Monkfish taken off menu at Asda

[Guest challenge]

Apparently undaunted by the mounting criticism, the supermarket group (ASDA) has also called for the North Sea to be declared a marine conservation zone to preserve fish stocks for local fishing communities. It believes commercial fishing of the North Sea should be limited to local fishermen who depend on it for their sole income and who use recognized sustainable fishing practices.

Surely that means all British commercial fishermen? As there quotas to catch monkfish would not of been increased this year to allow them to catch more if this fishery and there methods of catching them where not classed as sustainable.

Is not a local fishing community made up of local boats and the people who sail in them?

A bit like saying that a new marine conservation zone should be only accessible to local anglers.

ASDA have also taken steps to announce (in some kind of name and shame campaign) the names of other supermarkets and restaurants that supply monkfish.

Well at least the housewife will know where to do her shopping when she wants this highly thought after product.

Regards.

[Toerag]

So they buy cheep imported fish.

I dunno about your experiences, but the prices paid in France are just as high as those paid in England, the commercial fishermen will land wherever they can get the best price, so the markets have to compete with each other. OK, so Cherbourg won't compete with Peterhead, but it does compete with Brixham and Newlyn.

[barry luxton]

Apparently undaunted by the mounting criticism, the supermarket group (ASDA) has also called for the North Sea to be declared a marine conservation zone to preserve fish stocks for local fishing communities. It believes commercial fishing of the North Sea should be limited to local fishermen who depend on it for their sole income and who use recognized sustainable fishing practices.

Surely that means all British commercial fishermen? As there quotas to catch monkfish would not of been increased this year to allow them to catch more if this fishery and there methods of catching them where not classed as sustainable.

Is not a local fishing community made up of local boats and the people who sail in them?

A bit like saying that a new marine conservation zone should be only accessible to local anglers.

ASDA have also taken steps to announce (in some kind of name and shame campaign) the names of other supermarkets and restaurants that supply monkfish.

Well at least the housewife will know where to do her shopping when she wants this highly thought after product.

Regards.

 

It's a grand idea keeping the fish for the local community but the rights to it were given away to the eu by mr heath i believe. It will take more than asda to reverse this. I've never tried monkfish, i don't think i could afford it.

Edited February 2, 2007 by barry luxton

[wurzel]

Hi Wurzel

 

The idea of a mamimum landing limit, will hopefully stop exploitation of the Common skate and spurdog. The Thornback will be under the size but it may effect blondes.

 

Because of the way spurdog shoal up in year packs, it is possible for longliners to target the heavier mature females, which obviously doesn't do a lot for the future of the stocks. Spurdog can be 35 years old before they first breed and carry their young for 2 years, so are vulnerable to overfishing.

 

Rather than return these fish it is hoped that a MML will encourage fishermen to target a different size and sex group. There is no excuse for anyone killing the severely endangered common skate.

 

Just out of interest. Ceefas have been doing some electronic tagging of the Rays and this has thrown up a few anomalies. It was previously thought that Rays were localised stocks but the data has shown they have three distinct migration patterns. The stock levels are very mixed with some areas holding good numbers and other areas locally extinct

 

Whilst an MLL probably would be impractical on most species I believe it's certainly the way forward for the elamobranches as they are particularly slow growing and late to reproduce and in small numbers.

 

Hello Ian

 

It might work in theory, but it defiantly won't work in practice. It's difficult to know what you have caught or targeted until you have hauled. Then do you expect fishermen to pick out the prime and throw them back?

[barry luxton]

Hello Ian

 

It might work in theory, but it defiantly won't work in practice. It's difficult to know what you have caught or targeted until you have hauled. Then do you expect fishermen to pick out the prime and throw them back?

 

 

I have seen trawlers on the telly who know what, and how much is in thier nets and they have sold it before they have even landed it.

[wurzel]

So you might have but that ain't the normal way of it.

[barry luxton]

So you might have but that ain't the normal way of it.

I concede Wurzel, it was for herring and it was an unusuall trawler. The nets are so huge that they also sucked the fish onboard, quite interesting.

[Ian Burrett]

Hello Ian

Then do you expect fishermen to pick out the prime and throw them back?

 

Hi Wurzel

 

Errr Yes

 

It's called conservation.

 

I believe it is voluntary now, but intelligent Lobster fishermen have been doing it for years with the berried Lobster. It's called looking after the future. Isn't that what sustainability is all about.

[Guest challenge]

[admin note - back off of the personal insults if you want your posts to remain.

Newt]

I am sorry to go of thread a bit here, but that statement either proves that there is an even wider drugs problem in Scotland than we are led to believe ..... the rest of the trash talk was removed

 

Regards.

[Steve Coppolo]

Hi Wurzel

 

Errr Yes

 

It's called conservation.

 

I believe it is voluntary now, but intelligent Lobster fishermen have been doing it for years with the berried Lobster. It's called looking after the future. Isn't that what sustainability is all about.

 

Even where it is illegal to take berried lobsters there is a problem with commercial fishermen "scrubbing", (washing the eggs off), and landing them anyway. My local SFC have been looking at ways to address the problem. That alone says all you need to know about certain attitudes towards conservation and sustaiable fishing.