Richard Seager/ Sea Angler Magazine

[sam-cox]

The fact that somthing is purfectly legal to do doesnt necessarily mean it should be done.

The fisheries committe should have the forward thinking to have the relavent laws in place to protect these breeding bass from exploitation.

[AnglerTom]

Did you read the entire post? - I was trying to look at both sides of the argument. Overall my views are the same as yours

[sam-cox]

I did understand you AnglerTom and wasnt trying to argue, I apolergise if I came across that way.

 

My arguments are basicaly these people seem to lack common sense.

[FishingGuernsey]

The fact that somthing is purfectly legal to do doesnt necessarily mean it should be done.

The fisheries committe should have the forward thinking to have the relavent laws in place to protect these breeding bass from exploitation.

 

It doesn't but the commercial boys will continue to push the law to the limit and take up to the limit (which in the case of Bass is 5 tonne per week or 15 tonne per month, pre-chosen before the fishing is started).

 

We need to educate them and make them realise that while they make a big profit/quick buck now, they will be jobless in 5-10 years time as there will be no fish left to catch. i strongly beleive that and I know not everyone does. The big problem with government run departments is proof. until they get some conclusive proof or whatever from say their tagging program, they are loath to upset the commercial boys by doing whatever it is they will do. The other problem is because it's government department funding isn't the best and manpower possibly is a problem.

 

I am currently working direct with Guernsey SFC and have managed to get one of the fisheries officers talking to me and he is willing to keep me "in the loop" on any developments and proposals of which there are several in the pipeline (quite how useful they are is up for debate). I won't post it all here since I already did on my site. I am preparing responses to him and to some of the issues he has informed me of.

 

Andy

 

 

 

My arguments are basicaly these people seem to lack common sense.

 

I think that's a big part of it Sam but it seems much more complex and "political"

[Toerag]

I haven't personally seen a drop in flattie numbers or size, but it might be that I've become a better angler over the past few years and are therefore catching more! or that there is a slow 'knock-on' effect happening now. I believe that there is a good stock of flatfish in deeper water away from the banks (in the Channel Islands area), which is keeping the local fishing going - unfortunately I have no scientific evidence to back up these claims!

 

 

 

Apart from your recent trip (well done) the general concensus is that commercial flattie catches are in decline, both in terms of quality and quantity. The Schole used to be plastered with longlines, but not anymore as it simply isn't worth it, even the ray catches have dropped and they used to be the staple fish of CI longliners. The visiting UK boats haven't had much to speak about this year either, although I suspect the cold winter has put fishing back 2 weeks or more. I managed 2 small turbot today, on the same tide last year I had 6, and the year before 11. I too believe there are many fish in deeper unfished areas, but the question is do they all migrate to and from the banks, and are they slowly but surely being fished out everytime they visit the banks?

[AnglerTom]

A few fishermen I've spoken to think that there are numbers of turbot and brill moving onto the banks from early March or even before and that new ones continue to do so through the spring/early summer. Some of the ones caught this week had empty roe sacks, which suggests they spawn around now and then feed up on the new arrival of bait fish. But I think they do migrate to and from the banks from deeper water - whether a fish moves on to the same bank year after year no-one knows - I don't think there have been any tagging studies for turbot undertaken! Which means no-one knows how far they migrate, or if some stay and feed in deeper water and wait to fill a niche left by those turbot that are caught!

 

Rather than keeping all the turbot they catch this year, maybe the visiting anglers (and us locals) should be paid to tag the turbies and then come back next year and see if we catch the same ones!

[sam-cox]

I think that's a big part of it Sam but it seems much more complex and "political"

 

The only trouble with politics is its a big slow heavy animal, it takes activists to change public opinion and it in turn make governments listen.

 

Activists can take many forms from gathering and collating facts to simply writing letters to M/Ps, magazines and the general press.

 

I think it may be too late for these breeding bass, but if the people supposabley in the know can learn from the Guernsey fisheries committees’ short sightedness then at least that’s a small plus in a massive sea of cock ups.

[FishingGuernsey]

The only trouble with politics is its a big slow heavy animal, it takes activists to change public opinion and it in turn make governments listen.

 

Activists can take many forms from gathering and collating facts to simply writing letters to M/Ps, magazines and the general press.

 

I think it may be too late for these breeding bass, but if the people supposabley in the know can learn from the Guernsey fisheries committees' short sightedness then at least that's a small plus in a massive sea of cock ups.

 

I definitely agree with that.

 

The SFC are listening it's just what they can do with their limited resources and the several things they have on their plates. Some of (not all) the commercial boys locally are very protective and for some reason bully and harass anyone who speaks against them.

 

I don't want to have to write to the Guernsey Press again and say "I told you so" but unless something is done before the year end I think i might be saying that in the not too distant future.

[Steve Coppolo]

The SFC are listening it's just what they can do with their limited resources and the several things they have on their plates.

 

How about proposing a local by law to protect those spawning fish? SFC's can definately create by laws, and anyone can propose it. You have probably gone down this route already, if so, what have your SFC said to the suggestion?

[sam-cox]

Some of (not all) the commercial boys locally are very protective and for some reason bully and harass anyone who speaks against them.

 

No commercial fisherman employing bully boy tactics, I do not ruddy belive it!