bass spawning closed season destined for european trashcan

[steve good]

S P Gathergood

Commercial Fisherman

Email: spgathergood@yahoo.co.uk

 

106 Dunkeld Road

Gosport

Hants

PO12 4NJ

 

17 August 2006

 

Commissioner Joe Borg

European Commission

B-1049 Brussels

 

Dear Commissioner Borg

 

RE:- BASS CONSERVATION MEASURES

 

It has just been announced by Mr Ben Bradshaw MP minister for fisheries that the minimum landing size (mls) for Bass is to increase from 36 cm to 40 cm with a further rise to 45 cm in 2010.

 

The rise in mls will undoubtedly weaken the economy of the UK small scale fishermen (under 10 mtrs) who fish using sustainable methods. There is no prospect of any medium to long term gain as increased wasteful discards will prevent any benefit of this conservation measure from ever occurring.

 

UK small scale fishermen will be compromised and disadvantaged in relation to the larger fish enterprises of the Belgium and French fishing fleets. Theses fleets will still be able to catch and market Bass in the 36 to 40 cm range. A level playing field will no longer exist in the catching and marketing sectors for this range of Bass.

 

To all intents and purposes the UK fisheries department have removed UK fishermen’s rights of access to open and free trading on a common resource, as their fishing rights to the size range of Bass 36-40 cm have been in affect transferred to other member states.

It has recently been reported in the Fishing News that it is the intention of the European Fisheries Commission to consider whether to elect Bass on to the pressure stock list so as to allocate a TAC (quota) for it.

 

This will destroy the small scale UK fishermen who have employed sustainable fishing methods and consequently have only built up a small historical track record. Whereas the French and other member states on the other hand have slaughtered the Bass with huge pair trawls (unsustainably) when they are shoaled up ready to spawn and easy to catch, as to are the Dolphins that feed on the Bass. In this grossly unfair way of allocating quotas the French will as always receive the loins share at the detriment to UK small scale fishermen.

 

More importantly the long term future and sustainability of the Bass stocks and the way it is managed needs to be looked at in depth.

 

Firstly measures are needed to achieve long term sustainability. Fishing using non-sustainable methods such as pair trawling at the currant rate of exploitation just before and during the spawning season will at some point in the future compromise the Bass stocks ability to sustain itself.

 

A long term management strategy should be considered and implemented so as to make certain that the Bass Fishery has the capacity to renew itself.

 

It is important to evaluate the performance of previous management fisheries policies and learn from them.

 

I am very disappointed and horrified to learn that the European Fisheries Commission are even considering electing Bass onto the pressure stock list and allocating a quota for it.

 

The lessons to be learned from other fisheries are that quotas particularly in mixed fisheries are counter productive.

 

The Cod quotas only ever aided the collapse of the Cod Fishery and even the Cod Recovery Plan has failed to have any beneficial affect on improving the situation, lessons must be learnt from this.

I believe that if Bass are elected to the pressure stock list and quoted then the same fate will befall the Bass as what has happen to the Cod Fishery. I can not over stress the importance of a coherent responsible long term Management strategy that will bring meaningful benefits to the Bass fishery so as to avoid the misery of failed fishery polices such as that which has happened to the Cod.

 

If the Fisheries Commission does elect Bass to the pressure stock list and quotas it the discards will be horrendous. There will be two levels of discards, one when the monthly and yearly quota runs out and the UK will always be producing wasteful discards through lack of quota. The other level of discards will be produced on a permanent basis by the increase in the UK’s mls increase to 40 cm.

 

The UK’s fishery department has seen fit to take it upon itself to go it alone on Bass conservation matters. The lack of joined up thinking between this department and the European Fishery Commission is only creating fragmented and peace meal fishery polices that maybe detrimental to the Bass Fishery.

 

The biomass of spawning adult Bass shoal up in the English Channel from January to March each year to spawn. They spend most of that time in midwater searching out the layers of water that are 9 degrees or above. Large midwater trawlers exploit this trait and remove a large proportion of Bass before it has chance to spawn along with the Dolphins that feed on them. This is where the Bass stock is most vulnerable and in need of the most protection for its future sustainability. At the current rate of exploitation on the adult spawning stock it is only a matter of time before the fishery collapses, therefore, any other measures will be completely meaningless without a strong protected adult spawning stock which is capable of sustaining itself.

 

I would be grateful if you would please submit this letter to the next European Fisheries Commissioners committee meeting and that they consider adopting the following three proposals.

 

 

 

 

 

1 That the committee consider adopting as a matter of policy to have a closed fishing season on Bass from the 1 of January to the 31 of march each year so as the spawning stock of Bass may spawn unhindered also this will resolve the matter of Dolphin mortality within this fishery.

2 That the committee consider adopting as a matter of policy not to elect Bass onto the pressure stock list.

3 That the committee consider adopting as a matter of policy to either increase the minimum landing size for Bass applicable to all member states in line with the UK’s Bass Management Plan or to annul the UK’s mls increases so as all members states retain the same balanced mls for Bass.

 

If you feel the need for clarification or further information please do not hesitate to ask.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

S P Gathergood

Fishing Vessel

Phyllis John (P77)

 

 

Copies to:-

 

Mr Ben Bradshaw MP Minister for Fisheries

 

Mr Tim Oliver Editor Fishing News

[Norm B]

S P Gathergood

Commercial Fisherman

Email: spgathergood@yahoo.co.uk

 

106 Dunkeld Road

Gosport

Hants

PO12 4NJ

 

17 August 2006

 

Commissioner Joe Borg

European Commission

B-1049 Brussels

 

Dear Commissioner Borg

 

RE:- BASS CONSERVATION MEASURES

 

It has just been announced by Mr Ben Bradshaw MP minister for fisheries that the minimum landing size (mls) for Bass is to increase from 36 cm to 40 cm with a further rise to 45 cm in 2010.

 

The rise in mls will undoubtedly weaken the economy of the UK small scale fishermen (under 10 mtrs) who fish using sustainable methods. There is no prospect of any medium to long term gain as increased wasteful discards will prevent any benefit of this conservation measure from ever occurring.

 

UK small scale fishermen will be compromised and disadvantaged in relation to the larger fish enterprises of the Belgium and French fishing fleets. Theses fleets will still be able to catch and market Bass in the 36 to 40 cm range. A level playing field will no longer exist in the catching and marketing sectors for this range of Bass.

 

To all intents and purposes the UK fisheries department have removed UK fishermen’s rights of access to open and free trading on a common resource, as their fishing rights to the size range of Bass 36-40 cm have been in affect transferred to other member states.

It has recently been reported in the Fishing News that it is the intention of the European Fisheries Commission to consider whether to elect Bass on to the pressure stock list so as to allocate a TAC (quota) for it.

 

This will destroy the small scale UK fishermen who have employed sustainable fishing methods and consequently have only built up a small historical track record. Whereas the French and other member states on the other hand have slaughtered the Bass with huge pair trawls (unsustainably) when they are shoaled up ready to spawn and easy to catch, as to are the Dolphins that feed on the Bass. In this grossly unfair way of allocating quotas the French will as always receive the loins share at the detriment to UK small scale fishermen.

 

More importantly the long term future and sustainability of the Bass stocks and the way it is managed needs to be looked at in depth.

 

Firstly measures are needed to achieve long term sustainability. Fishing using non-sustainable methods such as pair trawling at the currant rate of exploitation just before and during the spawning season will at some point in the future compromise the Bass stocks ability to sustain itself.

 

A long term management strategy should be considered and implemented so as to make certain that the Bass Fishery has the capacity to renew itself.

 

It is important to evaluate the performance of previous management fisheries policies and learn from them.

 

I am very disappointed and horrified to learn that the European Fisheries Commission are even considering electing Bass onto the pressure stock list and allocating a quota for it.

 

The lessons to be learned from other fisheries are that quotas particularly in mixed fisheries are counter productive.

 

The Cod quotas only ever aided the collapse of the Cod Fishery and even the Cod Recovery Plan has failed to have any beneficial affect on improving the situation, lessons must be learnt from this.

I believe that if Bass are elected to the pressure stock list and quoted then the same fate will befall the Bass as what has happen to the Cod Fishery. I can not over stress the importance of a coherent responsible long term Management strategy that will bring meaningful benefits to the Bass fishery so as to avoid the misery of failed fishery polices such as that which has happened to the Cod.

 

If the Fisheries Commission does elect Bass to the pressure stock list and quotas it the discards will be horrendous. There will be two levels of discards, one when the monthly and yearly quota runs out and the UK will always be producing wasteful discards through lack of quota. The other level of discards will be produced on a permanent basis by the increase in the UK’s mls increase to 40 cm.

 

The UK’s fishery department has seen fit to take it upon itself to go it alone on Bass conservation matters. The lack of joined up thinking between this department and the European Fishery Commission is only creating fragmented and peace meal fishery polices that maybe detrimental to the Bass Fishery.

 

The biomass of spawning adult Bass shoal up in the English Channel from January to March each year to spawn. They spend most of that time in midwater searching out the layers of water that are 9 degrees or above. Large midwater trawlers exploit this trait and remove a large proportion of Bass before it has chance to spawn along with the Dolphins that feed on them. This is where the Bass stock is most vulnerable and in need of the most protection for its future sustainability. At the current rate of exploitation on the adult spawning stock it is only a matter of time before the fishery collapses, therefore, any other measures will be completely meaningless without a strong protected adult spawning stock which is capable of sustaining itself.

 

I would be grateful if you would please submit this letter to the next European Fisheries Commissioners committee meeting and that they consider adopting the following three proposals.

 

 

 

 

 

1 That the committee consider adopting as a matter of policy to have a closed fishing season on Bass from the 1 of January to the 31 of march each year so as the spawning stock of Bass may spawn unhindered also this will resolve the matter of Dolphin mortality within this fishery.

2 That the committee consider adopting as a matter of policy not to elect Bass onto the pressure stock list.

3 That the committee consider adopting as a matter of policy to either increase the minimum landing size for Bass applicable to all member states in line with the UK’s Bass Management Plan or to annul the UK’s mls increases so as all members states retain the same balanced mls for Bass.

 

If you feel the need for clarification or further information please do not hesitate to ask.

Yours sincerely

S P Gathergood

Fishing Vessel

Phyllis John (P77)

Copies to:-

 

Mr Ben Bradshaw MP Minister for Fisheries

 

Mr Tim Oliver Editor Fishing News

I'm sure the ministers of the EU will take your missive into their hearts.

[Steve Coppolo]

The first two proposals look good Steve, but I think the third should be to make Europe catch up with us and increase their MLS, rather than suggesting that we should move backwards to meet them.

 

As a matter of fact, if you dropped the suggestion of us falling back to a 36cm MLS, I'm sure anglers could well back your proposals 100%, although we'd give slightly different, (but equally valid), reasons for doing so.

Edited August 18, 2006 by Steve Coppolo

[Leon Roskilly]

http://ukbass.com/2005/11/basscbe-lobby-eu.html

 

Thursday, November 24, 2005

 

BASS/CBE lobby EU

 

Today a hearing is taking place in the EU Court of Petitions, Brussels, following the deposition of a petition by the Bass Anglers' Sportfishing Society (BASS), United Kingdom and the Collectif Bar Européen (CBE), France, requesting the cessation of winter pair trawling for bass by European Member States.

 

The petition is being presented by John Leballeur, Chairman of BASS and Stéphan Beaucher, Vice-President of CBE, assisted by Graham Watson MEP, (UK).

 

The petition requests more protective measures for the European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) by all Member States, including:-

 

Close season during the main spawning period February-April

Increase in MLS of bass to 45 cms in line with UK measures now under consideration

 

Gill net mesh sizes to complement MLS 110mm

 

Commercial licences for bass, subject to track record

 

[reference the Bass Management Plan and Defra consultation, (with scientific input from CEFAS, UK).

http://ukbass.com/2005/10/french-bass-concerns-grow.html

 

Sunday, October 16, 2005

 

French bass concerns grow

 

Rough Translation: Source: Ouest France- Friday 14 October 2005

 

42 discontented liners.

 

Fisheries: A petition against pelagic trawling on the spawning grounds

The fishing sector is disturbed at the present time.

 

A petition signed by 42 liners and rope makers from the ports of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and Barfleur, in the Val-de Saire, will be sent to the authorities for measures to be taken to prohibit fishing with pelagic trawls on the bass spawning grounds during the reproductive period.

 

"Liners don't fish for bass during the period of reproduction from January to April. Nevertheless, a serious resource management problem exists."

 

"It's during the reproductive period that the massacres resulting from the use of pelagic trawls take place."

 

These are the opening sentences of the petition which will be sent to the national, regional and local fisheries committees, to the bureau of marine affairs and to the headquarters of the EU in Brussels.

 

"We have collected 42 signatures from the ports of Saint Vaast-la-Houque and Barfleur asking the authorities to take measures to prohibit this fishing method on the spawning grounds. A pelagic trawl is as big as a football pitch and towed by two boats," declares the liner from Saint Vaast, Daniel Osmont, one of the signatories of the petition.

 

"This fishery is pursued by Breton and Norman boats on the spawning grounds of the Casquets off la Hague."

 

An intensive fishery which according to the signatories threatens the future of bass.

 

"One doesn't have to be an ecologist to understand the damage resulting from this type of fishing. The quotas are not even respected and it's a complete waste. This abusive fishery will result in the disappearance of bass."

 

In Brittany, several months ago, the liners obtained a total prohibition of pelagic trawling in certain zones.

 

A few years ago the month of June was the best month for fishing.

 

Now it's the worst, due to a shortage of fish, according to Daniel Osmont, who goes on to conclude "Let's react quickly: when man has consumed the last fish, it will be too late to wake up to the fact that money cannot be consumed."

 

This petition should shake fisheries into action and will not make for good relations between the professions.

 

[Comment - the above is yet another example of the increasing unrest occurring in France between the small coastal fishermen, in particular the traditional hand line bass fisherman, and the offshore pair trawler fishermen. The inshore coastal fishermen and handliners see their livelihoods being taken away from them by, 'one sweep of a net'.

 

http://ukbass.com/2005/11/very-successful-meeting.html

 

Friday, November 25, 2005

 

A very successful meeting

 

Further to our report of 24 November 2005, the petition presented by John Leballeur, Chairman of the Bass Anglers' Sportfishing Society (BASS), United Kingdom, and Stéphan Beaucher, Vice-President of Collectif Bar Européen (CBE), France, at the European Parliament, Brussels, on 24 November 2005 was received enthusiastically.

 

Following a very informative power point presentation about sea bass by John Leballeur, the MEPs discussed the petition in depth and decided that this should not be the end of the matter. It was agreed that the petition should forwarded to the Committee on Fisheries, and to the Committee on Environment, and a response from those committees is expected within a few weeks.

 

 

[photo - John Leballeur (BASS) on left and Stéphan Beaucher (CBE) in Brussels]

 

CEFAS, in their scientific paper accompanying the Defra consultation documentation concerning the proposal to increase the mls of bass within the UK, support the view that 90% of any benefit of an increase in the bass mls within inshore waters, under UK jurisdiction, will accrue to UK inshore fishermen.

 

If successful, the protective measures for the European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) that are being petitioned for within all EU waters, should fully address the concerns being expressed within the UK commercial fishing sector about 10% of the UK stock that is currently caught by the International fishery.

 

 

 

Welcome Aboard Steve

[Leon Roskilly]

Maybe a minor thing but shouldn't it have read 'with the Dolphins that feed along them'?

 

 

The post mortems on dolphins killed by pair trawlers show that they have been feeding on pelagic species other than bass.

 

Probably a bit too spiny for a mammal that feels pain!