Do Bass Nursery Areas Benefit Anyone ?

[glennk]

The topic title says it all. Do Bass Nursery Areas Benefit Anyone ?

[Newt]

Interesting lack of responses. I'd have thought this topic would have gotten some action.

 

If the nursery areas are properly located and protected, how could they not help the bass population to some extent?

[H.A.]

I also waited with baited breath ...

 

yes, less immature bass were killed in the restricted areas over the past 10 years or so.

 

But as you probably know, the order is not always respected or enforced.

 

The latest statements from 'them wot counts' is that the measures will be reviewed in the near future (?).

 

There is a very large biomass of 20 - 35cm bass in the Solent area; but it will take several years before they have a chance to reproduce.

CEFAS report that male bass become 'mature' at 4-7yrs (31-35cm) and females at 5 - 8yrs (40-45cm).

 

The quicker we stop the extraction of these and other species in Nursery Areas and other breeding areas, the better.

 

Yes, plaice do spawn in waters up to 200' deep.

Let's extend the 'Golden Mile' to 6 NM.

 

Here's something I found earlier ...

 

 

 

[wurzel]

I also waited with baited breath ...

 

yes, less immature bass were killed in the restricted areas over the past 10 years or so.

 

But as you probably know, the order is not always respected or enforced.

 

The latest statements from 'them wot counts' is that the measures will be reviewed in the near future (?).

 

There is a very large biomass of 20 - 35cm bass in the Solent area; but it will take several years before they have a chance to reproduce.

CEFAS report that male bass become 'mature' at 4-7yrs (31-35cm) and females at 5 - 8yrs (40-45cm).

 

The quicker we stop the extraction of these and other species in Nursery Areas and other breeding areas, the better.

 

Yes, plaice do spawn in waters up to 200' deep.

Let's extend the 'Golden Mile' to 6 NM.

 

Here's something I found earlier ...

 

 

 

 

I was also waiting.

 

Who kills immature bass ( lass than 36 cm) ?

 

Is there any evidence that there are more immature bass in nursery areas than in areas that arn't resticted?

 

Is there any where that is not a breeding or nursery area for one species or another?

[H.A.]

Is there any where that is not a breeding or nursery area for one species or another?

 

Of course not, but the majority of our species move into shallow waters during their first few years of life ... this was one of the arguments for the 1ml netting exclusion/NTZ.

 

I'm merely suggesting that 6 miles might be more appropriate as a protection area plus other measures such as close seasons.

 

[Steve Coppolo]

I've got doubts about the effectiveness of bass nursery areas, with regard to protecting/boosting bass stocks. My local bass nursery area is the baffle in the river Blackwater. It is a very small area, probably less than a quarter of a mile square, and used to be where the warm water from Bradwell power station was discharged. The warm water used to attract bass, but the power station has long since shut down.

 

The whole of the thames estuary is a biological bass nursery area and is stuffed with small bass, even though none of it, apart from the baffle, has the restrictions of an official BNA in place. In fact, even within the river blackwater there are areas that hold more bass than the baffle. Throughout the Thames estuary there are other, smaller, estuaries that hold more small bass than the river blackwater, even though they've never been given the official BNA tag, or been subject to any restrictions. There are many sand banks that hold even more small bass, that have never been protected.

 

So, as there are just as many, if not more, bass in areas that are biological bass nursery areas, but have never been designated as BNA's by "people", I have to question whether they have made any difference to things in the Thames estuary. Then, of course, there is the fact that the fish don't stay in the nursery area. Like Wurzel says, no one targets under 36cm bass, so those juvenile fish are safe where ever they are, BNA or not. (I still think the MLS should be increased, though).

 

Now look at the bass nursery areas outside the Thames estuary. I don't pretend to know too much about them, except that most are a lot bigger than what we have here. I do know that there are several estuary systems that are BNA's down south. Chichester harbour is the one that springs to mind. Earlier this year, BASS issued a press release that stated that bass stocks were dangerously low in the south. Samples of 0 group bass were way down, indicating a drop in spawning biomass. So, it seems that the greater protection that the southern juvenile bass were afforded in the bigger nursery areas did nothing to protect/boost bass stocks in the area. Personally, I think that the drop in spawning biomass is probably down to the winter pair trawl fishery.

 

Is that not more proof that BNA's are not doing much to protect or boost bass stocks?

 

Now we face a review of bass nursery areas. There are calls for more BNA's, extending the ones we've already got, and more legislation and restrictions within them. As it is, we can't fish for bass from a boat within a bass nursery area, and we can't use sand eels as bait for other species. I have heard of calls for bans on other live baits, just in case bass are caught, which is just ridiculous. Where do you draw the line? Crabs? Worms? If the proposed nursery area legislation and resultant restrictions actually did anything to benefit bass stocks, it wouldn't be so bad. But meaningless and un necessary rules and regulations are pointless.

 

From what I've seen, the problem isn't with juvenile bass, it is with the bigger bass that seem to be getting thinner on the ground. If people want to do something about that, tackle the real problems. The winter pair trawl fishery might be a good place to start. What's the point of protecting juvenile bass, of which there is no shortage, (other than that caused locally by lack of bigger, spawning, bass), and alowing them to get hammered when they get old enough to spawn and gang up to over winter?

 

In answer to your question, Glenn, I don't think bass nursery areas do much at all to protect or boost bass stocks.

[barry luxton]

The whole of the thames estuary is a biological bass nursery area and is stuffed with small bass, even though none of it, apart from the baffle, has the restrictions of an official BNA in place. In fact, even within the river blackwater there are areas that hold more bass than the baffle. Throughout the Thames estuary there are other, smaller, estuaries that hold more small bass than the river blackwater, even though they've never been given the official BNA tag, or been subject to any restrictions. There are many sand banks that hold even more small bass, that have never been protected.

 

Now look at the bass nursery areas outside the Thames estuary. I don't pretend to know too much about them, except that most are a lot bigger than what we have here. I do know that there are several estuary systems that are BNA's down south. Chichester harbour is the one that springs to mind. Earlier this year, BASS issued a press release that stated that bass stocks were dangerously low in the south. Samples of 0 group bass were way down, indicating a drop in spawning biomass. So, it seems that the greater protection that the southern juvenile bass were afforded in the bigger nursery areas did nothing to protect/boost bass stocks in the area. Personally, I think that the drop in spawning biomass is probably down to the winter pair trawl fishery.

 

Is that not more proof that BNA's are not doing much to protect or boost bass stocks?

 

Now we face a review of bass nursery areas. There are calls for more BNA's, extending the ones we've already got, and more legislation and restrictions within them. As it is, we can't fish for bass from a boat within a bass nursery area, and we can't use sand eels as bait for other species. I have heard of calls for bans on other live baits, just in case bass are caught, which is just ridiculous. Where do you draw the line? Crabs? Worms? If the proposed nursery area legislation and resultant restrictions actually did anything to benefit bass stocks, it wouldn't be so bad. But meaningless and un necessary rules and regulations are pointless.

 

Hi

 

According to your post, juvenile bass are doing very well without bna in any event, so why bother to spend our money and more effort on this item. Are bass scaremongering regarding the lack of O group if there are so many juvenile bass showing. Only two or three years of results would show this to be true in any event. No 'proper' angler or commercial would want to make a habit of fishing in a nursery area in any event, after an hour of catching tiddlers, the novelty would wear off? As said they are protected with the mls, whats the point in drafting even more rules, apart from keeping the managers blue chip pensions.

 

Has there been new bylaws brought in regarding sand eels? I haven't heard of that one, who are asking for bans on livebaiting, sounds stupid to me as i certainly use live baits to target better bass, and that isn't in those types of areas.

 

Thanks Steve.

[Steve Coppolo]

Has there been new bylaws brought in regarding sand eels?

 

http://www.ukbass.com/seabassandfishery/inshorerules.html

 

Bass Nursery Areas

 

Fishing for bass from any vessel, as well as, fishing for any species of sea-fish using sand-eels (ammodytidae) as bait, is prohibited in 37 separate areas for all or part of the year. These areas, their extent and the seasonal duration of the prohibition are set out below. The legislation is Statutory Instrument 1999 No 75 The Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) (Variation) Order 1999).

[H.A.]

Has there been new bylaws brought in regarding sand eels?

 

As far as I know, no Bye-laws have been introduced regarding sandeels.

As Steve says above, the BNAs are part of a central STATUTORY INSTRUMENT signed by the Minister of State, most likely on the advice of CEFAS. This is under review -

 

Statutory Instrument 1999 No 75 The Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) (Variation) Order 1999).

[Steve Coppolo]

A less complicated way of looking at BNA's is as follows.

 

Either they have worked, or they haven't. If they have worked, then leave everything as it is for continued improvement to bass stocks. If they haven't worked, why create more of them?

 

Of course, neither of those options would provide any work for office based "people",............or funding.