Solution anyone?, commercial response

[sam-cox]

I have posted this on both of the topics as I have worked on commercial fishing boats!

 

I have a photo on my landing of a 26-year-old Bob Cox un-hooking a bass of around 1lb. The reason a photo was taken is because it was the smallest bass my Dad or his mate Mick Chalk had ever seen.

 

No I think I have a unique perspective on conservation as not only has Dad banged on about declining fish stocks for over 30 years but when I left school I worked on a local commercial fishing boat.

 

Now the commercial sector has reaped what they sown, they have been over fishing since the dawn of time, now with modern technology they are so efficient that they could probably fish the seas completely empty.

 

I would hate to see a day where we had no commercial fishermen and all our fish were farmed. Mother nature is the best fish farmer and the sea the best fish farm.

Its good management that’s needed, MAFF that is now DEFRA is there only for the commercial fishing fleet and up until now anglers were not considered stake holder, the commercial fisherman were basically left to manage the fishery. Well they were not very good at it were they!

I know you guys hate me droning on about the BMP but it really could be the, letting them reproduce at least twice before becoming target stock, restrict commercial activity within say 1 mile of the foreshore, creating nursery areas where anglers have to comply with bag limits.

Its measures like these that will ensure the future of our fisheries for our children to enjoy!

[big_cod]

I don’t believe that the fish stocks are in decline at the moment.

Reason why not, size of fishing fleet.

Reason that they where in decline. Size of fishing fleet, bad management.

Big cod

Take a leaf out of winter’s book and stick to your side of this debate. You are not a commercial fisherman. Never have been and never will bee.

 

And by your lack of knowledge neither will you ,are you sure you havent got an 8 till 5 job or do you set the alarm in the wheel house to post on here or dont just not go to sea at all the more i read your post the more i am begining to think you have you have never worn the smock.

[wurzel]

Are fish stocks in significant decline around the UK coast, if so, what is the reason, if you believe that they are not, why not'.

 

 

At this moment in time? No they are not in decline.

 

Why not? In some cases lack of boats but more to do with conditions are favourable.

If you are referring to the decline in cod stocks, why not compare it with the 30’s in stead of the 60’s,

The decline does not show so much that way.

 

As for the cod explosion of the 60’s and a few better years of the early 70’s , perhaps they were over fished , just fished more like, we all took our share anglers as well as commercial fishermen , due to very bad management and fishermen weren’t blameless there was a lot of waste full fishing , I also believe the size limit for cod was and still is too small.. I still don’t think it would have made much difference the out come would be much the same, and if conditions became favourable cod could quite easily have a repeat performance. Thames will have to freeze over first.

Haddock are at a 30 or 40 year high, AH! I hear Leon say , “ but they are only one year class and once they have fished that out there is no others “ I say it’s normal , the present huge year class of haddock were spawned from a very low stock at a time when the Peter Head fleet and others were at their maximum, so what if any effect has the commercial fleet had on Haddock?

 

Bass are increasing not only in range but numbers , the reason anglers are catching large amounts of small bass is due to a very large year class from 2001 and they insist on fishing in nursery areas where small bass are at their most numerous .

Bass can be hit hard in local areas, by commercials and anglers alike, but the over all stock seems to be doing OK.

 

Quote

I have a photo on my landing of a 26-year-old Bob Cox un-hooking a bass of around 1lb. The reason a photo was taken is because it was the smallest bass my Dad or his mate Mick Chalk had ever seen

 

Just look how things have improved then Sam.

[big_cod]

Peter i have been going to sea for over 25 years and haddock stocks are defernetly not at an all time high here off this part of the east coast ,25years ago no navigators you would head out of whitby harbour head off to runswich bay took you approx 50min in the coble as many haddock as you wanted on mussel upto 5 lb it was thick with them they are like rocking horse **** now the ones which are getting landed in peterhead are mostly rounders small chats crap so what happens as leon says if next years year class fails it will be a big oh dear.

Edited March 31, 2006 by big_cod

[wurzel]

Quote

so what happens if next years year class fails it will be a big oh dear.

 

Why should it ?

 

I remember fishing for haddock from a coble from Whitby, for some angling comp or other, mate won a prize for one of 5lb odd , that was a little over 25 years ago, we never had many and we didn't catch any cod either, must have been an off day.

 

I have to agree about the rounders though, could never see the point in them, a poor pruduct for a poor price.

[Spragg]

http://www.cefas.co.uk/fishinfo/whg%20age%201.htm

 

More whitngs int sea than ever before. Tis one species alongt wit haddocks that are doing fine.

[big_cod]

http://www.cefas.co.uk/fishinfo/whg%20age%201.htm

 

More whitngs int sea than ever before. Tis one species alongt wit haddocks that are doing fine.

 

 

Have a walk down on whitby fish quay when the keel boats are landing to see if the haddock are doing fine there aint any whiting now thats a different matter ,thank god for the whiting.

[spanner]

Quote

a poor pruduct for a poor price.

 

Interesting choice of words .....

 

Its only a product if you made it ......

 

Farmers grow their crops and breed their animals.

 

Hunter gathers take, they don't produce.

[Guest binatone]

And by your lack of knowledge neither will you ,are you sure you havent got an 8 till 5 job or do you set the alarm in the wheel house to post on here or dont just not go to sea at all the more i read your post the more i am begining to think you have you have never worn the smock.

We have been through all this before. Don’t you start trying to discredit me by calling me a liar?

I could tell you the name of the boat I am at sea on at this very moment. I could give you our long lat if you want? It would mean nothing to you as you certainly have never fished here or never will.

Where fishing for prawns at clay deeps at the moment. I come this forum at approximately the same time each day, when possible. I e-mail my family first catch up on a bit of football then have a look on here.

There are another four lads on here besides the skipper who are much more computer literate than I am so tend to spend more time on here than me. They have no interest on what I do on this pc the same as I tend to keep away from what they do.

It’s one of the only private things that you can do at sea, so we tend to give each other a bit of space when where on line.

A 9 till 5 job? I don’t think so. Ill leave that to the likes of you who (unless you lie about it) will never where the smock as you say.

[wurzel]

Hello Spanner

quote

Interesting choice of words .....

 

Its only a product if you made it ......

 

Farmers grow their crops and breed their animals.

 

Hunter gathers take, they don't produce.

 

 

Binertone might be able to shed some light on the subject of rounders, the ones I have seen have always been soft, sqashed in to over filled boxs, and compared to the gutted select haddock are a poor product to market, that is what you are doing when you put fish on the market , it is the product you are marketing from your trip and if it is not in good condition it is a poor product, the price reflects this.