Is Sea Angling A Dying Sport?

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Hi ALL,

 

I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas on this cold and chilly morning.

 

Sorry to see it has resulted to handbags at twenty paces again and poor old Elton finds himself in the front line.

 

Talk about the Cod Wars, it is a shame that all this energy cannot be directed at trying to solve the problem.

 

I made a post earlier today and Wurzel who is someone I have learnt to respect without even meeting him gave me a polite reply that cast a lot of new light for me onthe subject of quotas.

 

I can understand how annoyed fishermen would be if quotas were handed out to people who never fished for cod and were sold on to the highest bidder, which would rule out a lot of hard working fishermen.

 

For me gaining these insights gives me a better understanding of why the quota system is a total failure.

 

I still think it would have been a better idea to adopt a legal stance rather than look for other ways around the problem which at the end of the day have back fired in some cases very badly.

 

There will always be a few people in every walk of life that will look for ways of cheating the system out of pure greed and I am sure this is the case with this subject. These actions will only serve to make matters worse for everyone concerned.

 

There is a lot of common ground to be found by commercial and RSA sides and we all need to find it and stand together.

 

Neither side is going to fade away, both sides need to have fisheries that are 100% healthy and personally I would be very disappointed if we could not all work together at the end of the day.

 

Between both sides there is an enormous wealth of vital information which if used correctly would benefit all concerned.

 

You may well wonder why I find myself at the keyboard at this unearthly hour of the morning on Christmas day rambling on, well Debs my good lady got something in her eye today and despite some first class first aid at 0130 hrs it was decided that a visit to the hospital was the only course of action. Whatever it was had gone but left a bad scratch on her eye, she now has some anti-biotic drops and has departed for bed over an hour ago, leaving me hyped up and unable to sleep.

 

God bless you all, have a wonderful time today and let's aim for a more fruitful 2006

Edited December 25, 2005 by Ken Davison South Wales

[Guest Feels like Winter to me]

As for the other issue I have no desire for a serious fall out with anyone but if the other party has got to nearly 70 years of age without wanting to punch anyone who thinks differently to themselves or has a little verbal dig then what can I do about it. Ive provided my details so any of your suggested action can be taken. It's sorted as far as Im concerned. Not another word from here.

 

Except Ip scrambler ? 2 seperate connections ?

 

Merry Christmas to you all, all the same !!!!

Edited December 25, 2005 by Feels like Winter to me

[Elton]

It's Christmas...I've edited my post. Maybe you could do the same?

 

Have a good one, all of you - off to the outlaws now for two days

[Guest CJS2]

a good few more fishing the car park.

 

No wonder they get fed up, any one told them 'no fish in a car park, fish live in water'

 

Well, it made me smile any way

 

[Guest Feels like Winter to me]

Lol what's even funnier m8 is how many of them continue fishing when the tide has gone out and thier is no water for over 300 yards. Their bait is on the sand.

[skippytheroo]

Hear hear Ken. You said just about everything I was thinking......... I do find it strange, tho not unusual, our govt made a pigs ear out of the quota system. Was that when Maggie was in charge?

[Ken Davison South Wales]

I don't know skippy, but the more I read and hear the worse it seems to be.

 

It certainly cannot justify the actions of some who have been caught recently but I do feel some of the smaller owner skipper boats may have cooked the books to stay alive, that is just a guess based on what I read.

 

We see a lot of talk about a strong commercial lobby but again it would seem to me that it is a powerful few and not a truely representative lobby for all commercials.

 

If we all stood together and fought for a total exclusion of all foriegn boats no matter where they register within twelve miles I am sure with good management we could all prove a point. It has worked else where in the world so there is no reason why it should not work here.

 

We have all just got to learn to love each other a little more, start talking and stop fighting.

[stavey]

I don't know skippy, but the more I read and hear the worse it seems to be.

 

It certainly cannot justify the actions of some who have been caught recently but I do feel some of the smaller owner skipper boats may have cooked the books to stay alive, that is just a guess based on what I read.

 

We see a lot of talk about a strong commercial lobby but again it would seem to me that it is a powerful few and not a truely representative lobby for all commercials.

 

If we all stood together and fought for a total exclusion of all foriegn boats no matter where they register within twelve miles I am sure with good management we could all prove a point. It has worked else where in the world so there is no reason why it should not work here.

 

We have all just got to learn to love each other a little more, start talking and stop fighting.

 

 

But ken they dont want know remember?

[big_cod]

HERE IS CORKER FOR YOU.

If for conservastion meaures an area is closed for say boats over 60ft that means boats over 60ft are not allowed to trawl in that area ,WRONG now if you used to trawl inside that area doing a lot of damage (THATS WHY THEY CLOSED IT ) you because you have the track record of fishing there before can still fish there, what a load of rubish,its like saying they are going to ban smoking in pubs but if you smoked there before you can still light up I will give you an example.

The winter of 97-98-99 saw a big influx of 90ft boats from peterhead trawling down of whitby through october -january often bang on the 3 mile catching substancial amounts of cod ,after a couple of winters doing this a larm bells started to ring amounst the local fleet that these grounds were being hammered to death and massive amounts of cod were been taken by these large vessels often cathing 3 times or more than the local boats were taking so the one of the leaders of the whitby fishing fleet with a small financial interest kicked up a big stink and just like that a 6 mile limit was introduced which is a local bylaw and no boats over 60ft are allowed to fish inside of that area EXCEPT WAIT FOR THE BOATS WHAT DID THD DAMAGE BEFORE NOW THAT MAKES SENCE DOESNT TRACK RECORDS RUN BY FISHERMEN FOR FISHERMEN.

What got me was how the 6 mile limit wa s sudenly introduced it must have been the hand of god.

[Guest Feels like Winter to me]

Shows what influence certain people have locally.

 

On the back of that one big cod have a think of the answer to my question.

 

Was the byelaw brought in for conservation or so the local fleet could have all the fish??? (remember the local fleet being under 60foot could come right in). Looks to me that the fleet screaming they have recently been discriminated against (subsidies wise) fought to bring in a bye law that would discriminate against the Scots.

 

BC is the track record thing awarded to the boat or the skipper.

 

Ken you have a fair point,and Im certain that the commercial lobby does represent the powerful and wealthy few who continue to monopolise the industry. I get concerned when it gets to the good management point you make.

 

I also wonder how you represent so many different parties and interests. Through a couple of years of reading this forum it's become apparent how many diverse situations are across the country. The sole men of the south, The bass fishermen, the whitefish trawlermen of these parts, the whitefish trawlermen from Scotland, people who own boats like the altaire, Shelfishermen. All these diverese little industries exist and I dont think anyone here, although they will tell you they understand everything in the universe, understands anything other than thier own little peice (if they even understand that). Stick them all under 1 umbrella and what have you got?