Bad news for Channel Island angling

[guernseybass]

Leon Roskilly:

 

It seems that some local Guernsey anglers are needed to ensure that it's taken it forward there.

 

Tight Lines - leon

Leon,

 

I startd a campaign last spring with support of UKSWFF and other BASS members. Letters & emails were sent to the GEP, Guernsey Sea Fisheries and DEFRA requesting a close season from January to April ie until after spawning or catch limits.

 

the net result was what you see now - no change. Todays GEP celebrates the 18lb 9oz and 19lb 2oz fish together with a 16lb 8oz specimen killed.

 

The average size is said to be up on last years average of over 10lb - a colleague of mine here took 40 bass all over 10lb in 3 hours. all killed.

 

I will be writing to the local paper this week requesting anglers restraint but to no avail i fear.

 

If you're wondering why your bass catches were down in recent years now you know - last year 350,000 bass were taken. As the shoal is six weeks early i'd expect it to be well above that.

 

The way it works at the moment is that the bass grow big and strong in UK nursery areas, estuaries and outflows. Then when they are big and strong enough, they make the spawning run down here and then we kill them. There are no limits or close season here and if we don't kill them this year then we'll get another chance next year won't we ?

 

unfortunately Guernsey will not budge unless the UK pressures it. what we need here in guernsey is as Anglers to pressure DEFRA into challenging the local Guernsey policy.

 

Please write to DEFRA and if you are a member of the NFSA etc encourage them to take up the case.

 

GB

[stavey]

guernseybass, how many anglers on the island feel the same way as you do about the situation? i have sent my feelings to the guernsey tourist board saying i have cancelled my holiday this year with my family to the island because of this, and if they do not do anything about it i wont be holidaying there in the future, and i would be encouraging other anglers here on the mainland to do the same.

[Caleb from Guernsey]

Hi GB,

 

Couldn't agree with you more, that spot in particular needs protecting.

 

Hell, I'd like to fish it but it needs strict limits on the fish that can be kept or nothing should be retained and just sportfishing allowed.

 

Problem is, the Guernsey government won't see the big picture and will only think of the pockets of local fisherman who will reap the wealth available from this large shoal.

 

If they try to stop it the commercial guys will complain and local commercial fisherman shout louder than a shoal of bass that will soon be extinct.

 

Sad but true :mad:

[stavey]

caleb what about the tourism industry their, how many hotels and guest houses rely on anglers from the mainland going on fishing holidays? do they not number the same or more as the fishermen, if the latter make them aware of the situation and the threat this imposes to their trade if holiday anglers dont come anymore because their is no bass, and also their fishermen are not only taking bass from the island but most of the overall bass from the channel which also inhabit the mainlands waters and we dont like that one little bit.

[guernseybass]

sadly i dont think most local anglers see the big picture. letters were sent to the local paper saying UK anglers were cancelling their holidays here, but again no result as you can see.

 

In my book only the UK govt can influence them ie by denying guernsey boats access to UK.

 

I will also be emailing Ben Bradshaw & Martin Salter today i would be very grateful if other board members could too.

 

Mark.

[Toerag]

Guernsey Sea Fisheries have now banned netting from within a 0.5 mile radius of the mark Why? I have no idea, it's impossible to set nets in the area due to a) lots of nice snaggy reefs & 4knot tides. If it was nettable the locals would have netted it by now. Perhaps the biggest case of looking after the commercial guys and not the fish stocks that I have ever seen. :mad: :mad:

[Monty]

Apparently, The Guernsey Press are planning to run a feature on the exploitation of breeding Bass from Guernsey's west coast in the next couple of days.

 

Can I please urge as many anglers as possible to write or email the Guernsey Press to express your support for this area to be protected. The G/Press are particularly interested in the opinions of non-locals... and the potential impact that this may have on angling related tourism.

 

I'm hoping that the local authorities will take heed of all the recent criticism and introduce some form of close season.

 

newsroom@guernsey-press.com

 

Thanks!

[Toerag]

Sent mine in last friday. Also, as the original news report from Socksy's post has expired here's a quick resume:- 2 large Plymouth pair trawlers (Wiron I & II) were seen by the 2 Guernsey pair trawlers off the west coast of Guernsey. They assumed the Wirons were trawling for bass and raised a bit of a stink, saying that the Guernsey boats would be forced off the grounds etc. however the Wirons only trawl for scad. Here's a pic I took when I saw them in november when I was wrecking:-

The little orange blobs on the back are the crew.

 

[ 02. February 2005, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: Toerag ]

[MJB]

Socksy Squirrel:

If scad and mackerel are all they are after then it is not too bad.

A very blinkered view. Not only are Mackerel and Scad fine sporting fish on the right tackle, they are also an important part of the food chain. There used to be Tuna in the North Sea until the Herring were virtually wiped out by over fishing.

 

Martin

[Socksy Squirrel]

I think you are taking my words out of context.

I do not like the trawlers hoovering up huge amounts of fish but it is a fact of life. I am hoping that the relatively vulnerable bass stocks are not going to be decimated for most of the south western part of the English Channel for the rest of my lifetime due to a few years of 'plenty bass' off the coast of Guernsey in the winter.