, I spent time and read the whole thing and apart from the probable implementation of recreational sea fishing licences, there appears to be nothing substantial for the recreational sea angler in there.

 

When you read Government gobbledegook like, "Charting a New Course " and "working with our stakeholders", you know its all going to be typical "smoke and mirrors".

[wurzel]

OK Nick then lets be regulated by the valid 10% of defra staff.

I still say thier need to regulate is greater than my need to be regulated.

How is it possible to empty the sea of fish? and where is your evidence that this is happening.

[Sharkbyte]

SEA FISHING

The Wash to Thames Estuary

written by Ian Gillespie

Published 1969

 

Although not entirely scientific, I think it may just demonstrate a 'slight' downward trend in catches, to put it mildly.

[sam-cox]

Nickof thenorth,

the commercial fishing inderstry isnt properly managed, and in case you ant noticed there sea is almost empty when compaired with 30 years ago.

[wurzel]

I've fished with Ian Gillespie, nice fella shame about his early demise. I bet if he was still around he would still be catching fare amounts of fish.

I think in many cases there are just as many fish caught now as there was then, just shared out different.

[sam-cox]

Ive fished with Ian Gellespie to, when I was a very young lad, he was a very early convert to boat casting and fished on my Dads boat with him reguarly.

Yes he would be catching a fair few bass today, but no where near as many as his hay days in thr 60s and 70s

[sam-cox]

He started Breakaway tackle and invented the breakaway lead and spear point hooks.

[Sharkbyte]

Shared out differently , thats better than the one about global warming, lol lol lol

 

And they said Ronnie Barker was a comedy genius

[stavey]

I think in many cases there are just as many fish caught now as there was then, just shared out different.

 

hey wurzel, probably even before ian gillespie's time the north sea had a very good all be it visiting stock of very large fish that use to feed off the massive herring shoals, but once the the herring fleet had finished off the herring, what happened next? 1. to those very large fish? and 2. for a bonus point what was the name of those very large fish?

[Ian Burrett]

Wurzel, Where is your evidence that only 10 per cent of Defra staff are valid.

 

Every sea angler on this and any other Forum will tell you it gets harder each year to catch a decent fish. Anglers are having to travel further and further to get quality fishing. How many anglers would incur the costs of going to Norway to catch decent cod if they could still be caught in abundance, over here. For whatever reason Norway fishes like the North sea and the Clyde used to 20-30 years ago.

 

People on this site could show you pages and pages of double figure fish of many different species in any old Sea Angler. Now we get Alan Yates fishing hot spots and proudly presenting a few small Whiting and immature flatties.

 

Many areas on the West coast are becoming a desert apart from plagues of small Whiting and LSD's

 

I have seen 6 species totally dissapear from the patch I fish and many species that were abundant are rarely caught now.

 

Each year that goes past, i have to erase marks from the GPS because they are no longer worth fishing.

 

If the commercial fisherman admitted there was a problem then perhaps they wouldn't need so many scientists and administrators proving what you blatantly refuse to admit.

 

Do you honestly believe that without any controls the sea would be full of fish?

 

You asked Nick for evidence. Every sea angler throughout the country and probably the world can give anecdotal evidence and has seen first hand, a serious decline over the years, and i can only speak for the area i fish, but the rate of decline seems to be increasing.

 

If you were to admit there was a problem and that commercial fishing is the cause of it, then you would probably get much support on AN. Until this happens I for one, can not take you seriously.