Overfishing

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

Former Canadian Fisheries Minister, Brian Tobin, speaking in Newlyn recently said:-

 

'Both the UK fishing industry, and the Government must address the problems of overfishing now - before it's too late.' He is also quoted as saying 'If you cannot catch your quotas and if the fish are getting smaller all the time, you have a real problem and strong evidence that you have a crash coming.'

 

Mike Park, chairman of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA), speaking at Peterhead last week on the difficulties facing the industry, is quoted as saying:

 

'This has nothing to do with the CFP or the threat of a Spanish invasion.

 

No, this has more to do with the reality that we have done damage to the stocks.

 

All those years we were breaking the rules, or landing black fish, we honestly thought the scientist was wrong.

 

We honestly thought, in our arrogance, that we were right. That as professionals we knew all there was to know.

 

We now hold our heads in shame at what we have allowed to happen'.

 

I could go on with many such quotes. The letter pages of the industry's publications increasingly contain pleas for more conservation, and more compliance with conservation measures.

 

It's welcome to see the fishing industry finally acknowledging that overfishing is a problem, rather than mouthing the mantra 'there's plenty of fish, if only we were allowed to catch them!'

 

It will take time for long trenched attitudes to change, throughout the fishing community.

 

I just hope that it hasn't all happened just a bit too late.

 

Tight Lines - Leon Roskilly

Sea Anglers' Conservation Network (SACN) http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn/

[Guest DonRamos]

Leon, I couldn't agree more.

 

If managed properly, the sea can be a valuable resource. If we ever manage to overfish enough to seriously alter the marine ecosystem, the effects could be disasterous.

 

I am watching this one closely.

 

DonRamos

[Guest Alan Taylor]

Originally posted by DonRamos:

Leon, I couldn't agree more.

 

If managed properly, the sea can be a valuable resource. If we ever manage to overfish enough to seriously alter the marine ecosystem, the effects could be disasterous.

 

I am watching this one closely.

 

DonRamos

Leon,

what do people expect, the fish come into the Channel to spawn in Jan, Feb & march.

The favourite places are wrecks and reefs.

The netters have a living to make and this is the best time of the year for them. Some only fish during this period and go crabbing or taking anglers out for the rest of the year. Roes and chiddling fetch good money and when there is a cod ban on there are still plenty of pollock to take. The cod are then either thrown back or landed in some small cove where a lorry is waiting.

MAFF are useless in there efforts to stop the ilegal landings as the fishermen know there local MAFF investigators and mobile phones give the skippers the edge.

Stop the netting and give the fish time to spawn

 

I have seen powerfull trawlers approach a wreck and then put full power on to skim the wreck. They take the Net markers with them but leave the net snagged on the wrech, causing more harm.

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg, Mullet come into small bays with certain types of weed growing. Perfect target for the inshore netters. etc etc etc

I would love to work for MAFF and although I am not well educated or a marine biologist I know what it is all about as I was once a netter and trawler boat owner.

Alan(NL)