Scotland and the BMP

[Jaffa]

As I understand it, the proposed increase in minimum landing size will stop Scottish Pair teams from carrying sub 45 cm bass within UK fishery limits but not outwith them. Is that about right?

 

If so , then while an English pair team will not be able to carry sub 45cm bass at all, the Scots teams will be able to carry and land them, as long as they do it into a French port? Plymouth will lose the value of those landings, which will then be processed in France and shipped back into the UK ?

 

Can the Plymouth boats reregister in a Scots port and thereby avoid the new regulations?

[Ian Burrett]

Hi Chris

 

I am not sure of any of the above but hopefully we can get the BMP imposed in Scotland and the Scottish boats within a few years might not need to go down South.

 

If as quoted on here the French commercials support the 45 cm then there could be a European 45cm limit sooner than you think.

[Steve Coppolo]

As I understand it, the proposed increase in minimum landing size will stop Scottish Pair teams from carrying sub 45 cm bass within UK fishery limits but not outwith them. Is that about right?

 

If so , then while an English pair team will not be able to carry sub 45cm bass at all, the Scots teams will be able to carry and land them, as long as they do it into a French port? Plymouth will lose the value of those landings, which will then be processed in France and shipped back into the UK ?

 

Can the Plymouth boats reregister in a Scots port and thereby avoid the new regulations?

 

From what I understand, and I could be wrong, the Scottish pair teams can't fish within the 12 mile limit anyway. When Ben Bradshaw banned pair trawling inside our waters, there were some boats which had historic rights and they could carry on fishing within the 12. As far as I know, the Scottish boats haven't got historic rights.

 

If this is correct, they could pair trawl for bass outside the 12 and land them in another country. As long as they didn't carry them inside 12 miles.

 

It's all meaningless anyway because only mature bass migrate down there during the winter.

[Jaffa]

Hi Chris

 

I am not sure of any of the above but hopefully we can get the BMP imposed in Scotland and the Scottish boats within a few years might not need to go down South.

 

If as quoted on here the French commercials support the 45 cm then there could be a European 45cm limit sooner than you think.

 

I think im right with most of it Ian, though I don't have a clue about how easy it would be for English boats to reregister in Scotland.

 

No way would I like a BMP to be "imposed" in Scotland.

 

I'd be interested to know the circumstances that led to each pair team heading south. Given that bass is non quota, I wonder how many NE teams will right now, be working out if the latest haddock cuts mean investment in a pelagic bass net, and all that time away from home is an option.

 

"If as quoted on here" . I hear you there: So far I have seen nothing to suggest Europe is likely to follow, other than a few posts about the smaller French boats getting upset when a bigger boat swamps the market.

 

More evidence from those with knowledge of the situation in France might make a big difference to me.

 

btw, you heard about this new creelers/divers association? any idea if its serious? If so.......

 

All the best,

 

Chris.

[Jaffa]

From what I understand, and I could be wrong, the Scottish pair teams can't fish within the 12 mile limit anyway. When Ben Bradshaw banned pair trawling inside our waters, there were some boats which had historic rights and they could carry on fishing within the 12. As far as I know, the Scottish boats haven't got historic rights.

 

If this is correct, they could pair trawl for bass outside the 12 and land them in another country. As long as they didn't carry them inside 12 miles.

 

It's all meaningless anyway because only mature bass migrate down there during the winter.

 

 

 

As I understand it ( and i know nothing much about bass ) the 12 mile rule only applies to certain areas of the English coast?

 

It would be meaningless if things stay the same, but given bass migration patterns have changed so much, and given these laws are long term, Im not convinced it is meaningless. If at 45cm all bass will spawn (RSA argument) and assuming many will spawn before that, then surely they will be targeted by the pair trawlers working the spawning aggregations?

 

Chris

[Steve Coppolo]

As I understand it ( and i know nothing much about bass ) the 12 mile rule only applies to certain areas of the English coast?

 

It would be meaningless if things stay the same, but given bass migration patterns have changed so much, and given these laws are long term, Im not convinced it is meaningless. If at 45cm all bass will spawn (RSA argument) and assuming many will spawn before that, then surely they will be targeted by the pair trawlers working the spawning aggregations?

 

Chris

 

 

The 12 mile rule applies to the place where the winter bass pair trawl fishery takes place. Migration patterns have changed in as much as only 10-20% of our bass move outside our 12 mile limit.

 

As for assuming that many bass spawn before they reach 45cm,..........they don't!

[Ian Burrett]

Hi Chris

I rally can't understand your opposition to the BMP. If the talk was of introducing alien species then i could understand it better.

No one is playing at God but just trying to stop the Bass going the same way as every other species in the sea.

 

Let's face our governments, the CFP's and commercial fisherman haven't done a very good job so far and it is time for change.

 

If it is unlikely that Cod will reemerge due to Global warming, zoo plancton etc then it looks like the Bass could fill the void.

 

The BMP will not make this happen but a mangement plan will hopefully allow this to happen if that is nature's will.

 

 

We have been given a second chance with the Bass and IMHO is an ideal fish to protect as it is both a big target for RSA and also has a high commercial value.

 

The recreational Bass fishery in South West Scotland has increased ten fold in the last five years and is worth thousands to the local economy. If the Bass stocks continue to expand then it could also provide commercial jobs.

 

Something has to change because vast areas of the West coast are becoming plagued with small Whiting and dogfish and there are few predators to take them after the Spurdog and Cod dissapeared. I am sure everyone would agree it would be better to have the area filled with Bass with the odd better one, than tons and tons of small whiting that are no good to anyone.

 

All the BMP would do in Scotland would give the chance for the stocks that have made it up here to breed once before they are eligble for slaughter. to deny them that chance is shere folly and is playing against nature.

 

Chris, What are your actual reasons for the opposition th the BMP?

Edited January 8, 2006 by Ian Burrett

[Davy Holt]

One question on this please.

 

What are the commercials that are targeting the smaller Bass just now, going to do while they wait for the Bass to reach the proposed min landing size ???

[Steve Coppolo]

One question on this please.

 

What are the commercials that are targeting the smaller Bass just now, going to do while they wait for the Bass to reach the proposed min landing size ???

 

Assuming that they didn't catch all the 36cm bass last year, (they say they don't catch them all), then they will catch the 45cm bass that would have been there this year anyway. There probably won't be great numbers of them, but there will be some. Then they will have to wait for 12 to 18 months for the 2002 year class to reach 45cm.

 

Other than that, there's nothing to stop them targetting other species while they wait for the 2002 year class to come on.

 

Obviously there will be some short term hardship involved for a few fishermen, but that is the price that has to be paid if we want more and bigger fish.

[wurzel]

Quote

Migration patterns have changed in as much as only 10-20% of our bass move outside our 12 mile limit.

 

The French pair trawlers can and often do fish up to within 6 miles of the coast in the SW approaches, I am not sure how far up the channel this is allowed, in this area the French are allowed only to 12 miles.

 

A fisherman from Gosport wrote to the Fishing News.

 

Quote

The catch rates of foreign trawlers, fishing for 36-45cm bass in the 6 to 12 mile zone in summer and winter.

It is my expierience that the French catch a considerable amount of under 45 cm bass during the summer in this zone

 

 

So it is not only the Spawning aggregations being targeted.

I think it is still an expanding fishery for the French, we had a large French trawler targeting bass here last summer on the off shore banks.

The French are building up a huge track record, I would not be supprised if under the guies of a conservation messure the EU commission will soon make bass a pressure stock and the French will get 90% of the quota.