ALONG THE EAST COAST IT ALIVE WITH SMALL CODLING

[glennk]

Good idea Brain, close the fishery down for 6 weeks Big cod can go on holiday, have a paint up or if need be sign on the social to tide him over.

 

Not really Peter, Its a very busy time of year for the charter skippers and often ties in with the autumn festival. Paul and the lads wouldnt be bothered by the closure, they would just work another area, afterall the festival isnt going to be won with a 1 lb codling (average size of what hangs around the herring spawn). The closed area wouldnt have to be that big as the herring usually congrate in tight areas within 2-3 mile of the shore. and I am damn certain the trawlers could also fish elsewhere for 1 month, its abig sea, and at the same time be doing their own future a lot of good. Everyone's a winner.

[cleeclive]

Not really Peter, Its a very busy time of year for the charter skippers and often ties in with the autumn festival. Paul and the lads wouldnt be bothered by the closure, they would just work another area, afterall the festival isnt going to be won with a 1 lb codling (average size of what hangs around the herring spawn). The closed area wouldnt have to be that big as the herring usually congrate in tight areas within 2-3 mile of the shore. and I am damn certain the trawlers could also fish elsewhere for 1 month, its abig sea, and at the same time be doing their own future a lot of good. Everyone's a winner.

 

Now then the procedure will be as follows

 

Report this to Defra, it may be discussed over a cup of coffee, and possibly put on the agenda for the next ICES working group on cod.

6 months later ICES working group discuss if small cod have been found in other areas of the North Sea.

A resolution may be passed to find out more and report back to the next ICES working group meeting

A further 6 months pass and scientists decide there may or may not have been a good year class

 

By this time the fish will have been discarded or grown to marketable size.

 

I regret to say this is how the system will work.

 

Fishermen of course voluntarily increase mesh size of codends for a short period but I understand that there may well be legal compexities with this and in a mixed fishery this may not be a popular option I am not up to date on the current regulations.

 

I guess much of what was portrayed in the programme 'The End of the Line' on channel 4 last night will be the reality.

 

Challenge was telling me that NESFC are getting new powers to react to situations like this. I Guess a letter to the chairman of the committee would be a good way of putting this to the test. Don't hold your breath though Paul!!

[glennk]

I Guess a letter to the chairman of the committee would be a good way of putting this to the test. Don't hold your breath though Paul!!

 

Paul has been invited onto the NESFC Stakeholders panel. He could speak about it there. All he needs to do is decide that the future of his business is more important than a game of dom's in The Station.

[cleeclive]

Paul has been invited onto the NESFC Stakeholders panel. He could speak about it there. All he needs to do is decide that the future of his business is more important than a game of dom's in The Station.

Paul should bring it up there. I would suggest contacting the secretary prior to the next meeting and asking for it to be an agenda item rather than it just being noted in AOB at the end. I would also suggest that you write to Cefas in Lowestoft addressing the letter to the cod stock assessment team manager, and advise them that the matter is being brougt to the attention of the NESFC, and copy this letter to the DEFRA District Inspector, Paul Bryan in Grimsby. By informing several people at the top it ensures that the issue is not swept under the carpet without some discussion. Reference should be made to the disaster of the 95 year class and questions aked as to how they plan to avoid such a wasteful tragedy again.

 

Clive

[wurzel]

I guess much of what was portrayed in the programme 'The End of the Line' on channel 4 last night will be the reality.

 

You are kidding??

[wurzel]

Paul has been invited onto the NESFC Stakeholders panel. He could speak about it there.

 

 

A bull in a china shop springs to mind!!!

[wurzel]

Reference should be made to the disaster of the 95 year class and questions aked as to how they plan to avoid such a wasteful tragedy again.

 

Clive

 

 

You don't think things have changed a bit since then?

[big_cod]

You don't think things have changed a bit since then?

 

Whats changed is there is nowhere near the amount of cod now as there was then the effort has decreased but it coudlnt sustain that effort now anyway but the way the effort is consentrated hasnt changed thats the problem and allways will be one of the ex trawler skippers said to me the other week take all the quotas off increase the fleet and it wouldnt make any difference in a very short time at all the lot would go to the wall in his words its well and truelly ****ed methods of how we catch our fish needs looking at the thing it i will hurt some but for the good for a lot more and that includes a lot of comercial fishermen in the end they will have a better liveing it will go back to old traditinal methods many boats long lineing in the winter which is a sustainable way of fishing discards need to be eliminated otherewise it will keep going down and down.

 

paul

[cleeclive]

You don't think things have changed a bit since then?

I know they haven't Wurzel but one has got to keep up the Victor Meldrew act!

[cleeclive]

A bull in a china shop springs to mind!!!

Poor Paul could be insulted by that comment!!