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Save our sharks - good news


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Hi All

 

SOS received some good news today as well as some other good news further below

 

From the SACN website

[link]

 

 

At a meeting on the 8th March of the Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (ESFJC) Byelaw Sub Committee, it was voted to proceed with implementing a byelaw to protect tope within in the ESFJC district.

 

It is understand that the process will be; the Chief Fisheries Officer will now draft the byelaw, it will then be advertised, sent to DEFRA, and then will need ratification by the full committee.

 

The byelaw, if passed, will stop the retention of tope (or parts of ) caught within the esfjc district, and any tope caught within the ESFJC district will have to be returned in the same place they where caught.

 

(The byelaw will apply to catches of both commercial fishermen and anglers)

 

This will not stop the landing of any tope caught outside the district.

 

The ESFJC area covers from Doona nook in Lincs ,to a line halfway through the River Stour in north Essex and out to 6 mile at sea

 

This follows the success of the North Eastern Byelaw which is already in fruition. Several other areas have submitted proposals including one area that is considering outlawing the killing of Blues, Threshers, Porgies and tope and restrictions or increasing minimum landing sizes on rays and smoothhound.

 

END

 

These byelaws are seen as a temporary stop gap but we are waiting till they have run their course before submitting the proposal for the tope management plan. It is intended that the plan is also put into EU proposals to conserve the tope in all Eu waters. This would help bypass Scottish fisheries minister Ross Finnie.

 

Defra have also posted on their website “An Order providing conservation measures for tope Shark may need to be made and come into effect.”

 

Things are really are moving along nicely in England and Wales but Scotland is a different ball game. The SACN and the SFSA keep hitting a wall in the name of Ross Finnie

 

Below is the last few paragraphs of a Scottish SACN letter sent to Finnie today

 

Defra has created a post with the remit to work with RSA and see how the section can be developed. We are considered part of the fishing Industry. I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand how RSA is perceived so differently in Scotland and would appreciate your comments on this.

 

On the Defra website it shows a “Statement of Forthcoming Legislation for Defra in 2006”

 

Fishing Regulatory Proposals

An Order providing conservation measures for tope Shark may need to be made and come into effect.

 

 

Byelaws have been and are being created in the SFC’s to make the landing and killing of tope illegal. Defra are aware that a tope management plan will be proposed by RSA shortly and indications show they will support the proposal. Tope are much sought after by anglers, always on a catch and release basis, provide jobs in rural communities, are classed as an endangered species by the IUCN and have little or no commercial interest.

 

Would you agree that it would be a ludicrous situation to have when, it will be possible to kill tope in Scottish waters but illegal in England and Wales. Will you please consider a similar proposal aimed at conserving the tope in Scottish waters

 

END

 

I will forward his reply in due course

 

It won’t belong before the tope/smoothound are frequenting our shores. If you have had a good shark fishing day or have some pictures please post them on the Forum.

 

Cheers

Ian Burrett

On behalf of the SOS committee

www.ssacn.org

 

www.tagsharks.com

 

www.onyermarks.co.uk

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Hi All

 

SOS received some good news today as well as some other good news further below

 

From the SACN website

[link]

At a meeting on the 8th March of the Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (ESFJC) Byelaw Sub Committee, it was voted to proceed with implementing a byelaw to protect tope within in the ESFJC district.

 

It is understand that the process will be; the Chief Fisheries Officer will now draft the byelaw, it will then be advertised, sent to DEFRA, and then will need ratification by the full committee.

 

The byelaw, if passed, will stop the retention of tope (or parts of ) caught within the esfjc district, and any tope caught within the ESFJC district will have to be returned in the same place they where caught.

 

(The byelaw will apply to catches of both commercial fishermen and anglers)

 

This will not stop the landing of any tope caught outside the district.

 

The ESFJC area covers from Doona nook in Lincs ,to a line halfway through the River Stour in north Essex and out to 6 mile at sea

 

This follows the success of the North Eastern Byelaw which is already in fruition. Several other areas have submitted proposals including one area that is considering outlawing the killing of Blues, Threshers, Porgies and tope and restrictions or increasing minimum landing sizes on rays and smoothhound.

 

END

 

These byelaws are seen as a temporary stop gap but we are waiting till they have run their course before submitting the proposal for the tope management plan. It is intended that the plan is also put into EU proposals to conserve the tope in all Eu waters. This would help bypass Scottish fisheries minister Ross Finnie.

 

Defra have also posted on their website “An Order providing conservation measures for tope Shark may need to be made and come into effect.”

 

Things are really are moving along nicely in England and Wales but Scotland is a different ball game. The SACN and the SFSA keep hitting a wall in the name of Ross Finnie

 

Below is the last few paragraphs of a Scottish SACN letter sent to Finnie today

 

Defra has created a post with the remit to work with RSA and see how the section can be developed. We are considered part of the fishing Industry. I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand how RSA is perceived so differently in Scotland and would appreciate your comments on this.

 

On the Defra website it shows a “Statement of Forthcoming Legislation for Defra in 2006”

 

Fishing Regulatory Proposals

An Order providing conservation measures for tope Shark may need to be made and come into effect.

Byelaws have been and are being created in the SFC’s to make the landing and killing of tope illegal. Defra are aware that a tope management plan will be proposed by RSA shortly and indications show they will support the proposal. Tope are much sought after by anglers, always on a catch and release basis, provide jobs in rural communities, are classed as an endangered species by the IUCN and have little or no commercial interest.

 

Would you agree that it would be a ludicrous situation to have when, it will be possible to kill tope in Scottish waters but illegal in England and Wales. Will you please consider a similar proposal aimed at conserving the tope in Scottish waters

 

END

 

I will forward his reply in due course

 

It won’t belong before the tope/smoothound are frequenting our shores. If you have had a good shark fishing day or have some pictures please post them on the Forum.

 

Cheers

Ian Burrett

On behalf of the SOS committee

:clap : Sounds good Ian and well done but I fear that the same problem will arise as we've had in Langstone Harbour with the bass nursery area. Commercials are allowed to trawl for cuttle in the harbour during the bass breeding season and what they do is to trawl outside the harbour then trawl the harbour when they are returning to their morings. Any bass caught while doing this were 'caught outside the harbour'. I fear any tope caught will be 'caught outside the area'. :angry:

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Won't matter wher they are, if they are in the juristriction area of ESFC then they can't land any tope within that area no matter where they were caught and cannot carry tope or parts of tope through their area without leaving themselves open to prosecution

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Won't matter wher they are, if they are in the juristriction area of ESFC then they can't land any tope within that area no matter where they were caught and cannot carry tope or parts of tope through their area without leaving themselves open to prosecution

 

Unfortunatley Brian

This will not stop tope landings in the ESFC caught from outside the area. The restriction you mention applies to the NESFC byelaw not the ESFC

www.ssacn.org

 

www.tagsharks.com

 

www.onyermarks.co.uk

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I'm sure that the intention is to stop all landings of tope or parts of tope within their area no matter where they were caught , so if caught from outside the six mile range it will still be an offence to land them within their juristriction zone and similary if caught in an adjacent zone the same rule would apply. Worth SOS checking on the "carrying" aspects of any new bye law as this would be a useful addition and something for SOS to get their teeth into by way of consultation and getting it added to the rule when it is advertised

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I'm sure that the intention is to stop all landings of tope or parts of tope within their area no matter where they were caught , so if caught from outside the six mile range it will still be an offence to land them within their juristriction zone and similary if caught in an adjacent zone the same rule would apply. Worth SOS checking on the "carrying" aspects of any new bye law as this would be a useful addition and something for SOS to get their teeth into by way of consultation and getting it added to the rule when it is advertised

 

Hi Brian

Stevie cops or Tom Pinbortorough will be able to tell you more

www.ssacn.org

 

www.tagsharks.com

 

www.onyermarks.co.uk

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