BASS AND COD IN BEFORE OVER FISHING

[wurzel]

I thought you would have this on here by now Leon.

 

TOUGH CHOICES TO BE MADE ON BASS FISHERY

 

 

11:00 - 06 February 2006

 

Fishing Correspondent Phil Lockley takes a look at past and future decisions faced by minister Ben Bradshaw

 

I walked along Plymouth Fisheries' quay last Wednesday to see a "new" high-tech ring net boat from Norway - the Silver Star (FR 821), bought by Skipper Brian Tait and now registered in the UK.

 

Replacing his bass trawler Ocean Star, which fished as a pair boat with the Ocean Crest, the 18m Silver Star is now the largest ring netter in Britain.

 

I saw Mr Tait guide a bass pair trawl net back into the hold of the Ocean Crest before it set sail for Fraserburgh, never to return, while almost 40 bass trawlers from France (20 pair teams) were hard at work around Guernsey - "doing quite well on bass and black bream", according to a passer-by.

 

Endless times I have pulled my hair out when the media describe a bass pair trawl as a "huge net capable of holding 12 jumbo jets". I saw skipper Tait's standard bass pair trawl - unable to hold even one jumbo jet - fall into the hold; a net that may never fish again.

 

He told me he's given up bass fishing since pressures from the dead dolphin campaign were "too great to bear".

 

He's a Scotsman but now a local at Plymouth, and his boat will remain there - but fear not, ring netting is of no threat to dolphins, any other cetaceans, or indeed bass; the Silver Star is there to catch pilchards or, better still, valuable anchovies.

 

Earlier I visited the office of Plymouth Trawler Agents (PTA) and spoke to the boss, Dave Pessell, to hear how the lack of trawl-caught bass will mean a yearly loss of over £300,000 of all fish auctioned by PTA.

 

Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw was successful in banning bass pair trawling for British boats inside the 12-mile limit - a unilateral move applauded by most non-fishermen - but the French can still fish on up to six miles off the British shores.

 

Mr Bradshaw and his team from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) must now examine their next proposed unilateral move to raise the minimum landing size (MLS) of bass from 36cm (37.5cm in Cornwall) to 45cm, and further to increase the mesh size of all gill nets used to catch bass.

 

PTA says few bass auctioned by the firm (bass caught by both trawlers and gill netters) are over 45cm in length.

 

However, the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society (BASS) says that in time Defra's proposed conservation measures will bring more and bigger bass to our shores - an opinion shared by the National Federation of Sea Anglers.

 

Complexity comes into play when some sea anglers disagree and back fishermen, saying that anglers too catch virtually no bass over 45cm in length, but spend a lot of time and money pursuing their sport and want some fish to take home.

 

Representatives from Weymouth's fishing industry recently joined forces with some members of the South West Federation of Sea Anglers in opposing Defra's plans.

 

The Westcountry tourist industry is behind Defra's proposals, saying that bass angling may bring more than commercial bass fishing does to the South West economy. Their idea has been strengthened since a ban on commercial bass fishing around Ireland, a move triggered by the Irish Tourist Board.

 

At the annual general meeting of the South West Handline Fishermen's Association (SWHFA) at Mevagissey Social Club last Monday, more than 60 hands shot up when voting to back the Cornwall Fish Producers' Organisation, Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee, Devon Sea Fisheries Committee and the South Western Fish Producers' Organisation, saying that only a modest increase in the MLS would gain their backing.

 

The leader of the South Western FPO, Jim Portus, said: "We will only support a modest increase when it applies to all EU member states - and particularly France, which takes the lion's share of Channel bass."

 

I'm glad I'm not Mr Bradshaw, because he will be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't follow Defra's proposals; if he chooses a compromise, neither side will be pleased.

 

while we push layer after layer of fishing rules upon the British people, EU states like France merrily fish on, landing many thousands of tons of small bass every year and clocking up their track record.

 

If bass ever becomes a "pressure stock" - a species for which a European quota will be set (and that is very likely) - then France will have over 80 per cent of the Total Allowable Catch.

 

In truth the European Commission is too frightened of the French backlash if it tried to follow the UK.

 

In two decades of reporting on the fishing industry, never before have I witnessed so much debate over one species of fish.

 

Every bass now has a price on its head - its flavour being its downfall, according to many.

 

Speaking personally, I prefer the humble mackerel!

[Leon Roskilly]

I thought you would have this on here by now Leon.

 

 

Hi Wurzel,

 

 

It's at http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn/latest/index.php?view=492

 

 

By the way, just for information, reproducing the whole article is breach of copyright.

 

The courts take a view that you can quote a section of an article as 'fair comment', but reproducing the work of a journalist etc, without their permission is an offence. (That's why I didn't post up Steve Goods Letter(s) to Fishing News without his express permission)

 

So, it's better to quote just a 'teaser' from the article, and a link to the story published on the website where it is held.

 

The publishing companies make money from their website by attracting visitors to view the stories they publish, and thereby getting revenue from advertisers and, whereas they welcome links to their site attracting hits and perhaps new readers, they tend to frown when the works that they have copyright to are reproduced verbatim on another site.

 

I'd hate to see anyone recieve a summons for Breach of Copyright, especially you and Elton!

Edited February 7, 2006 by Leon Roskilly

[steve good]

steve,

You have plenty of resons to.

If I should express what I really mean about your narrowed mind and 'knowledge' about your own little fishing pond and all the rest I think you would prefer the term 'lies' for what I could come up with.

 

fishinsfine

 

Please do not response to my posts to other people, I am not interested in your tunnel vision view.

[wurzel]

Hi Wurzel,

It's at http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn/latest/index.php?view=492

By the way, just for information, reproducing the whole article is breach of copyright.

 

The courts take a view that you can quote a section of an article as 'fair comment', but reproducing the work of a journalist etc, without their permission is an offence. (That's why I didn't post up Steve Goods Letter(s) to Fishing News without his express permission)

 

So, it's better to quote just a 'teaser' from the article, and a link to the story published on the website where it is held.

 

The publishing companies make money from their website by attracting visitors to view the stories they publish, and thereby getting revenue from advertisers and, whereas they welcome links to their site attracting hits and perhaps new readers, they tend to frown when the works that they have copyright to are reproduced verbatim on another site.

 

I'd hate to see anyone recieve a summons for Breach of Copyright, especially you and Elton!

 

Never gave it a thought Leon, thanks .

[steve good]

Why don't you PM wurzel then? This is an angler's site.

 

Hi Fishingsfine

 

This site is about debate it is not for you to go around insulting people just because they do not fit in with your view.

 

Why sould I pm wurzel

 

steve

[wurzel]

Quote

This site is about debate it is not for you to go around insulting people just because they do not fit in with your view.

 

Or because your narrow views don't match with people who have more experience of true facts.

 

If a large percent of the UK's bass stock did not migrate to the Southern Aproaches, what are those 20 French pair teams working in to the 6 mile line catching? Other than the odd fish no UK boats are catching bass any where around the UK if they are not in the SW perhaps with your vast nowledge as a bass expert you might enlighten us as to where they might be.

[steve good]

I would leave it to the admins of this site to tell me or any other poster when a line has been crossed. That is not for you to do. If you want to talk in private to other posters or exclude me from comenting on what you've put here in a public domaine, then you should use the PM function. With regards to insults most of your speculative guff are insulting me and I would guess other people as well who is trying to do some good for angling. And it doesn't help much to calm down ones feelings that all that guff being delivered in huge quantities by a commercial on an anglers' website.

 

hi ff

 

i don't mind you making comments, just do it in cival and non-insulting way same as everyone else.

 

seems to me you don't want commercials on this website then see admin and get us banned i will abide by anything that admin do or want no worries

 

steve

[steve good]

On the one hand there is an immediate danger to their incomes, followed by the possible loss of the fishery to the French, and on the other they have the "kind offer" from BASS of ;

Its hard to imagine why none of them have responded right enough!

 

Hi Jaffa

 

Just to clear up this point.

If us commercials try pushing the eu for a 45cm mls for all eu member states the eu may then elect the bass on to the presure stock list (france could force this issue) that being the case france would end up with all the quota. This may effect anglers to.

 

The french would resist this to begin with because they know the minimium cod end mesh size would have to be increased, because of discards, this would effect other fisheries they pursue.

 

The eu will not want to have the might of the french fishermen and their government against them, the eu have backed down before on other fisheries related matters.

 

UK commercials have been placed in a really bad position over this issue.

 

Anglers are pressing the eu for 45 cm mls I feel that is a laudable course of action and i duly note that the uk government have taken three steps back, they know what i say as above is the case and they will not help anglers on this matter.

 

I sincelely hope i am wrong but i do not think the anglers will have any joy at eu level

 

steve

[Leon Roskilly]

If us commercials try pushing the eu for a 45cm mls for all eu member states the eu may then elect the bass on to the presure stock list (france could force this issue) that being the case france would end up with all the quota. This may effect anglers to.

 

Steve,

 

Why do you think that France would push for bass to become a pressure stock if the EU mls was raised to 45cm?

[steve good]

Steve,

 

Why do you think that France would push for bass to become a pressure stock if the EU mls was raised to 45cm?

 

Hi Leon

 

The only way the EU will elect bass onto the pressure stock list and allocate a quota (TAC) for it is on the grounds of conservation.

 

If the EU have a meeting to discuss the anglers 45cm mls increase france will say is this a conservation measure, if the EU say no then france will rightful say then you cannot do that. If the EU say yes to the need for conservation then france will say it must go on the presure stock list and have a quota. France they will get about 80-90% of the quota based on their track record. They would then own the stock and the markets and have more management say than any other member state.

 

Steve