Overfishing of Cod predates trawlers

[Jaffa]

Well wurzel, don't blame you for having a go at ICES or the ecosystem being "fished down" theory, given that the only one that has truely been reduced to a jellyfish culture is the Black Sea and that was caused by alien introductions rather than overfishing.

 

ICES even now continue with some pretty dodgy science that will see some stocks dead however we follow the advice

 

Still think your wrong though. To late for intelligent debate on my part but I'll chuck these links in for future reference :

 

http://www.nafc.ac.uk/Research/fdn9monkfish.pdf

 

From applying known maturation rates, it is estimated 71% to 95% of the male monkfish catch is immature while 90.8 to 100% of caught females are immature.

 

Monk densities estimated at 86 - 104 individuals per square kilometer. Its not exactly a huge amount.... These are based on real life fishermen not some research vessel.

 

Catch rates in surveyed areas were lower than cod and haddock but the value of the monk exceeded them due to very high prices

 

Fishermen who rely on monk are relying on its high value for a significant portion of their income; any reduction in catch rates will jeopardise the economic viability of this sector. However the slow growing and slow maturing nature of the species and the high percentage of immature fish caught ib the fishery raise serious concerns over the furture sustainability of the stock at present levels.

 

http://www.nafc.ac.uk/news/pr_iceland%20monkfish.pdf

 

Monk tagging detailing recaptures at Faroe and Iceland

 

http://www.marlab.ac.uk/FRS.Web/Uploads/Do...sh%20Stocks.pdf

 

Suggests catches declining and large mature fish are scarce. Also shows main catching areas are to the north and west of Shetland.

 

Chris.

[big_cod]

The funny is guys we are all going on about statistics 70% this 50% that the fact is boys and it is a fact wherever trawling has been for a number of years the grounds are flat and the fish have been hammered there is only one solution trawling is going to have to be stopped they kill the fishing where ever they work, what you here from trawler skippers well there has been many boats decomishened over the years there is hardly any boats left why is that i wonder because the job has been shagged to death and a lot cant make it pay but the funny thing is at this present time in whitby you have about 9 trawlers left what you get is there was 25 boats 15 years ago now there is only 9 the effort has gone down, but when you add the horse power together the 9 has a lot more horse power than the 25 had and there is actually more effort not less, if you d seen what i have seen over the last 20 years there is only one conclusion trawling will be stopped if it does nt stop it self.

[Leon Roskilly]

[ 12. March 2005, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Leon Roskilly]

wurzel:

what I have experienced is a shortage of cold water speciese and a increace in warm water speciese, it's as simple as that and no amount of jargon will alter that fact.

er, Haddock and nephrops aren't warm water species.

 

As an angler what I've experienced is fish getting smaller and smaller, and fewer and fewer.

 

(actually I'm getting a lot more pouting these days - another cold water species)

 

There obviously is a change taking place in response to global warming, but that is only a very small part of the story in the decline of some stocks. Although it does provide a convenient smoke screen for those that desperately believe, and want the world to believe that it is the only factor.

 

I'm afraid that commercial fishing is going to have to wriggle a lot harder than that to get off the hook Wurzel.

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 12. March 2005, 07:16 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Guest jay_con]

Nice one Leon. I like that word smoke screen for that is exactly what it is.

 

Seals

Global warming

No Spratts

no sandeal

less effort

no this

no that.

 

All smoke screens with a single purpose of hoodwinking the politiceans and general public.

 

Make them Wriggle Leon - After the few excuses mentioned above they havent got much more to say so they cant possibly get off the hook.

 

Also the sooner that log books are introduced for merchants the better - You can tell what effect they would have whan people involved in the industry say they "hope they are in the bin". The screws are tightening guys and rightly so.

 

Driving a species toward extinction in the name of profit should and will not be allowed.

[Jaffa]

erm, Winter there is a problem with sandeels numbers: more than likely due to climate change. There ARE a huge number of seals now as their big brown eyes mean they are untouchable, effort HAS been dramatically reduced and the fleet cut in half.

 

No fisherman wants to drive any species to extinction in the name of profit or anything else.

 

Is driving the White rag to extinction in the name of sport what you set out to do?!

[Leon Roskilly]

Jaffa:

There ARE a huge number of seals now as their big brown eyes mean they are untouchable, effort HAS been dramatically reduced and the fleet cut in half.

- Seals are increasing in numbers because there is almost no competition for food now from the large specimen sized fin-fish predators.

 

When most big fish are hunted down and mainly only juveniles are left to compete, what do you expect other than other large unculled predators will thrive as a result?

 

And talk of seal culling in response is silly, look how quick their numbers recover when the 'distemper' virus kills them in their thousands. You'd have to shoot hundreds and hundreds every year!

 

Seal Hunt sparks Seafood Boycott

 

Want less seals?

 

Increase the number of large finny predators and please fishermen and anglers at the same time.

 

- Cutting the number of boats, whilst each boat's fish catching technology increases does not reduce fishing effort.

 

20 men digging a field with spades.

 

1 man with a tractor.

 

Has digging effort been reduced by 2,000% or increased by 10,000%?

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 12. March 2005, 09:40 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[big_cod]

Nice one gentlemen i think it looks like we are in agreement or some of us are,

I do not want to see people go out of buisness,but the time has come when hard decisions have to be made compensation might be the answer but there is one thing for sure things are desperate for the trawlers at the momment something will break soon

[big_cod]

jaffa you say the fleet has been cut in half probably half of the half you were talking about were junk or on the last legs,the skippers glad to get a nice handout of taxpayers money for something they got for nothing, i know some of these people, and the other half in there wisdom has seen the job going tits up and got out with the decomishing which ever way you look people would not rap the job in if it was going well the wrighting is on the wall they have shafted it for averybody i am sorry to say.

[Jaffa]

Leon, the seals did very well when the effort and fleet were at the maximum: thats when their numbers increased the most!.

 

Fair point about the technology but right now theres little sign of it increasing and if anything the boats are scaling back due to fuel costs. The sum total left of my local fleet is a couple of Nephrops boats and some potters, with a couple of larger boats landing into Aberdeen.

 

Maybe they need to be cut back further maybe not, but that should be based on science not predjudice and assumtions.