A Nice Catch of Mullet

[Jim Roper]

It's been posted on here in the past that catch and release is not allowed in certain European countries.

[Steve Coppolo]

I know what you were trying to imply with the hypothetical netting of freshwater fish. I can only agree it would be a bummer.

I tried eating a barble last summer, I can only say that they are quite safe from any form of commercial exploitation.

No doubt small closed freshwater fisheries would with stand very little if any commercial harvesting, It would be interesting to find out what the fishing is like on lakes and rivers in countries where all fish are considered as food and nothing is released.

 

Hello Peter

 

I saw a Total Fishing programme where Matt Hayes was in Poland fishing one of their "new" course fisheries. Apparently most lakes over there are devoid of fish now because they've all been eaten. He even failed to catch anything on the lake he was fishing, apart from a very small perch, and that was supposed to be a good fishery. I've no doubt that there are millions of good fish in the sea, but us anglers are mostly restricted to fishing from the beach, in estuaries and close inshore. I think that commercial exploitation can have quite an effect on estuaries and inshore fisheries, maybe not to the same extent as it would on a closed freshwater fishery like Hanningfield, but definately more than offshore.

 

 

P.S. I'm glad to hear that Melvin is to commercial fishing what he is to fancy hairstyles

[stavey]

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNod...e=sidebarsearch

 

 

 

What a waste! mullet aint worth jack in monetary terms as a commercial catch we all know that, DICKHEADS all of them and anyone who condones such practices........

[ColinW]

One picture like this hammers home the mentality of commercial fishermen so much better than words can. If they'll do this to low value fish like mullet (and up my way even to flounders) what would they do to bass without regulation?

PS. Is that really what a 100mm mesh looks like? Those fish must be HUGE!

[Steve Coppolo]

One picture like this hammers home the mentality of commercial fishermen so much better than words can. If they'll do this to low value fish like mullet (and up my way even to flounders) what would they do to bass without regulation?

PS. Is that really what a 100mm mesh looks like? Those fish must be HUGE!

 

 

I agree Colin. That is not a gill net though, so mesh size regulations won't count.

[wurzel]

What a waste! mullet aint worth jack in monetary terms as a commercial catch we all know that, DICKHEADS all of them and anyone who condones such practices........

 

 

Thanks for that Stavey.

 

At least you point out the mind set of anglers, your comments are realy helping us realize why no compromize could be possible between anglers and commercials and that you lot are enemies, we can draw the line in the sand.

Bring on the licence and bag limits, day tickets, different species day tickets, one rod one hook rules, ban live bait, stop the distruction of worm beds by bait diggers, it's time you uppity anglers had your wings clipped.

 

By the way the only price I can find for mullet at the moment is Billingsgate selling price of £1.70 per Kg

If the fishermen got half that it still makes that catch a very good days work for not much effort or out lay.

Commercial fishermen catch fish that is how we earn our keep, get used to it.

[Leon Roskilly]

At least you point out the mind set of anglers, your comments are realy helping us realize why no compromize could be possible between anglers and commercials and that you lot are enemies, we can draw the line in the sand.

 

1.2 million sea anglers (maybe up to 3 million) and as many again who would like to give it a try.

 

Then there are all those whose businesses and livelihoods dependent upon the sector.

 

And our families and friends and collegues who listen to us.

 

And the politicians and managers who have started to see the light and prospects.

 

 

If I was a commercial fisherman, with half a brain, I'd much rather prefer to have that lot in my corner, rather than adding to all the other problems I'd be facing right now.

 

 

But in fighting to retain possession of the whole cake, rather than sharing a little with others, there is a risk that far more of it might be lost going down the road of trying to have it all.

 

But then knowing all about fishing, rather than the art of political strategy and compromise, has bought the catching to sector to where it stands now.

 

And will decide where it goes from here.

 

 

It would be far better if you recognised the real enemies, Wurzel, and how to win the friends that you need (and what you need to give to win them over), than simply lashing out in ways that make the opposition even stronger.

Edited February 5, 2007 by Leon Roskilly

[barry luxton]

Thanks for that Stavey.

 

At least you point out the mind set of anglers, your comments are realy helping us realize why no compromize could be possible between anglers and commercials and that you lot are enemies, we can draw the line in the sand.

Bring on the licence and bag limits, day tickets, different species day tickets, one rod one hook rules, ban live bait, stop the distruction of worm beds by bait diggers, it's time you uppity anglers had your wings clipped.

 

Wurzel , Some of the comments by SOME of the rsa are unfounded and untrue and exaggerated, as with some of yours. If someone was to have a poke at me, sure i would retaliate and equally so do you. Not all rsa have the same mind set as you make out, so i will disagree with you when you imply all anglers are the same. Equally, if some of the rsa state something that i did not agree with i will tell them, you must realise that by now thanks.

 

At present i will fight tooth and nail regarding bass limits, i know if it comes in it will not have a great effect on me but i totally disagree with it all the same. thanks again.

[Steve Coppolo]

Bring on the licence and bag limits, day tickets, different species day tickets, one rod one hook rules, ban live bait, stop the distruction of worm beds by bait diggers, it's time you uppity anglers had your wings clipped.

<snip>

Commercial fishermen catch fish that is how we earn our keep, get used to it.

 

Hello Peter

Yes commercial fishermen earn their living catching fish, and I'm sure no one would deny them that right. But certain inshore commercial fishing practices are to the detriment of everyone else's enjoyment, and that's what gets people all wound up. Anglers are just as wound up, (probably even more so), with the effect that inshore netting has had on their sport over the last 30 years, as you are about them wanting a piece of the cake.

 

There is a solution out there somewhere, there has to be, but it will definately involve some kind of compromise. Something that commercial fishermen seem to be dead against. I think everyone should concentrate on the actual resource before they worry about who's it is. Get the fish stocks healthy and everyone is happy. That might mean increased MLS for all species or increased mesh sizes, again things that the commercial sector have been dead against. If we can't have those things for the benefit of the fishery, then maybe more restrictions on commercial fishing will be needed, like the golden mile for example.

 

I know you'll come back with how the fish stocks are already healthy, but from where most anglers are standing they most definately are not. You can take your boat 40 miles offshore and shoot your nets in water that hardly anyone else fishes. Most sea anglers are restricted to the beaches, estuaries or inshore marks. There is a big difference. Inshore marks have been shot to bits over the last 30 years. There's no getting away from it, the evidence is overwhelming. If you had to fish inshore all year, you wouldn't survive.

[Guest challenge]

Leon

Again I have to say that it has to do with what you see in that picture.

I thought that a reasonable debate about what was compatible with the different perceptions of the picture in question was quite interesting.

Then of course that’s no good is it? Stavey (bless him) has to jump in head first and deliver his perceptions of the photo.

I cannot and in fact I admire wurzel restraint when he has to read something like that.

I would have thought that you might have been a bit more diplomatic Leon? But then again confrontation between commercial and recreational is all that you have sought in my brief time on here.

Your disturbing regularity on matters that can only have been hatched from the inner circles of some extremist conservational regime. Has at times made me wonder who and where angling representation is really coming from.

How can you threaten an industry with figures of millions? Disturbing familiarities to what DEFRA have stated when they talk about recreational acceptance of there proposals regarding RSA.

If I was a commercial fisherman I would not be too worried about recreational representatives or people who shoot from cyber space. My mane concern would be where I was going to get my next bit of quota from, or my next days at sea.

I would imagine that most commercial fishermen know who the real enemy is Leon. They have been at war with them for generations. Recreational anglers have no natural enemies. They do have strong competition for the fish they whish to catch but no natural predators who are going to stop them doing what they have done for enjoyment for generations.

Well not until now that is. Irresponsible recreational leadership is dragging them (RSA) into a war that will be fought on the battlefield of bureaucracy. RSA have had the alliance of diplomacy on there side for years. Unfortunately the loss of that diplomacy and the greed of there representatives will be more destructive than any method of fishing that a commercial fisherman could throw at them.

Regards.