BBC's Trawlermen

[seaside]

Very good point Steve.

When ever we pass through one of the fields or installations they ask us for a mile clearance.

I know we are allowed up to 500 meters but they do ask for a mile.

Now that’s a mile round every installation in the North Sea? There you go Leon, work that one out for us, find out how many installations there are in the north sea then work out what a mile clearance at 360 degrees would be. Times that by the number of installations and see if it would fit into the wash.

 

The Wash is app 110,000 hectares = 425 sq miles

 

Each exclusion zone is just over 3sq miles

 

So say equivalent of 130 structures.

 

There certainly aren't that many platforms in the UK sector, but including sub-sea completions you'd probably get to 1/3 rd of a 'Wash' worth.

 

BTW the N Sea sedimentary basin is about 250,000 sq miles so the exclusion zones represent less than 0.05% of the available area.

 

These structures ( and pipelines ) do act as attractors for fish.

 

Now JB says "......the North Sea is a vast place and, apart from the activity around the shores, very little other than industrial (sandeel) fishing happens in the middle of it"

 

So what chance creating no take zones by creating artificial reefs / underwater structures ?

[glennk]

You know what. You lot have driven me to it. Im off out fishing.

[A Norfolk Boy]

You know what. You lot have driven me to it. Im off out fishing.

 

 

Go to it! My wrecking trip is off but I reckon a couple of good sessions loom with these winds.

[sam-cox]

I still think this is brilliant propergander on behalf of commercial fisherman!

[Steve Coppolo]

I still think this is brilliant propergander on behalf of commercial fisherman!

 

I watched it for the first time tonight, and I don't think it shows them up in a good light. It's just more cheap "reality" TV. Didn't they do one about traffic wardens a few years back? I don't suppose many traffic wardens are getting fan mail as a result.

[Holmesy]

So now your a bleedin' expert on farming as well as fisheries policy! Vous et vraiment emmerdant. Set aside and fallow are two different things. Set aside was a naff EU policy that paid farmers for not growing anything. Crop rotation means growing a different crop on a field each year, and occasionally leaving a field fallow for a year. Leaving a field fallow can mean either growing nothing on it or growing a green manure on it. Traditionally this would be clover, and would either be ploughed back in or one would let cattle or sheep graze on it.

 

If you read my post I did not mention anything about paying fishermen not to fish, just that we designate areas where fishing is not allowed and rotate them from time to time. Of course I unlike you don't have a PhD in Fisheries Management, but it seems like something worth thinking about.

 

Yes farmers are allowed to burn red diesel on the roads to get from field to field. What do think they would do? Have two fuel tanks?. What they are not allowed to do (although I am sure that they are many who do) is to fill there cars with red diesel.

 

Educate me, what are the three crops that you can grow on the same field in the same year?

 

The quota system needs to be totally changed. It leads to silly situations where fore example, a boat has used up all its cod quota, but still has a quota for cod roe. So the skipper goes out catches a big load of cod, takes the roe because he has a quota for that and dumps the cod over the side. He can't land it as he is over quota.

 

Winter barley, rape, winter barley or wheat. I can't educate you friend, but maybe you should look at modern farming methods, the ones I see over my garden fence day in day out. Your "green manuring" might work o a dairy / meat farm but I'm afraid it doesn't on arable.

 

I don't have a PhD in fisheries management either, but I'm allowed an opinion even if it differs from yours. No need to get personal because I highlighted the flaws in your argument, I doubt I'm right but I know your not.

[WALCOTT]

Yes as to Red diesel in the farm tack.. I think they are allowed to travel 25ml from there farm..yes as to set aside..I was speaking to my sister who as 500+acres..and they was allotted £80 per acre...but you can grow a cash crop (quick) one on it..what that is I don't know??...but they still get all the subs as they did before from EU.....but a Fisherman be it RSA or commercial gets now't....look at it like you have a farm or fishing boat worth £2 million..it as to make money...otherwise sell up and put it in the bank??..then where would the industry go then....thought I would have have a say....but there will alway's be someone else wanting to do it..thanks Graham

[Guest challenge]

The Wash is app 110,000 hectares = 425 sq miles

 

Each exclusion zone is just over 3sq miles

 

So say equivalent of 130 structures.

 

There certainly aren't that many platforms in the UK sector, but including sub-sea completions you'd probably get to 1/3 rd of a 'Wash' worth.

 

BTW the N Sea sedimentary basin is about 250,000 sq miles so the exclusion zones represent less than 0.05% of the available area.

 

These structures ( and pipelines ) do act as attractors for fish.

 

Now JB says "......the North Sea is a vast place and, apart from the activity around the shores, very little other than industrial (sandeel) fishing happens in the middle of it"

 

So what chance creating no take zones by creating artificial reefs / underwater structures ?

Am not to sure where you got your information from, but there are more than 130 structures with exclusion zones on them between Bridlington and Lowestoft.

There must be six or seven hundred in the North Sea? Surely that would be sufficient to take the wash into account.

[malagaoth]

why not make it illegal for a trawler to dump fish? all fish regardless of size to be landed as part of that boats quota.

 

the dumped fish are dead any way! small fish have a low value compared to larger ones this would induce trawlermen to more actively target larger fish.

 

the small fish that are landed could be turned into animal feed so reducing pressure on sandeels which are currently caught for that purpose.

 

more sandeels means more feeding for both fish and birds

[Norm B]

why not make it illegal for a trawler to dump fish? all fish regardless of size to be landed as part of that boats quota.

 

the dumped fish are dead any way! small fish have a low value compared to larger ones this would induce trawlermen to more actively target larger fish.

 

the small fish that are landed could be turned into animal feed so reducing pressure on sandeels which are currently caught for that purpose.

 

more sandeels means more feeding for both fish and birds

My argument exactly. I suggested this to MAFF years ago, their answer, "how would we stop them discarding fish, we'd never know". My answer, satellite survailence and lie detectors or MAFF personell onboard, "not workable was the answer". They don't want it to work because it would work.