Cod crisis? What cod crisis?

[mr motorola]

You think I am joking don’t you?

He also drank all the free coffee and cleaned the caterers out of chocolate biscuits before you could say green grass.

so did any of you guys play a part then or not??

i'll hazard a guess that you played a bit-part as a conservationist or something like.............

[Guest challenge]

so did any of you guys play a part then or not??

i'll hazard a guess that you played a bit-part as a conservationist or something like.............

No it’s the boat that plays the part; we just stand around and sign autographs.

So weave all decided then that there is no cod crisis.

the inshore boats fishing just of Whitby are getting plenty, we are getting so much that we are not allowed to show them and according to a lad that went to school in Whitby the trawlers are still catching so many they are shovelling them over the side.

So my suspicions where correct then. Cod crisis, what cod crisis?

Regards.

[mr motorola]

No it’s the boat that plays the part; we just stand around and sign autographs.

So weave all decided then that there is no cod crisis.

the inshore boats fishing just of Whitby are getting plenty, we are getting so much that we are not allowed to show them and according to a lad that went to school in Whitby the trawlers are still catching so many they are shovelling them over the side.

So my suspicions where correct then. Cod crisis, what cod crisis?

Regards.

you're a star mate

[Guest challenge]

you're a star mate

No Carl the stars are the anglers who keep coming and paying good money to catch and be a part of doing what there heart tells them.

Unfortunately there are people who think our anglers (and us come to that) are driven by greed and ignorance.

Surely the same people who believe that commercial fishermen are behind the times selfish and arrogant in the way they think and act.

I can assure you the large majority of commercial fishermen that I have worked with and know today have more respect for the sea and the things that live in it than any realistic conservationist.

If we where to try to understand the commercial fishermen’s dilemmas and put them along side the RSA dilemmas and concerns and sit down and talk to these people on a local level, (because if one thing I have learned more than anything else on this forum is local differences are massive) then I believe there could be hope for us all yet.

Keep attacking your local commercial fisherman and the end results will be nothing but distrust and in a distrustful world people will shut and lock there doors.

We all know there is not the cod today that there was thirty years ago, but none of us know if there is more cod today in the north sea than there was three hundred years ago?

All I have been trying to say is that there is more fish this year than there was five years ago where we fish. So again I ask the question, Cod crisis, what cod crisis.

This thread to me has been very informative. I thank EVERYBODY who has taken part for your contributions.

Regards.

[Dick Dastardly]

Mr Motorola,please explain exactly what Ive lost my grip on? Is it reality? If so I can assure you that my grasp of the facts concerning the cod fishing in my area (er both shore and boat for that matter) are very real.I might not sea fish much anymore (mind you that said Im only saying this when compared to the minimum of 4 nights a week on the shore during the winter and at least twice a week off my boat I used to) I wouldnt mind betting I still go more than most on here!

 

As for not been able to comment on Challenges post,his/the boats attempt to belittle a very serious problem and get some cheap advertising to boot just because I havnt been on a trip with them...well? If you bother to read my initial post properly you will see my problem is not a personal issue with either Challenge or the boat,it is nort a comment on wether they supply a "good" service or not,It is not questioning wether their customers enjoy the trip or not.

 

It is however questioning that there is a cod crisis (something that my practical experience of fishing for them on the South coast of England for several decades shows me quite clearly there is,despite the strange reluctance the sea angling world both anglers and magazines seem to have in speaking of it)

 

Im also saying that I dont agree with the publishing of boxs upon boxs of dead cod when linked to a statement that claims there is no problem.

 

Im also saying that my opinion of Challenge and the boat in question all though only based on this thread isnt very high.

 

I dont know what your personal experiences of the cod situation are and as such would certainly not take it upon myself to dissmiss them off handedly.

 

Ive (to the best of my ability with my limited literacy skills) tried to explain where my veiws are comming from,so please explain as to exactly what I need to get a grip of?

[mr motorola]

No Carl the stars are the anglers who keep coming and paying good money to catch and be a part of doing what there heart tells them.

Unfortunately there are people who think our anglers (and us come to that) are driven by greed and ignorance.

Surely the same people who believe that commercial fishermen are behind the times selfish and arrogant in the way they think and act.

I can assure you the large majority of commercial fishermen that I have worked with and know today have more respect for the sea and the things that live in it than any realistic conservationist.

If we where to try to understand the commercial fishermen’s dilemmas and put them along side the RSA dilemmas and concerns and sit down and talk to these people on a local level, (because if one thing I have learned more than anything else on this forum is local differences are massive) then I believe there could be hope for us all yet.

Keep attacking your local commercial fisherman and the end results will be nothing but distrust and in a distrustful world people will shut and lock there doors.

We all know there is not the cod today that there was thirty years ago, but none of us know if there is more cod today in the north sea than there was three hundred years ago?

All I have been trying to say is that there is more fish this year than there was five years ago where we fish. So again I ask the question, Cod crisis, what cod crisis.

This thread to me has been very informative. I thank EVERYBODY who has taken part for your contributions.

Regards.

WELL in my humble opinion i believe that the type of fishing you provide indicates to me and probably the rest of your anglers who fish with you that the fishing out there at the back of beyond is as good as it was years ago (if not better than it was 20-30 years ago) inside , but that is only MY opinion .

 

 

all i can think everytime i get on your boat is WHY do we have to travel hundreds of miles to get back to the good old days type of fishing?

is it because the fish inside have been hammered that much ?

has a staple diet of the cod been hammered?

is it global warming , knowing that cod prefer colder water?

there are so many deciding factors about this debate that you could talk about it until the cows come home( or the cod come back)

 

what i do know to be a fact is that travelling well offshore with you i know that the quantity of quality big fish(cod) is almost second to none maybe norway could beat it but i havn't tried that yet so i can't speak for that one!!!

 

what i can definately say without a shadow of a doubt is............. the fishing offshore (100+miles out)is a 100 if not a 1000 times better out there at the back of beyond than it is inside A PRETTY BOLD STATEMENT i hear you say!!!!!!! Yes it is but , i know this because i regularly do both types of fishing from whitby

The big ones of days gone by are still there (inside) but nowhere near the quantity they used to be!! maybe the cod are not given enough time to age or spawn before they are scooped up and eaten i don't know , i'm no expert. But all you have to do is look around any seaside venue and notice the amount of fish and chip shops there is and they're all full of customers (well the good ones are!)

why is inside suffering the lack of quality big cod but well offshore they are still in abudance ???

the worlds population has escalated in the last ten years and they need to eat, can the sea sustain this increase?? i don't think so!! maybe all these heralthy eating fads that are in all the magazines are to blame? with people going out and panick buying the stuff!

 

if there is a rocketing market for the stuff then suppliers are going to cater for it and cash in at the same time. maybe i have got it all wrong but there might be a little bit truth in there somewhere

it sounds ridiculous but for me we need to give the sea a chance to replenish itself and the only way to do that is close it down for some time

its sounds harsh i know but it might end up being the only way before it's too late!!!!!!!!

[Dick Dastardly]

We all know there is not the cod today that there was thirty years ago, but none of us know if there is more cod today in the north sea than there was three hundred years ago?

All I have been trying to say is that there is more fish this year than there was five years ago where we fish. So again I ask the question, Cod crisis, what cod crisis.

This thread to me has been very informative. I thank EVERYBODY who has taken part for your contributions.

Regards.

 

I wont be petty and labour the point that youve contradicted your self Challenge.Lets move on and as Newt sugested some time back look at the "Cod crisis-yes or no" issue as this is far more important than what you do yourself or what my sporting ethics are.

 

"but none of us know if there is more cod today in the north sea than there was three hundred years ago?"

I cant speak for the North Sea (allthough see no reason why your locals wouldnt have similar information) but I know (and have seen) that some local commercial men at Dungeness (where my boat is beached) can trace their ancestors and fishing heritage back several hundred years (well early 1800's) Ive seen some of the records the family run boats have kept over the years.Lots of very interesting information re weather cycles,catch returns etc.However for this issue they clearly show that scince the 90's there has been a drastic decline in the numbers of fish landed.No other period in their documented history has shown such a pattern.Peaks and troughs yes but not the general pattern of overall decline.These records have been offered to various bodies but Ive never heard of any response.And believe you me it aint easy getting my local shower of inbreds to let anyone see their stuff!

 

It may be different up North but if it is please dont be selfish and chose to belittle/dismiss the fact that there is a very real problem down here.

[Guest challenge]

I wont be petty and labour the point that youve contradicted your self Challenge.Lets move on and as Newt sugested some time back look at the "Cod crisis-yes or no" issue as this is far more important than what you do yourself or what my sporting ethics are.

 

"but none of us know if there is more cod today in the north sea than there was three hundred years ago?"

I cant speak for the North Sea (allthough see no reason why your locals wouldnt have similar information) but I know (and have seen) that some local commercial men at Dungeness (where my boat is beached) can trace their ancestors and fishing heritage back several hundred years (well early 1800's) Ive seen some of the records the family run boats have kept over the years.Lots of very interesting information re weather cycles,catch returns etc.However for this issue they clearly show that scince the 90's there has been a drastic decline in the numbers of fish landed.No other period in their documented history has shown such a pattern.Peaks and troughs yes but not the general pattern of overall decline.These records have been offered to various bodies but Ive never heard of any response.And believe you me it aint easy getting my local shower of inbreds to let anyone see their stuff!

 

It may be different up North but if it is please dont be selfish and chose to belittle/dismiss the fact that there is a very real problem down here.

You have laboured by just making that statement?

I would never belittle any other fishery or call the men and family’s who have fish it for all those years a local shower of in breads.

Our skipper and owner of the boat (John Brennan) obviously thought there was a major problem with the fishing up here to, that’s why he bought a boat where he could take his anglers where there was the sort of fishing that they wanted.

He works very hard at managing this fishery and result have proven that if the fishery is managed well then (with the additional lack of commercial activity) there is no reason why things should not get better. As they have. If you don’t like to see somebody being successful because your not, so be it.

Do you think the anglers looked embarrassed with all those fillets? Or proud?

[Guest challenge]

WELL in my humble opinion i believe that the type of fishing you provide indicates to me and probably the rest of your anglers who fish with you that the fishing out there at the back of beyond is as good as it was years ago (if not better than it was 20-30 years ago) inside , but that is only MY opinion .

all i can think everytime i get on your boat is WHY do we have to travel hundreds of miles to get back to the good old days type of fishing?

is it because the fish inside have been hammered that much ?

has a staple diet of the cod been hammered?

is it global warming , knowing that cod prefer colder water?

there are so many deciding factors about this debate that you could talk about it until the cows come home( or the cod come back)

 

what i do know to be a fact is that travelling well offshore with you i know that the quantity of quality big fish(cod) is almost second to none maybe norway could beat it but i havn't tried that yet so i can't speak for that one!!!

 

what i can definately say without a shadow of a doubt is............. the fishing offshore (100+miles out)is a 100 if not a 1000 times better out there at the back of beyond than it is inside A PRETTY BOLD STATEMENT i hear you say!!!!!!! Yes it is but , i know this because i regularly do both types of fishing from whitby

The big ones of days gone by are still there (inside) but nowhere near the quantity they used to be!! maybe the cod are not given enough time to age or spawn before they are scooped up and eaten i don't know , i'm no expert. But all you have to do is look around any seaside venue and notice the amount of fish and chip shops there is and they're all full of customers (well the good ones are!)

why is inside suffering the lack of quality big cod but well offshore they are still in abudance ???

the worlds population has escalated in the last ten years and they need to eat, can the sea sustain this increase?? i don't think so!! maybe all these heralthy eating fads that are in all the magazines are to blame? with people going out and panick buying the stuff!

 

if there is a rocketing market for the stuff then suppliers are going to cater for it and cash in at the same time. maybe i have got it all wrong but there might be a little bit truth in there somewhere

it sounds ridiculous but for me we need to give the sea a chance to replenish itself and the only way to do that is close it down for some time

its sounds harsh i know but it might end up being the only way before it's too late!!!!!!!!

That’s a bold statement that will have got you removed of a few Christmas card lists.

Still I admire you and respect you for posting your genuine beliefs as an angler.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ah forget it Challenge I tried to meet you half way and discuss the "Real issue" real to us anglers that give a dam anyway and you just throw it back in my face.I wont bother offering any more information or trying to explain the "in joke" aspect of my "in bred" comment as your obviously only interested in your own agenda.Stuff you if you cant conduct a discussion without childish accusations of jealousey.

 

If there is anyone who wants to discuss the cod crisis then fine if I see it else where I will contribute but it seems pointless here.