What effect to anglers have on Mackerel stocks ?

[glennk]

Anyone any idea what effect anglers have on mackerel stocks ?

 

Would it be possible to work out how much mackerel anglers take out the north sea in comparison to commercial fishermen. If anglers stopped taking mackerel would it be beneficial ?

[maidstonemike]

I don't think shore anglers could possibly affect fish stocks. Compared to commercial slaughter, it's a pin prick.

Charter boats however, who sometimes catch large amounts of fish, say 100 Bass or Pollack, probably do have a local effect, on a particular mark etc.

Edited September 7, 2006 by maidstonemike

[glennk]

But theres more shore anglers than boat ?

[Stoaty]

I don't think shore anglers could possibly affect fish stocks.

 

Go to Dover when the mackerel are in, watch our eastern european/far east friends walking off with as many bin liners full as they can cram into their cars.

[groyne bandit]

there might be more of us but we are limited to say 200 yds from shore ,,,on a good day that is ,, so to defend us lowly fisher folk , i would say we make no difference at all ,,,,ive seen the hoover type boats out there , i wonder what they chuck back in dead or quickly change in to sumit else ,,

[Ken Davison South Wales]

But theres more shore anglers than boat ?

 

Don't get many going after mackeral down here, a few summer chuckers with the feathers. Most anglers worth their salt go after bass.

[maidstonemike]

Go to Dover when the mackerel are in, watch our eastern european/far east friends walking off with as many bin liners full as they can cram into their cars.

 

Yes, but in relation the the length of the coastline, it's small beer. Mackerel don't all flock to the Dover piers, they are spread all along the coast, much of it unreachable by anglers. Anglers catch a tiny amount in proportion to the available fish stocks. It's the massive slaughter day and night, that does the damage.

Man has always fished, and it was sustainable once, now it's not. The human population is outstripping supply, as it will eventually in all other areas, oil, water, minerals. It's just a matter of time, and not as much time as you think.

[Ian Burrett]

Anyone any idea what effect anglers have on mackerel stocks ?

 

Would it be possible to work out how much mackerel anglers take out the north sea in comparison to commercial fishermen. If anglers stopped taking mackerel would it be beneficial ?

 

Hi Glen

I don't know how you would find a figure for RSA mackerel but the commercials average 12,000,000 tons a year. Yes 12 million. Thats a lot of mackerell

 

http://themes.eea.europa.eu/Sectors_and_ac...reas_140504.pdf

Edited September 8, 2006 by Ian Burrett

[Guest challenge]

Anyone any idea what effect anglers have on mackerel stocks ?

 

Would it be possible to work out how much mackerel anglers take out the north sea in comparison to commercial fishermen. If anglers stopped taking mackerel would it be beneficial ?

glenk

Commercial fishermen catch what the powers that be allow them to catch.

12000000 (world wide) tonnes was a figure given for 1997 the fleet and quotas have changed dramatically since then.

Still they are catching large amounts of mackerel and it is proving to be sustainable as more boats at vast amounts of money are being built to catch more and more pelagic fish.

As for what anglers take? Very debateable question? There is no one who can tell you that. You certainly cannot go on the net and do a search and find the answer, or at least a realistic answer.

DEFRA would not be able to tell you or any government body come to that?

One thing is for certain every mackerel that is caught by RSA is not accounted for when decisions are made on quota distribution.

As for them making a difference glenk? I don’t think it does, what does worry me though is would it make a difference to RSA if it did?

If I was to say that the anglers on the chieftain this year have caught and kept about 15 stone in total. Mostly on inshore trips and mostly kept for pike bait.

We keep a very good record (considering) what is caught and where of the fish our anglers catch. John keeps an up to date diary of what fish was caught on what wreck, the last time the wreck was fished and the weather conditions tide etc.

I also keep a personal record of each trip and how much, biggest fish etc.

Michelle keeps a record on our web site of most of the large fish caught.

Maybe a time will come when recording such as these will become compulsory for charter boats? But I think that recording mackerel caught by RSA will only become realistic when there are none left to count.

Regards.

[ColinW]

Anglers (or longliners for that matter) can't affect the stocks at all because we catch them when they are spread across the sea feeding. The factory fishing boats catch them when they are gathered together in a small area for spawning. The relative potential for wiping out stocks of those two scenarios is pretty obvious.