' Is report of improved Cod Stock true? '

[wurzel]

Boats with competent skippers can always find fish - until the last ones disappear. Being able to find enough fish to make a living is NOT the same as having a healthy stock level, like they had for hundreds of years.

I've said before that the only true test of cod stock recovery is when shore anglers start catching like the "good old days", which I am not prepared to accept were a freak situation!

The North and Irish seas should be amongst the most fertile waters in the world, shallow, temperate and fed with nutrients by rivers flowing off land on all sides and by the Gulf Stream.

 

Competent anglers can always find fish.

 

Where does it say they had a constant healthy stock level for hundreds of years?

 

If the cod fishing locally was as healthy as you say why sail to Iceland or the grand banks ?

 

I would be interested in any reports of good cod fishing from the southern north sea and English channel during the 2O and 30's, I can't find any, I suspect the cod stocks are higher now than they were then .

 

The north sea and Irish sea are amongst the most fertile waters in the world but conditions are not always suitable for cod, but there is always an abundance of something.

[barry luxton]

Competent anglers can always find fish.

 

 

I would be interested in any reports of good cod fishing from the southern north sea and English channel during the 2O and 30's, I can't find any, I suspect the cod stocks are higher now than they were then .

 

 

aaaaahhh, used to get fab cod in the seventies eighties and early nineties up and down the varne. Wern't around in the 20's-30's I have to say that there is a re-emergence of codling and small cod for the last three years or so, long may it continue. It will be good if enough of them can stay around.

[Steve Coppolo]

aaaaahhh, used to get fab cod in the seventies eighties and early nineties up and down the varne. Wern't around in the 20's-30's I have to say that there is a re-emergence of codling and small cod for the last three years or so, long may it continue. It will be good if enough of them can stay around.

 

 

I remember the cod fishing going down the pan from the mid 80's to early 90's off the Kent coast, Barry. so much so that we stopped the monthly bookings we had with the Kent skippers we used to go out with.

 

Maybe all the cod were all concentrated on the Varne?

 

I don't know anyone who was beach fishing through the 20's and 30's, or even anyone who went boat fishing during those years, but if the cod fishing had been good, I'm sure someone would be banging on about it. I've never heard any mention of the good old 20's and 30's, though.

[barry luxton]

I remember the cod fishing going down the pan from the mid 80's to early 90's off the Kent coast, Barry. so much so that we stopped the monthly bookings we had with the Kent skippers we used to go out with.

 

Maybe all the cod were all concentrated on the Varne?

 

Hiyer Steve,

 

In the winter there is still a chance of a biggy on the ground, however tide and wind is the biggest problem, i haven't stopped me monthly for that reason in particular, saying that it was four years ago i last had a good one, yet you can still get out half a mile or so and have codling with the odd cod.

 

The varne in the summer there is one particular drift, rough ground with two or three wrecks including an area with loads of crab feed, when the codling are around you could pull them up three at a time, seen five with some guys using shrimp hokkies. Nothing big but it's good fun for a while. I would say that there is definatly a few year classes to be caught. Seen them a heck of a lot better. Havn't been there yet this year, last months was cancelled, too windy Over the years the charter boats have got a bit thin on the ground. Folkestone does not have a full time skipper, last year there was only one weekend skipper as the other two moved to dover to concentrate on channel swimming. It's not all bad news, there has been plenty of resonable bass on the wrecks, using live eel. Haven't caught one there using live mackerel yet, must give that a go this year. Blonde ray on another part of the banks. No one fishies for conger, yet i know that there are decent one's on the wrecks. Again tide and wind play a part. I know if someone gets a good one they will have a decent fight as the water is quite shallow. Few pollock, if someone gets a double at the top end, that is classed as quite good.

[glennk]

Seems to be a few showing up now. This vid was taken by one of our forum members.

 

http://s908.photobucket.com/albums/ac288/j...nt=100_2250.flv

[barry luxton]

No one fishes for them any more, Barry, so I'm not surprised that they don't feature much in the landing records of those ports.

 

See a programme on the telly last night, the ships that made britain. 60' scottish sail boats used to go all over the north sea, typical year for them was 2.5 mill barrells of herring mostly exported.

 

The icelandic herring season has just kicked off, most of their fish are for human consumption as they make a big thing of using upto date automatic cleaning machines. Have they knicked all the fish and the trade. I would imagine that they are for export.

 

 

Found this:

 

From the 1920s, there was a big decline in the herring fishing industry. The problem of overfishing was recognised in the 1950s. Catches fell dramatically in the 1960s. Smaller catches encouraged the fishermen to look for new ways to catch herring. This led to the introduction of new types of netting. There were also advances in technology. These only worsened the problem.

 

The North Sea catch declined from 500 000 tonnes in 1972 to less than 170 000 tonnes in 1976. In 1976 the North East stock of herring had fallen from 1.2 million tonnes to 300 000 tonnes, of which only about 50% were capable of breeding. In December 1977, the British herring catch was at its lowest for a century. A ban on herring fishing was introduced on the East Coast in 1977. The ban was only supposed to last for a short time, but it actually lasted for four years. Selective fishing was reintroduced in 1981.

 

Since the 1970s there have been many different schemes and agreements to try to control the fisheries. There have been many disagreements about how to divide quotas fairly. There have also been problems of countries not sticking to quotas and of illegal fishing. In all this, politics has played a major part.

Edited May 23, 2010 by barry luxton

[Steve Coppolo]

Have they knicked all the fish and the trade. I would imagine that they are for export.

 

Don't know whether they nicked it, but they have the trade. Hardly anyone in this country eats herrings any more. Too many fiddly bones to deal with and they make the house smell.

[Bob Shotter]

Don't know whether they nicked it, but they have the trade. Hardly anyone in this country eats herrings any more. Too many fiddly bones to deal with and they make the house smell.

 

 

Mmmmm’ Kippers……… I remember the smell well but your right loads of bones. Here in the sunny south west I can report that small Cod are about on the rough ground in numbers Given how quick they grow local trawler owners are already rubbing there hands at the booty to be had in the not to distant. Barry you wanted me to post a picture of the Ling I caught just two and a bit miles off. No problem mate wouldn’t have time to say ‘are we there yet’ in this part of the world, more like ‘There already you must be joking’

[barry luxton]

Ohhh dear have i got to show youse how to bone one in about ten seconds. Best eating grub in the world.

[Steve Coppolo]

Ohhh dear have i got to show youse how to bone one in about ten seconds. Best eating grub in the world.

 

Yes please, Barry.