Fish theft, again.

[Bob Bradford]

Budgie, There is .

Edited January 29, 2006 by Bob Bradford

[Bob Bradford]

Chesters, may I respectfully suggest you go back to the on-line questionnaire .

Edited January 29, 2006 by Bob Bradford

[Peter Waller]

I shall be passing at least two tackle shops today, Bob, so I'll ask.

[Steve Walker]

Unmarked packs of blast frozen Roach/Skimmers approx 4/6 years old size, I can purchase a pack of 4 frozen Roach deadbaits for the princely sum of £2.50 ! Now, if as you say, Brian these legitimate fish have passed through the hands of the fish farm, the wholesaler and distributer (that also delivers them to the shops) and then on to the tackle shop owner to add his mark-up, I do not see how anyone, other than the shops is making a profit!

 

What's your estimate of age based on? Growth rates of wild fish, or growth rates of farmed fish?

 

I don't think 2.50 for threee roach is actually all that cheap compared to, say, the price of whole gutted rainbow trout in the supermarket; around 4 to 5 pounds per kg.

 

I think the whole thing would be fairly easily settled by microscopic examination or trace element chemistry of the bait fish otoliths. You tend to get errors in age estimates for farmed cyprinids because they aren't subject to the same variations in growth rate as wild fish, but an experienced reader should be able to tell farmed fish from wild pretty easily.

 

If (and I think it unlikely) there is indeed a rampant fish-theft-for-bait industry, it would be relatively easy to legislate that farmed fish destined for bait have their otoliths permanently marked with a fluorescent band (using tetracycline or fluorescein) or with a pattern of cold-shock checks; the latter technique has been successfully used to mark stocked salmonid otoliths with bar codes.

[Peter Waller]

Hi Bob, just popped into Sam Hooks in Lowestoft. Jill, the boss, tells me that lamprey is her biggest seller, then smelt, then joeys, then sprats and that roach account for a fraction of the sea-fish baits that she sells. Most of her stock comes from Essex, although where they get it from she has no idea.

[Bob Bradford]

Hi Peter, Nice early finish to the week for me!

Edited January 29, 2006 by Bob Bradford

[Bob Bradford]

Hi Steve Walker, thank you for that info excellent! Do you work within the industry? May I inquire how you have this knowledge please?

Edited January 29, 2006 by Bob Bradford

[gozzer]

Hi Peter, Nice early finish to the week for me! so I can reply sharpish!

I don't mind telling you that the Manager of Angling Direct at Beccles told me packs of Roach /Skimmers are his top seller this time of year, I checked with one of the other Branches in Norwich and they told me the same, they also said they deal with a reputable deadbait company but have no idea where the fish originate from, I happened to be in the Beccles shop when they had a delivery , but the driver could /would not tell me his company's source, The fish delivered and in the freezer had no tel number or address on them, I do not know if they are breaking any consumer rules ( most ,if not all, products usually state where they come from ,sell by dates, fit for human consumption, etc) unless some one on here can tell me ,I will look into that,Bob.

 

If what you suspect is true Bob, I think they're main outlet would be further inland and away from the "source".

Edited January 27, 2006 by gozzer

[RUDD]

Have none of you considered that maybe (if fish are being netted) the fish are being put into ponds then sold on as stock fish as if they had been reared there (Ie in the pond)?

Or maybe just stocked into private waters without any EA documentation?

 

So I am a dodgy fish farmer.

I sell 1000 roach to a club.

The EA do all there tests on the stock pond/fish.

The paperwork is issued.

The night before netting my mate turns up with stolen fish which we unload into the pond.

Next day we net the pond and legally transfer the fish complete with EA paperwork to the unsuspecting club.

 

Not saying this happens BUT IT COULD VERY EASILY.

Dont know what checks the EA make or if they are even present during netting of the stock pond.

 

 

Incidently my club took delivery of 500 roach and 500 True crucian's (we hope!!!) a few weeks back.

I hope the roach are not broads fish.

They did come from a retrable fish dealer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bob Bradford]

Without wishing .

Edited January 29, 2006 by Bob Bradford