Petition the PM, on-line in 2 mins, to save the fish stocks

[steve good]

Abnsolutely. But this is the whole point of the petition. The government are not listening to their scientists advice, otherwise we would be currently enjoying NTZ's in the North sea right now, as recommended by the scientists, wouldnt we...? The BBC report I linked to somewhere up above is from 2004. In two years, the scientists have still been ignored. With each year of inactivity, the stocks plunge stil lower.Going to have to do another comparison now. Again when I was a lad, if you caught a bass, regardless of size, it was an event to get excited about. Now, you can wlk across the schoolies in some of the Essex estuaries (I have had 30 bass and two carp in a single session on one paticular underated Essex estuary) Why is this? Could it be that the nursery areas were established? Or is it just a coincidence? I would say that it is the former, although even here not all commercials observe the nursery laws, as anybody who has fished or taken a boat trip through the langstone harbour entrance will testify. And all that is being asked for here is the same, areas where the cod can spawn and perhaps increase. Every year up the East coast in the spring there is a good run of undersized codling. Every year I see angling writers writing that this bodes well for the future. And every following Autumn I see the same writers grumbling about the poor state of the cod fishing. So, what happens to these codling? Cant imagine the seals eat them all. The anglers definately dont catch them all. Could it be that they get hammered, either directly or as by (dead) catch, by commercial fisherman? If you ever come to Brighton, have a look in the Brighton Angler (Tackle shop) and you can see truly staggering pictures of enormous cod caught from Dungeness beach. Pictures of thirty cod to a group of three anglers, many of thm being big doubles, all from the late sixties and early seventies. Now do a search for cod catches on Dungeness. Do you see anybody catching ten big cod from the beach anymore? To say that fish stocks are in good health, and that Wurzels grandson will inheri a cod fishery that he can actually make a living out of, is pure fantasy. You dont need a scientist, you just need to go fishing to see that stocks of many fish are a shadow of their former self. So, the evidence isnt just from scientists, it is from every day observation. How many of you commercial boys are fishing such healthy fish stocks that you are about to upgrade your Porsche to a Ferrari? Or is it a case of wondering if there will be enough in the nets to cover the mortgage this month? Am I the only person that can see if commercial fisherman wish to continue their trade, and ean money from it, they have to allow the fish stocks to recover. PLEASE dont get the idea that I am anti-commercials. The first job I ever applied for was on a trawler, but why are all the commercials ignoring the point. NO FISH = NO COMMERCIAL FISHING. Yes or no? All you commercial boys should be signing the petition, not fighting it, otherwise you will be committing yourselfs to permanent bans regardless. In thirty years the cod stocks have been fished to dangerousley low levels. Commercial fisherman have been around since the beggining of mankind. Dont let your fear of change and regulation deny future generations this opportunity.

 

Hi fishyrob

 

QUOTE/ Brighton Angler (Tackle shop) and you can see truly staggering pictures of enormous cod caught from Dungeness beach. Pictures of thirty cod to a group of three anglers

 

Anglers have played their part in reducing the cod stocks why should ntz only apply to commercials

 

steve

[barry luxton]

Hi fishyrob

 

QUOTE/ Brighton Angler (Tackle shop) and you can see truly staggering pictures of enormous cod caught from Dungeness beach. Pictures of thirty cod to a group of three anglers

 

Anglers have played their part in reducing the cod stocks why should ntz only apply to commercials

 

steve

 

 

Here we go again. i agree with that. Just noticed this topic has been viewd 3350 times but there is only 2500 signatures.

Edited March 4, 2007 by barry luxton

[fishyrob]

Hi fishyrob

 

QUOTE/ Brighton Angler (Tackle shop) and you can see truly staggering pictures of enormous cod caught from Dungeness beach. Pictures of thirty cod to a group of three anglers

 

Anglers have played their part in reducing the cod stocks why should ntz only apply to commercials

 

steve

 

Hi Steve. Anglers played their part, saw the results of their actions and learned. Everywhere now, anglers put fish back. I watched a guy at Eastney return a 1.5lb plaice the other day, I just been reading a report of a 3lb codling off Dungeness, returned. I personally return 95% of my fish, most of the people I know do likewise. There are some that dont realise, but debates such as this one help to open their eyes. If commercials self imposed a 45cm MLS on bass, for example (well, if we are dragging up old arguments, why not....?) I think Anglers would view commercials with new respect, would trust their views and respect their opinions. But of course, that can never happen because we are all members of the human race and when fish mean money, there will always be those prepared to ignore the guidelines if they are not enforced in law. And once one person starts, the "well if they are doing it I'm goping to" mentality comes in. When I ask people why they didnt return a fish, if it doesnt warrant keeping, the biggest answer is "Well, If I dont take it, it will just end up in a net.". How true this perception is I dont know, but it doesnt help the situation! We anglers do deserve a better deal regarding fish stocks. Not just because of the economics of it, but because it is everybodys right to take fish from the sea for themselves. In my utopia, if you want fish to eat you should have to go and catch it yourself. Of course, totally unachievable in todays world, but it was the way it was supposed to be on our creators design board, I am certain. But actually, all this is irrelevant, because I believe that NTZ's should apply to anglers. I think that the only intrusuion should be recreational diving, and I am not a diver. Why Divers? They also spend fortunes on chartering boats, buying equipment etc. They are also very valuable to the economies of our coastal towns, and deserve better than to dive on barren seas. Our seas should be every bit as interesting as any around the world, but they are not. Even in developing countries everywhere they have the sense to prevent commercial fishing in designated areas that are feircley policed (in Kenya they just shoot the Tanzanian fisherman that come to dynamite fish the conservation area. Thats what I call policing.) because they realise the value for tourism. How comes that in this country, which has provided the world with some of the cleverest people known to mankind, that this doesnt happen? Why dont we allready have these areas, as a matter of policy? Should we really need to be inferior in our stratergies than countries like Egypt, Israel, Namibia and Kenya? As time goes on, and I get older, I get more and more dissapointed with this country.

 

Barry, Could have sworn I saw your signature right at the top.......

Edited March 4, 2007 by fishyrob

[steve good]

Hi Steve. Anglers played their part, saw the results of their actions and learned. Everywhere now, anglers put fish back. I watched a guy at Eastney return a 1.5lb plaice the other day, I just been reading a report of a 3lb codling off Dungeness, returned. I personally return 95% of my fish, most of the people I know do likewise. There are some that dont realise, but debates such as this one help to open their eyes. If commercials self imposed a 45cm MLS on bass, for example (well, if we are dragging up old arguments, why not....?) I think Anglers would view commercials with new respect, would trust their views and respect their opinions. But of course, that can never happen because we are all members of the human race and when fish mean money, there will always be those prepared to ignore the guidelines if they are not enforced in law. And once one person starts, the "well if they are doing it I'm goping to" mentality comes in. When I ask people why they didnt return a fish, if it doesnt warrant keeping, the biggest answer is "Well, If I dont take it, it will just end up in a net.". How true this perception is I dont know, but it doesnt help the situation! We anglers do deserve a better deal regarding fish stocks. Not just because of the economics of it, but because it is everybodys right to take fish from the sea for themselves. In my utopia, if you want fish to eat you should have to go and catch it yourself. Of course, totally unachievable in todays world, but it was the way it was supposed to be on our creators design board, I am certain. But actually, all this is irrelevant, because I believe that NTZ's should apply to anglers. I think that the only intrusuion should be recreational diving, and I am not a diver. Why Divers? They also spend fortunes on chartering boats, buying equipment etc. They are also very valuable to the economies of our coastal towns, and deserve better than to dive on barren seas. Our seas should be every bit as interesting as any around the world, but they are not. Even in developing countries everywhere they have the sense to prevent commercial fishing in designated areas that are feircley policed (in Kenya they just shoot the Tanzanian fisherman that come to dynamite fish the conservation area. Thats what I call policing.) because they realise the value for tourism. How comes that in this country, which has provided the world with some of the cleverest people known to mankind, that this doesnt happen? Why dont we allready have these areas, as a matter of policy? Should we really need to be inferior in our stratergies than countries like Egypt, Israel, Namibia and Kenya? As time goes on, and I get older, I get more and more dissapointed with this country.

 

Barry, Could have sworn I saw your signature right at the top.......

 

Hi fishyrob

 

Do live at Langstone?

 

I do not support ntz, we have lost to much ground to the aggregate dredging operations, I believe these operations have taken away the breeding grounds for sandeels.

 

I would support ntz on the areas that aggreagate operation release,

 

steve

[ColinW]

Sad to say but if Tony Blair is prepared to completely ignore 1.8 million signatories of the road pricing petition he won't lose much sleep ignoring this one. I signed both and got three identical replies to the road pricing one, telling me Tony knows best.

[Steve Coppolo]

Hi fishyrob

 

QUOTE/ Brighton Angler (Tackle shop) and you can see truly staggering pictures of enormous cod caught from Dungeness beach. Pictures of thirty cod to a group of three anglers

 

Anglers have played their part in reducing the cod stocks why should ntz only apply to commercials

 

steve

 

Hang on a minute. When anglers were catching fish in those numbers, how many were the commercials catching?

[fishyrob]

Hi fishyrob

 

Do live at Langstone?

 

I do not support ntz, we have lost to much ground to the aggregate dredging operations, I believe these operations have taken away the breeding grounds for sandeels.

 

I would support ntz on the areas that aggreagate operation release,

 

steve

 

Hi Steve. I dont live there, but I am up there an awful lot. I do have enormous sympathy for the situation regarding the aggregate dredging. The Langstone harbour system is a fantastic system, and if you are a commercial and know about the sandeels, we may have even met as I'm taking a stab you might be the guy who supplies Pete Churchill of the "moonshine" with the little blighters. But I think it isnt right to mix the two issues. Without a doubt commercials, Boat anglers and Shore anglers could, would, and possibly are united against this open cast mining of the sea. I dont see RSA and Commercial agreeing the NTZ principle. I think many commercilas would welcome it on paper, but if one appeared on their patch, and it caused them additional costs etc to fish other grounds, then they are never going to agree to it. Probably some RSA's would argue against it if it happened to be their favourite mark. But it doesnt mean its not needed, and it can only have a positive effect for every other user of the sea.

[fishyrob]

Sad to say but if Tony Blair is prepared to completely ignore 1.8 million signatories of the road pricing petition he won't lose much sleep ignoring this one. I signed both and got three identical replies to the road pricing one, telling me Tony knows best.

 

You are quite possibly correct. But I bet he got a bit of a shock, and it will lead to the watering down of the whole scheme probably (I also was one of the 1.8 million)

 

And there is another argument. Bit of a lottery, but the way they work they have got to pick at least one cause and act upon it, if just to show that the money invested in the E-Petition poject wasnt wasted at all. And Ben Bradshaw, love him or hate him, is probably the first politician at his level to really have a look at the situation, and even make changes that although condemmed by both RSA and Commercial on the whole, were real changes with genuine intent to get a better lot for the sport fisherman. If he only has the balls to implement phase 2, it could really work.

[wurzel]

2500 plus signatures in four months. Not terrible, but if you havent seen the petition, please follow the link as per below. Every signature is valuable, and Wurzel, yours would be priceless......

 

 

 

 

You've got about as much chance finding a pork chop in a synagogue as to finding my name on any such list.

[Trubshaw]

You've got about as much chance finding a pork chop in a synagogue as to finding my name on any such list.

 

 

Wurz,

 

I can't for the life of me think why?