Are You Serious?

[Leon Roskilly]

All costal areas must have a sea fisheries commitee check your local government offices

 

Details of how to find your own Sea Fisheries Committee are available in the 'Contacts' column at http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn

 

In certain estuaries, the Environment Agency acts as the 'SFC'.

 

Some of them have very good websites, with details of local byelaws etc.

 

SFCs can introduce local byelaws for their areas, which apply out to 6 miles.

 

Often the byelaws are restricted to certain areas at certain times of the year. Some of these apply local Minimum Size Limits (ie 36cm is the EU legal size, but in some areas the SFC have moved to a 38cm MLS - Even as an angler, you need to be aware of local byelaws that may affect you, ie using edible crab for bait is banned in at least one area)

 

Each SFC now has angling representatives, most now have two (I sit upon Kent & Essex SFC).

 

Tight Lines - leon

[stavey]

The picture was taken around 12 years ago, by someone else, but as Stavey says still goes on in some areas, and is perfectly legal.

 

We all have a right to take fish from the sea, whether by hook or net (magna carta preceeded Recreational Sea Angling!).

 

And you only need a licence to take fish for profit if you are operating from a powered vessel.

 

John, you say that nets are illegal at low water in your area.

 

Byelaws will differ from SFC to SFC.

 

Byelaws relating to where and when nets can be set, their length, mesh sizes etc apply to both licensed and unlicensed fishermen.

 

Some SFCs have bylaws that are meant to protect salmon and trout migrations (which always swim high in the water column) where the headline of a fixed net (otherwise know as a 'fixed engine') must be a certain depth at all states of the tide. Where those byelaws apply, fixed nets will be illegal above the low water mark.

 

Tight Lines - leon

Ok leon, when and if new laws for recrational sea anglers and commercial fishermen are brought about where do you think will these opportunist sein netters or what ever they are called lie within these new laws ie, same as rsa's same fishbag limits and license requirements? or the same as a commercials? or should they be left alone as they are such an important contributer to the country's economy and they do after all have king john's permission and he's 800+ year old law behind them.

[Jim Roper]

Hi John and welcome to the forum.

 

I agree 100% John and £20 to £25 per year is a small price to pay.

 

 

We already pay more than that in VAT on tackle in a year!

Where does that go?

[Leon Roskilly]

Ok leon, when and if new laws for recrational sea anglers and commercial fishermen are brought about where do you think will these opportunist sein netters or what ever they are called lie within these new laws ie, same as rsa's same fishbag limits and license requirements? or the same as a commercials? or should they be left alone as they are such an important contributer to the country's economy and they do after all have king john's permission and he's 800+ year old law behind them.

 

Er, what new laws Stavey?

 

If you are referring to the proposals specified in the Bass Management Plan, which involves bag limits on anglers, well the proposals are that commercial fishermen who already have a track record for bass will be given a licence to take so many (it's no good trying to establish a track record now, it will be based on years 2004 and earlier). Recreational Sea Anglers and others will be restricted to two bass per day.

 

 

(The people seine netting from the shore, if they are selling their catch are commercials; unlicensed commercials, but not illegal commercials. As are anglers who sell their catch. Anyone using a powered boat to take fish, whether using hook and line or nets, who then sell their catch, and who do not have a license are illegal commercial fishermen)

 

 

Proposals just about to be put to consultation to increase the Minimum Landing Size to 45cm for bass (as the initial part of the implementation of the Bass Management Plan) if accepted, will be applied to everyone.

 

(It's important that every angler, and every angling club write in support of the increased MLS, and netting restrictions, when the consultation starts. It won't be long now so get those pencils sharpened).

 

The Bass Management Plan is available at:

http://ukbass.com/bassmanagementplan/bmp/index.html

 

Tight Lines - leon

Edited October 23, 2005 by Leon Roskilly

[Guest binatone]

Shame someone couldnt get you a pic of a trawlers discards. If you worry so much about the daiwa match youd have a fecking heart attack if you saw what goes back over the side dead from the commercial sector.

Why does not somebody get photos of all these so called discards that people who have never worked in the industry, keep going on about?

May be the discard theory is away of justifying why they (the angler) kills everything that he catches in order to win points. To win a match, to win a game.

Sustainable fishing is a phrase often used on this forum? Could someone again who is great at finding answers please let me know what fishery the sea today is capable of sustaining?

[maximo]

one where there was a few bigger fish might be a good start binatone.

lets ban angling for a few years and let everyone else carry on as normal and bingo theres big fish everywhere.it was them 10 bass and maybe a 100 codlings i banged on the head a year that drove fish stocks down.

bloody hell theres double figure fish on the beaches all over.

[Bob Jerunkel]

Banatone

At the start of the thread I said what i thought would lead to sustainable fishing.

Just in case you didn't see it I said raising the MLS to a size where the fish has spawned at least once would lead to sustainable fishing.

But according to most commercial fishermen the MLS should be worked out to allow you to get at them at the earliest opportunity before anyone else does.

I've read plenty on here from you and your commercial friends and I must say you've reinforced my belief that most commercial fishermen are only interested in today and to hell with tomorrow.

The world doesn't owe any of you a living.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

"We already pay more than that in VAT on tackle in a year!

Where does that go?"

 

Where all the other VAT goes, it has nothing to do with angling it is a general retail system.

 

One would hope that a salt water licence would be used in the same way as fresh water

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Hi Leon,

 

"The people seine netting from the shore, if they are selling their catch are commercials; unlicensed commercials, but not illegal commercials."

 

These guys may be legal but where do they fit in with the new proposals?

 

If we are required by law to have a licence in the future, will they be required to have a licence?

 

Bearing in mind their catch rate is a lot higher than a rod and line, will it be a higher fee if they are just pleasure netters?

 

How will bag limits be applied to fish dead in the net?

 

As John has stated we do have laws on the Welsh coast to cover shore netting, but as he also states some choose to ignor the law.

 

We have one such herbert who puts in appearances on Cefyn Sidan once in a while, his kit is total junk so the catch rate is probably less than my rod, his net attendance is the greatest problem as it usually ends up partly buried and littering the beach. Apart from this he is harmless other wise he would have been reported long ago. I am surprised however that the local beach patrol which is very vigorous with where you fish, have you a permit for your 4x4, restricting wind yachting etc have not picked up on him.

[John Edwards]

Banatone

At the start of the thread I said what i thought would lead to sustainable fishing.

Just in case you didn't see it I said raising the MLS to a size where the fish has spawned at least once would lead to sustainable fishing.

But according to most commercial fishermen the MLS should be worked out to allow you to get at them at the earliest opportunity before anyone else does.

I've read plenty on here from you and your commercial friends and I must say you've reinforced my belief that most commercial fishermen are only interested in today and to hell with tomorrow.

The world doesn't owe any of you a living.

 

I can see your point in your posting, the MLS referred to must extend to all species not just one as the decline is shown greatly on many trips on shore and boat. To do this commercially the mesh sizes have to be altered resulting in replacement nets for the Trawlers etc. Given the cost of these nets can you imagine a comercial spending £00,000 on new nets? I cant, Government will not even subsidise the cost of this either, however they have given a grant for new satelite technology to help the trawlers when they are out at sea and i believe this was given to help them recall their hours spent at sea also to remind them to fill out they catch logs correctly

Quite a few men fish for today on these boats and their reasons are because of the weather we are having reducing their time spent at sea. The discards mentioned in previous post are seen at the docks in Swansea regularly when approaching the Piers you see dogfish and whiting being tossed over the gunnels all the time by these larger boats (excess of 10mtrs)

Also some dogs and spidercrab are found washed up by the piers and beaches surrounding the piers.