Consultation On Bass Mls Underway

[wurzel]

Hello Steve

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We've spoke about all this a thousand times on the phone, on the bank or on the boat, so it's more for other's benefit than I'm bouncing some points back at you.

 

The Same for me.

 

Hello Leon

 

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I'm trying to find out how many, and how many of those fish for bass within 12, and how much bass they take, and compare that with the number of UK boats fishing within 12 for bass and how much bass they take.

 

Its not so much now, but as with all fisherys as the stock expands so does the fleets that target them, it's a natural accarance. at the moment the French pair teams only work on the bass shoals during the winter, up to 6 miles off the SW coast. The French are very quick on the up take. As one French skipper said to a mate about 12 years ago when they came along side each other. " you fish for cod? are you mad, the sea is full of soles". there is a large fleet of gill netters fishing for soles at the moment, they have quite a large fleet of inshore boats, but there are several larger gill netters that fish all over, includeing up to the 12 mile line in my area at times,(Belgiums up to 6). This area is a bit different than other areas of the UK, because of the shallow water and sand banks out as far as 30 miles.

If the BMP is implimented.

There will be a huge year class come into the (36 cm) fishery next year,it will be probably be at least 2 years before we can target them by then there will be 2 more above average year classes in the fishery. there will be one hell of alot of bass about. With out a doubt enough to tempt some of those boats away from sole fishing, perhaps even enough to tempt the pair teams to come and fish the outer Thames estuary during the summer months. It does not matter if there is one boat or twenty one if I have to fish a long side them it would be nice know they are fishing to the same rules or at least the same MLS.

 

This is why I say it would be more acceptable to the UK commercial fishermen if you all were lobbing the EU and not just us.

 

I would be interested to hear from any body who fishes for bass in and around the Severn estuary includeing the Gower Penlinsular, there is a local by law prohibiting nets of less than 100 mm for that area, I would like to compare the average size of bass caught there to the Thames estuary .

[Leon Roskilly]

This is why I say it would be more acceptable to the UK commercial fishermen if you all were lobbing the EU and not just us.

 

 

We are Wurzel, we are!

 

 

More on this Next week

 

 

Tight Lines - leon

[wurzel]

Hello Stavey

These practices of seine netting and fixed gill netting by foot are a very serious and a continuing and growing problem in my area, (and any others throughout the county) this is something wurzel's and binatone's coleagues here fail to even acknowledge, we know why!

 

What do you mean "we know why" ?

 

In this area as Steve and Tom found out, it was mainly exagerated rumours.

 

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Right now it's in the hands of politicians and scientists, a very scary thought!

 

It could be worse , Tom could be in charge.

[Tom Pinborough]

It could be worse , Tom could be in charge

 

fisheries today, tomorrow the world

 

 

cheers

Tom

[stavey]

quote, What do you mean "we know why" ?

 

 

Wurzel anything that may draw attention from authorities that may bring about any future restrictions on netting practices anywhere in our waters? all commercials would bitterly object to no matter what benefits it would bring even to them selves, its a crazy mentality that i guess only a commercial would understand, i dont......

[wurzel]

Hello Stavey

I still don't know what you are on about.

 

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with no thought what so ever for the future stocks and they are taking them by the thousands and flogging them to pubs hotels and restaurants, they are destroying what little future both shore anglers and small inshore legit commercials may have.

 

sound like I ought to buy one of these nets and sell me boat, they seem to be earning more money than I am.

 

If they are netting illegally they should be stoped, if you feel they are affecting your shore angling complain to your local FC.

 

as far as I know it is not a problem here yet, and to say that commercials would not do anything about it if it was is stupid.

 

I've always found these reports to be hugely exagerated

[sam-cox]

I would like to see the legal document that explains who can fish in what way and where.

I have always thought that any one can use whatever method of fishing anywhere. I was led to belive that with the exception of local buy laws the only offence that could be commited was if the fish were caught from a powered un licenced boat and then sold.

I think we all have the right from the shore or from an un powered vessel to use a net and sell our catch if we so chose.

It would be great to have writern proof of whats what, then at least us anglers would know who to grass up and who was fishing legaly.

Edited November 21, 2005 by sam-cox

[Leon Roskilly]

Wurzel,

 

It's not so much the few foreign boats that are allowed in as close as 6 miles and who will continue to switch to catching 36cm bass when the mls is raised, but the huge number of UK boats that are now able to switch to catching 36cm bass, right up to our beaches when that suits them, which most worries me and most anglers.

 

(Although as mentioned above, we will now be working to have the mls raised for all boats, regardless of nationality)

 

As for good year classes, yes there have been some recently, thanks to a run of mild winters.

 

But with relatively few fish reaching maturity, and even fewer becoming veteren spawners, the experts have been warning for some time that such a skewed population is extremely vulnerable to a change back to severe winters.

 

With such a severe winter now being forecast, I am filled with dread that we have complacently delayed increasing the mls (even increasing it to 55cm!) for too long, and we are going to be treated by nature to a demonstration of the effects of those predictions on a bass stock overwhemingly comprised of small juveniles.

 

I'm now keeping everything crossed that we haven't left it all too late, and that we will not be faced with the need to slowly re-grow our bass stocks, on the back of an increased mls, over the next 10 years, rather than reaping the immediate bounty of a protected 2002 year class, and left cursing those who failed to face up to the warnings and act in time.

 

Tight Lines - leon

Edited November 21, 2005 by Leon Roskilly

[Tom Pinborough]

Hi Peter

This is not a pop at you , I want to get issues resolved as much as you do and to air the angling vs commercials arguments so both sides to gain a better understanding .

 

I need to clear a few points from earlier postings , no the RSA dependant jobs (19,000) do not include Defra , though with the formation of the new inshore department with a responsibility to angling as part of its remit, that could now increase possibly to 19,002.

 

I just wish we had a few more in defra that looked after RSA , especially with regard to economics and social issues.

 

The point that is confusing me the most is , you state that by increasing the mls to 45cm will allow “Johnny foreigner” to exploit the 36-45 gap in the market and you want a level playing field .

 

So when you proposed the 40cm mls for bass at the Jan 05 meeting of the ESFJC , how would have that worked then ? What was your plan to stop the exploitation of the 36cm – 40cm gap

 

The 40 cm mls would have only applied within the 6 mile limit , so some uk boats could still catch 36cm bass outside 6 miles , but the small inshore boats who remain within the 6 mile would competing with “jonny foreigner” and other uk boats .

 

How would the level playing field that you ask for now, have worked then.

 

Also why are you not petitioning the EU ?

 

Just to finish off , you ask for a “say” as a stakeholder , that has always been the case , a courtesy, that has not always been extended to RSA , at national or local level (stour and orwell).

 

Cheers

Tom

[Marine Bill]

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat...1en00590080.pdf

p.72

the s.i. is not online it predates the electronic versions (1983), but nevertheless the Regulation above lists access. Remember also that all EU waters are for EU, it is only a derogation that permits coastal state exclusive access to 6nm.

The 'scale' of activity in the 6-12 mile zone is much greater that that in the 0-6nm in some parts of the UK than others.

the UK CAN regulate international activity with delegated legislation, so it COULD propose restrictions in the 6-12 but it requires international agreement.