Crabs Disappearing?:-(

[Leon Roskilly]

see

 

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story....3A02%3A00%3A333

[glennk]

Hands up who didnt see that one coming. I forecast this many times over the last couple of years. IMO this is a result of diversification from the white fish fleet.

 

In my home town some of the boats from the white fish industry have diversified into shellfish. Not on a small scale either. Those people who have earned their living with small boats and pots for generations will soon be ruined by the big boys who will monoploise the shellfish industry like they have the white fish industry. Watch this space.

 

I note on another thread Binatone says Whitby is getting a new boat. I dont know anything of this but is the boat for white fish ? or Shellfish ?

[wurzel]

Hands up who didnt see that one coming. I forecast this many times over the last couple of years. IMO this is a result of diversification from the white fish fleet.

 

In my home town some of the boats from the white fish industry have diversified into shellfish. Not on a small scale either. Those people who have earned their living with small boats and pots for generations will soon be ruined by the big boys who will monoploise the shellfish industry like they have the white fish industry. Watch this space.

 

I note on another thread Binatone says Whitby is getting a new boat. I dont know anything of this but is the boat for white fish ? or Shellfish ?

 

you know nothing.

There is no proof that over fishing is to be blamed, the potters down here have had the worst start to the year they can remember, same as every body eles realy.

I would have thought that beeing pounded by N E gales for 10 weeks might have an effect on the shallow water of the inshore grounds around Cromer, I've known colder years but can't remember such a long run of strong N E winds as we had from Febuary to the middle of April.

[glennk]

I do admit that could be a factor too, everything is late or back to how it really should be this year.

 

But these guys are complaining about the last 3 years as well. What caused that ?

 

Im not saying its ruined but I am saying it will be soon. Watch this space

[A Norfolk Boy]

Saw that too. Prior to this, I recall them saying they had been doing well, so some of it is relative. Must have been, if more were fishing for them. I reckon the old sea temperatures have their part to play in this.

[Holmesy]

I think somebody mentioned that the weather had played a part. I'm at Bacton and the wind has been NNW for a few days and there certainly won't be any potters out this week as its forecast to stay that way until the weekend. Could be a cod or 2 about this weekend. Catches will be down if people can't get out to fish for them, couple that with a general sluggish start to the season temp wise and you may have a couple of the reasons. I spoke to a local guy last year, he'd had a good year, but when you look back, it wasnt a hot year but it was relatively calm. I remember hoping for a bit of NW so we could get a surf on and maybe have a Bass or 2, we never did and struggled for a few schoolies all year. Still a few codling showing off our coast too, not the distinct spring run like you'd expect as the fish never left, they've been about since last August, just offshore and inshore when we get some wind. It was worrying that some of the codling we caught towards the end of April were devoid of food. Me and a mate had half a dozen at Pakelfield and when gutted there wasn't anything in them except a shrimp and a small hardback in one of them. We have a shrimper that trawls the bank here,he's not more than 200yds off at times,registered at Lowestoft. That worries me more than the crab fishermen moaning, the shrimper damages the seabed right where the crab fishermen are plying their trade as well as removing the major food source for that area (the shrimp). I hope the ass drops out of the market and its not economically viable to fish for them, the sooner the better.

[wurzel]

Hello Holmesy

 

I doubt whether the shimper has much effect, and defiantly no effect on the crab fishery, he will only be working the fine ground and is very limited to where he can tow, I am fairly sure that the shrimper is the only one in the area and has plenty of ground to rotate around , he also works south of Lowestoft at times.

[Holmesy]

Hello Holmesy

 

I doubt whether the shimper has much effect, and defiantly no effect on the crab fishery, he will only be working the fine ground and is very limited to where he can tow, I am fairly sure that the shrimper is the only one in the area and has plenty of ground to rotate around , he also works south of Lowestoft at times.

 

Your right Wurzel, he works Pakefield bay too.I think the damage he does is by removing the food source, I'm not exagerating when we took a shrimp and a tiny hardback out of 6 codlings guts. They should have been stuffed full of shrimp at least. I had to smile when the crab article was featured on BBC news last night, the sea at Cromer looked like it should in January and anybody after a cod or 2 should be out the back end of this week, there'll be a few feeding in that. No wonder there not catching many crabs, difficult to get out in a F6 !

[wurzel]

Quote

difficult to get out in a F6 !

 

Tell me about it! more like a force 7.

[Toerag]

Apparently the spider season here has been very poor so far, again because of the weather. Spiders have been getting more scarce here, but stocks further north and east have been increasing, almost certainly due to global warming.