Moral Dilemma

[Salar]

I never realised I had started such a debate, but thanks, folks for all the views and information. In my view, the damage is done by trawlers not anglers - how many anglers would it take to do as much damage to our fish stocks as one trawl shot? The slot size limit sounds good, after all, the French have been known to return large breeding fish and keep small pan-sized fish on the basis that they are sustaining the breeding stock. I fish to eat and only target edible species, returning everything else. And I have a lot of fun doing that! Our contribution to sustainable fisheries is not to rest on our halos by obeying all the rules - far better to lobby politicians to see the sense in banning commercial fishing in large tracts of the breeding areas. The effect this has has on bass stocks in the South have been excellent. Keep fishing wild - if you want boring fishing go to a managed coarse fishery and see what I mean!

[rufus]

Salar

 

To my mind this is the dead central issue of sea angling, no wonder that it sparks off so much interest. To me the issue is one of freedom of choice. Does the angler have the right to exercise his discretion when faced with the dilemma of hooking a fish in the gut? After all, it cannot be avoided by any angler, no matter how experienced. A hungry shoal fish will engulf a bait before his competitors can. Upping the hook size beyond the capacity of the target fishes ability to swallow is probably the only way to minimise the problem. So for the average whiting this would mean a 4/0 or above...for cod then think huge!

Some radical rethinking of rigs could also help. 20-40lb carp are routinely caught on tiny (by sea standards) size 8-2 hooks. Virtually all are hooked in the lower lip on standard carp rigs because thought has been given to the way in which carp feed and the rigs developed with this in mind. Only in the distant past did carp baits actually pass so far back that a 'chew off' occured as the pharyngeal teeth cut the line.

[Leon Roskilly]

According to Tam Dalyell MP, this is Elliot Morley's views:

 

'The recommendation for a maximum size limit would not have much effect in European waters, where fishing has already eliminated most of the large ones.

 

Certainly, concern in Europe is that many of the fish caught have not reached maturity, so a minimum size limit is still valuable.

 

And the advantage of using a closed area to restrict and maintain genetic diversity must be viewed case by case. Many European commercial species migrate in a way that negates the benefits of a closed area.

 

Morley added that fisheries scientists accept how widespread concerns are about the genetic effects of fishing.

 

He intends to bring the matter to the attention of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.'

 

Tight Lines - leon

SACN

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/sacn

[ShoreDemon]

rufus:

...Does the angler have the right to exercise his discretion when faced with the dilemma of hooking a fish in the gut?

Rufus,

 

I am for the most part in agreement with your views, although angling sales reducing the pressure on commercial sales is quite frankly naive. Also, your point that I've quoted above is completely valid when applied to anglers like ourselves who love our angling and are prepared to think and thrash out issues. Unfortunately the term angler also applies to all the summer time plonkers that insist on killing everything they can tempt out of the sea! Rules need to be made to combat this type of mentality, how effective they are is debatable but at least the law can be applied. Yes, the commercials do most of the damage but that does not mean, in my mind, that anglers can impact upon a resource without some restraint. Do you not feel that a part of sea angling is the intimate involvement in the marine environment and is not just about catching fish? Or am I being naive now?!

 

Neil.

[rufus]

Neil

 

Completely agree that an intimate involvement with the marine environment is what it is all about. I love my bait digging and shellfish collection just as much as the fishing itself. Just love the sea, the calm moonlit nights, the gale force winds smashing breakers into the cliffs and also the fact that sea fishing is one of last true freedoms open to a human being.