gill nets

[danno 1]

I hope that i dont come to regret posting this but i have recently walked a favourite local bass mark at low tide. A couple of us also from this forum fish this mark and have found it quite productive. Admittedly the majority of fish arent large, but we fish it for sport and in the last year we have caught in the region of 400 fish between us and probably kept about 5 for the table. Catch and release has been the unspoken rule although none of us are against taking home a fish for the table. But today i found a gill net stretched 100 yards long and 4 feet high right across our mark. As it happens there was nothing in it as the tide was still making, but it occured to me that we are all quick to have a pop at each other about taking home a bass but behind our backs there is mass murder being commited by people who dont read forums and who dont give a toss about minimum sizes.

The construction of this net would ensure that every undersize fish would be ensnared. The chances are , that sort of thing occurs all across the country by many local poacher types and until it can be sorted OUR conservation efforts are going to be a waste of time.

[darnsarf]

Danno Next time take a photo on the phone (mesh size is important) and inform your local See Fisheries Committee. Done it this end at it seems that I may have had a result. A simple guide to mesh size is to try to fit your flat hand through the mesh. If it cant fit through its probably illegal. This is only a rough guide but it was passed to me by our local fisheries officer. Legit commercials hate the illegals so dont worry about come backs. Well spotted but mention it to your local SFC.

[danno 1]

Danno Next time take a photo on the phone (mesh size is important) and inform your local See Fisheries Committee. Done it this end at it seems that I may have had a result. A simple guide to mesh size is to try to fit your flat hand through the mesh. If it cant fit through its probably illegal. This is only a rough guide but it was passed to me by our local fisheries officer. Legit commercials hate the illegals so dont worry about come backs. Well spotted but mention it to your local SFC.

 

The mesh size was about 2" square, so well undersize. That particular net now no longer exists so not a problem and i have an eye on that spot. If another one appears then i will definately be in touch with the SFC

[chaz62]

Danno Next time take a photo on the phone (mesh size is important) and inform your local See Fisheries Committee. Done it this end at it seems that I may have had a result. A simple guide to mesh size is to try to fit your flat hand through the mesh. If it cant fit through its probably illegal. This is only a rough guide but it was passed to me by our local fisheries officer. Legit commercials hate the illegals so dont worry about come backs. Well spotted but mention it to your local SFC.

Danno, if its a public area and the net is illegal could you not cut it down? don't know about the legal side of this action, not to mention being watched and apprehended by those who set the net!! (could be risky). Anyone out there know of any implications (legal or otherwise) that could arise? I have previously 'shopped' someone catching under-sized bass on a local beach, not seen them for a couple of years now. cheers

[Prowler]

The mesh size was about 2" square, so well undersize. That particular net now no longer exists so not a problem and i have an eye on that spot. If another one appears then i will definately be in touch with the SFC

 

Danno, good post mate, and not wanting to drag it down but as a good man told me not that long ago "nothing a bottle of meths and a box of matches wont sort out.

[danno 1]

Danno, good post mate, and not wanting to drag it down but as a good man told me not that long ago "nothing a bottle of meths and a box of matches wont sort out.

 

Thanks prowler. Notice that the net "no longer exists". It is no more.

[Prowler]

Thanks prowler. Notice that the net "no longer exists". It is no more.

Ya, I didnt want to say to much

[darnsarf]

Danno. Well done but just be careful. Its not illegal for him to own the net it is illegal for him to use it to target undersize fish. What all this means that if you trash the net you leave yourself open to prosecution. However, if in your judgment the net was putting the public at risk you could move it to represent no risk to the public or fish. The owner could then recover an empty net, thats possibly tangled, in a heap in an area that has no fish or members of the public. Do you get my drift, No pun intended. Now moving a net isnt easy but it is possible in a yak. Not that I have ever done this of course. Then report the hazard and illegal activity to your local SFC and ask for a report of their actions. Rumour has it it works.

[paintfly]

Danno. Well done but just be careful. Its not illegal for him to own the net it is illegal for him to use it to target undersize fish. What all this means that if you trash the net you leave yourself open to prosecution. However, if in your judgment the net was putting the public at risk you could move it to represent no risk to the public or fish. The owner could then recover an empty net, thats possibly tangled, in a heap in an area that has no fish or members of the public. Do you get my drift, No pun intended. Now moving a net isnt easy but it is possible in a yak. Not that I have ever done this of course. Then report the hazard and illegal activity to your local SFC and ask for a report of their actions. Rumour has it it works.

 

Yes, it does seem to, I was at Kimmeridge yesterday, shore fishing from Charnel and the Chair and I couldn't see any buoys marking nets that were usually set close in to shore in front of these marks. Unfortunately no bass in evidence either.

[darnsarf]

Great News! Hopefully it will last>