RSA Strategy Consultation Launched

[barry luxton]

QUOTE

During the last five years an average of 83% (87% in 2006) of the international landings in numbers consisted of juvenile cod aged 1 3. Because the fishery is at present so dependent on incoming year classes, fishing mortalities on these year classes is high, and 95% of a year class is taken before it has spawned for the first time.

 

What a "know nothing" angler like you can't work out is how can that be possible with the fishing effort we have at the moment.

I don't think that it would matter how big the adult stock of cod is the average landings in numbers consisting of juvenile cod aged 1-3 would always be high due to the fact that that is the size of fish easiest to catch, all fishing is dependant on incoming year class, no incoming year classes sooner than later no fish. I suppose it's more noticeable with cod because due to climate change incoming year classes don't happen very often these days especially in the southern North sea and channel.

With every body except anglers bending over back wards to ovoid catching cod at the moment it will be interesting to see how long the present better year class lasts, I bet it won't last any longer that any other year class and in 4 or 5 years time every body will be wondering where they have all gone, they won't be able to blame commercial fishing so perhaps they'll blame anglers.

 

 

The fishermen already voiced their concerns regarding the huge amount of discard they were acheiving before the quota was set, that resulted in more quota for this year. So if they are being landed or discarded they are still being removed. Like to see what they (the industry) are doing to aliviate discard as they indeed agree that there is more technical improvement. Then the scottish guy has acheived more days at sea reward for one area to be protected for three weeks, not a lot of bending in my mind, so far. Result, extra fishing effort, don't know by how much though.

 

Then the Hasting's quota thief managed to get the quota up to what was it, one ton a month? So it's clear to me that these juvenile fish are being targeted, no doubt with smaller fish being discarded (more fishing effort). Seen practicly no large fish landed by the rsa at the top end of the channel this year so far. Only 1-3 year class, with one or two slightly bigger. I have seen the rsa taking these fish, but i have also seen the same being returned.

 

If the quote figure of 83%-87% of landings is correct, does it not indicate that the pressure on this juvenile stock is high? Is that ratio between juvenile and larger cod landed normal? Confused barry

[barry luxton]

They will be gone sooner rather than later, Uk commercials wont catch them no quota, anglers will wipe them out on the wrecks all 400,000 of them and other EU member states with their large quotas will do the rest along with the aggregate dredging companies taking away the cods breeding and feeding grounds

 

 

Hastings guys are happy at the mo with their quota, one comment was, 'it's worth going to sea now'.

 

Steve, all those tiny codling we are talking about are on the ground and are not being targeted by the wreck fishing fraternity. When we find the wrecks that are not netted (snigger) the main quarry is bass and pollack, conger, surly. There is little evidance of reports of juvenile cod reporting by the rsa, cept for again on the ground. Don't suppose all the photo's of the north sea rsa recently are from wreck fishing? If you are talking about rsa catching codling on a wreck, what method could be used, seems like a waste of time to travell 20-25 mile out and target codling.

Edited January 26, 2008 by barry luxton

[wurzel]

The fishermen already voiced their concerns regarding the huge amount of discard they were acheiving before the quota was set, that resulted in more quota for this year. So if they are being landed or discarded they are still being removed. Like to see what they (the industry) are doing to aliviate discard as they indeed agree that there is more technical improvement. Then the scottish guy has acheived more days at sea reward for one area to be protected for three weeks, not a lot of bending in my mind, so far. Result, extra fishing effort, don't know by how much though.

 

Then the Hasting's quota thief managed to get the quota up to what was it, one ton a month? So it's clear to me that these juvenile fish are being targeted, no doubt with smaller fish being discarded (more fishing effort). Seen practicly no large fish landed by the rsa at the top end of the channel this year so far. Only 1-3 year class, with one or two slightly bigger. I have seen the rsa taking these fish, but i have also seen the same being returned.

 

If the quote figure of 83%-87% of landings is correct, does it not indicate that the pressure on this juvenile stock is high? Is that ratio between juvenile and larger cod landed normal? Confused barry

 

Hello Barry

 

Nothing you describe equates to 95% of the stock being taken.

 

The good old boys at Hastings quota equates to a box of fish a day for a few under ten meter boats, not exactly a slaughter is it.

 

If the ratio was opposite you would be saying we were hammering the breeding stock so can't win either way.

[H.A.]

ICES do have some sort of connection with the greens the skate and ray fiasco proved that also they have been proved wrong on several occasions.

– Wurzel

 

Well if we believe Wurzel ( ), we'd better look elsewhere (... I do hope Mike Pawson isn't in Antarctica at the moment!); let's start with CEFAS figures .... (click to see more clearly)

 

Summary:

 

So let's look at the figures:

 

I'm not going to comment, since whatever I say the 'Three Mouseketeers' will decry ...

 

Just look at the SPAWNING BIOMASS and FISHING MORTALITY (makes my 'TAKE' of 41 beach codling this winter with 31 'discarded alive and well' look pretty good, eh?)

 

and CEFAS' closing comments -

 

ICES recommended that given the low stock size and recent poor recruitment, the stock cannot be re-built in 2008 EVEN with a ZERO catch,

Simulations indicate that with the recent poor recruitment, a ZERO catch would be required in 2007 and 2008 to achieve the re-bulding of the stock by 2009.

 

[wurzel]

– Wurzel

 

Well if we believe Wurzel ( ), we'd better look elsewhere (... I do hope Mike Pawson isn't in Antarctica at the moment!); let's start with CEFAS figures .... (click to see more clearly)

 

 

and CEFAS' closing comments -

 

 

And a CEFAS scientists opening comment on seeing the size and number of large cod we were catching on a recent survey were" where the bloody hell have they come from?"

[H.A.]

Probably he hadn't seen any before!

 

[ColinW]

And a CEFAS scientists opening comment on seeing the size and number of large cod we were catching on a recent survey were" where the bloody hell have they come from?"

 

A healthy stock is one where a "clueless" scientist can carry out random trawls and still catch a few fish. Hopefully the scientist in question knows enough to recognise the difference between that and an experienced fishermen putting him on one of the few remaining pockets of fish.

[barry luxton]

And a CEFAS scientists opening comment on seeing the size and number of large cod we were catching on a recent survey were" where the bloody hell have they come from?"

 

So my ratio thingy should mean that if there are thousands of juveniles, there should be hundreds of large ones, where? and what would you call a large cod?

[wurzel]

So my ratio thingy should mean that if there are thousands of juveniles, there should be hundreds of large ones, where? and what would you call a large cod?

 

Hello Barry

 

I have the same problem with roach on the local river , plenty of small ones but where are the hundreds of large ones I used to catch when I was a kid? yet the part of river I'm about to go to has only a few chub but if I get one it'll be a good one, where are all the small ones? I could go to another part where I could catch many more but much smaller why are there no big ones in this area? No commercial fishing taking place.

I don't know all the bloody answers Barry and I doubt any body else does that’s why it's called fishing and not catching.

[barry luxton]

I understand from another web site that the replies to the document will not be considerd unless it it within the framework of what defra requires. I have looked within the list of consultees pages etc and do not see what is suggested? I have looked at other areas and get bloo.y gateway time out messages.

 

No doubt there are many i only go fishing rsa's who will miss this oppertunity. If it is because of difficulty just in replying in the correct format alone, that would be a crying shame. Would someone be kind enough to provide detail. Sorry to be a pain.