UK Bass Stocks Are Collapsing

[H.A.]

I can assure you that the lack of quota for other commercial stocks has nothing to do with poor breeding populations of those species.

- Wurzy

 

Ain't it funny how you dismiss arguments from every facet of fish research and data indicating dangerously low stocks in many fish populations (not a just year class); then you are able to assure all and sundry as to the truthfulness of your expert opinion.

Let's hope you're expertise and insight are recognised some day by some kind of award.

 

As far as I am concerned, Wurzel, you are a man fighting for his livelihood; a good, honest livelihood, which has been completely scuppered for you and all of us by your own peers.

 

Pah!

 

[barry luxton]

Do you think that the Thames, Blackwater etc. should be designated as nursery areas and more to the point, do you think that would mean more of these fish coming through would fill the gap in the mid-sized range that appear to be missing at the present time?

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

I suppose you could equally argue that the portland race has turned into a nursery area. Average size approaching 30-40 cm didn't used to be.

[steve pitts]

Personally, I don't want any interfering busy body, who is arrogant enough to think that calling an area a nursery area will miraculously enhance the bass stocks, to stop me from enjoying the good sport we now have to look forward to over at least the next 6 years and probably beyond. There may be problems down in the SW at the moment, and it may be down to the winter pair trawl fishery that has been going on fopr the last 20 odd years. However, our government don't have the powers to address that particular problem, so what's the point of aiming for achievable, but inefective, measures like nursery areas? It's a form of self punishment and that's about all.

 

That was the reason for my question Steve.

 

Personally, I see very little merit in increasing the numbers of nursery areas, when the root cause of the problem isn't being tackled.

 

Furthermore, the existing access by boat anglers is likely to suffer i.e. be outlawed, if nursery area designation is put forward for new sites - further self-punishment.

 

On the other hand - what is to stop some enterprising commercial fisherman (men) from bo***cksing up your local bass stocks once they realise that a buck or two is to me made, or are the commercial guys in your neck of the woods more forward-thinking than those along the south and west coast?

Perhaps the increases in their fuel bills and further quota wrangles will concentrate their minds on your bass.

 

We now have 3 regular netters on our shore marks in Purbeck and the fishing, which was recovering in recent years, has been pants this spring. Maybe that's just another coincidence

 

I'd should enjoy your sport while you can - it may last 6 years if your lucky.

 

Cheers

Steve

[Steve Coppolo]

On the other hand - what is to stop some enterprising commercial fisherman (men) from bo***cksing up your local bass stocks once they realise that a buck or two is to me made, or are the commercial guys in your neck of the woods more forward-thinking than those along the south and west coast?

Perhaps the increases in their fuel bills and further quota wrangles will concentrate their minds on your bass.

 

We now have 3 regular netters on our shore marks in Purbeck and the fishing, which was recovering in recent years, has been pants this spring. Maybe that's just another coincidence

 

I'd should enjoy your sport while you can - it may last 6 years if your lucky.

 

Cheers

Steve

 

I could get all worked up about something that may, or may not, happen; and I could call for restrictions on myself, just in case. But the fact is, there has always been commercial effort on my bass and yet I've still had some excellent bass fishing in the past. With less effort nowdays, those bass that are coming through now should last a bit longer. Out of curiosity, how long did anglers in your part of the world enjoy the successful 1989 year class? What we have coming through now is at least 5 year classes that were more successful than the 1989 year class. It doesn't take much working out that we will be experiencing some top bass fishing over the coming years.

 

I'm all for enjoying it while we have it. What would be the point in having them if someone then comes along and says I can't fish for them? As I've said before Steve, I'm a bass angler, not a bass fancier.

Edited June 16, 2008 by Steve Coppolo

[thedogs]

I could get all worked up about something that may, or may not, happen; and I could call for restrictions on myself, just in case. But the fact is, there has always been commercial effort on my bass and yet I've still had some excellent bass fishing in the past. With less effort nowdays, those bass that are coming through now should last a bit longer. Out of curiosity, how long did anglers in your part of the world enjoy the successful 1989 year class? What we have coming through now is at least 5 year classes that were more successful than the 1989 year class. It doesn't take much working out that we will be experiencing some top bass fishing over the coming years.

 

I'm all for enjoying it while we have it. What would be the point in having them if someone then comes along and says I can't fish for them? As I've said before Steve, I'm a bass angler, not a bass fancier.

 

 

 

As I have said before I can only speak for what I see in my area.

 

There has been a notable decrease in commercial pressure due to many trawling families packing up. This has lead I think to the increased numbers of fish such as smoothounds, thornbacks and tope. It must have done something to increase the numbers for all species, as ground trawling is the worst kind of commercial pressure there is.

 

Due to the fuss made over the bass MLS most of the commercials in my area are using cross tide trammel nets now as they thought their 90mil mesh was to be outlawed. These nets are intended for soles but do catch bass.

 

Talking to a local commercial he says he is now catching more 3 to 8lb bass than previous years due to using trammel nets rather than 90mil gill nets. So now most of the now fairly small local commercial fleet are catching less bass but what they area catching are better fish.

Funny these are the fish that I would enjoy catching, so thanks BASS for your efforts but please in the future will you and your 500 membership, NFSA, SACN with their lack of sea angling knolledge PLEASE BUT OUT of my sea angling!

 

[barry luxton]

Talking to a local commercial he says he is now catching more 3 to 8lb bass than previous years due to using trammel nets rather than 90mil gill nets. So now most of the now fairly small local commercial fleet are catching less bass but what they area catching are better fish.

 

Good news for the public then?

 

Does this mean that these are to filter through to the fish mongers?

 

Most important of all the supermarkets, because what they sell at the mo is cr@p.

[thedogs]

Good news for the public then?

 

Does this mean that these are to filter through to the fish mongers?

 

Most important of all the supermarkets, because what they sell at the mo is cr@p.

 

 

Most of the bass sold at super markets is crap because its farmed. These farmed fish and small fish caught and sold by people using a fishing rod have pushed down the price of 36cm bass. The larger fish now fetch more money so this also increases the pressure on the larger bass that I enjoy catching. Push the MLS down to about 10 inches and restrict effort I say.

[H.A.]

Push the MLS down to about 10 inches and restrict effort I say.

 

Some people and some bass never grow up, eh?

 

How much reading do you actually do on the subject, Sam?

 

Here's some fairly simple stuff to get your head around.

 

Escapement -

This is the key term biologists use in fish conservation. It relates to the number – expressed in a percentage – of fish that make it through all they have to deal with to spawn and produce more fish. They "escape" things like being eaten by another predator fish, natural mortality, and of course, nets and other commercial devices.

It's essential for healthy fish populations to keep to escapement rates.

Unfortunately, our commercial sector has no regard for this figure.

 

Optimum Yield -

Is defined as "the amount of harvest that could be taken while maintaining the spawning stock biomass per recruit level at or above 30% of the level that would result if fishing mortality was zero."

 

Escapement rate targets can and will vary by species.

 

The target rates are set based on harvest results, sampling, and surveys. In species that have a heavy harvest rate, the escapement rate target may be raised in order to insure more spawning fish for the next year. That raise in escapement rate necessarily means – among other things – a decrease in harvesting , application of size (MLS and MaxLS) and bag limits or all of these for a given species.

 

Bag and Size Limits -

Biologists tell us that they can achieve their desired escapement rate in more than one way. Most States in the USA now use a combination of Min LS/MaxLS and bag limits. State Legislatures have been aware of the need to conserve fish stocks since at least the 1950s. Most of this was achieved because anglers applied pressure against the commercial sectors who were willy-nilly devastating fish and shellfish populations on a massive scale.

 

Hear any warning bells about your suggestions, Sam?

Why play straight into the hands of those who don't give a sheite about your enjoyment of catching bass in the future.

 

[Last comment deleted - John S]

Edited June 17, 2008 by John S

[ColinW]

Now, now girls!

 

I have read both of you at one time or another advocate the minimum size/maximum size method, which I also think is the sensible way to go about things. I've seen no sensible arguments against it by commercial fishermen, just childish comments about saving the fish "for the foreigners", which is what they say about ANY conservation measure.

Hopefully, as fuel goes through the roof, "the foreigners" will find it increasingly less profitable to fish our waters, so that argument will lose what little validity it might now have!

[barry luxton]

Now, now girls!

 

I have read both of you at one time or another advocate the minimum size/maximum size method, which I also think is the sensible way to go about things. I've seen no sensible arguments against it by commercial fishermen, just childish comments about saving the fish "for the foreigners", which is what they say about ANY conservation measure.

Hopefully, as fuel goes through the roof, "the foreigners" will find it increasingly less profitable to fish our waters, so that argument will lose what little validity it might now have!

 

 

Excuse me Colin, just a small point. On the telly last night bbc 2 it was stated that 75% of our fish caught in the uk is exported in any event. Thats why we have to import rubbish farmed stuff to feed the supermarkets. So even if the uk catch them, they are exported. Not for home market use, how sad. Mr Leballeur was also in the press yesterday and wrote: if you must eat the small stuff eat farmed bass, they taste good. Or words to that effect.