Anouther lost thread!

[wurzel]

Having worked on a few netters, been involved on a number of scientific surveys using nets, I would like to think that I speak from experience, obviously no where near Wurzels, but enough to make more than an educated guess.

 

The amount of debris depends on ground, soak time and recent weather conditions. Gear put in just after the first northerly gale of the autumn is likely to be full of all sorts of crap, predominantly weed, if there is a bit of swell, the net may have a good few edibles in, if there are velvets in the area, they can be a real pain, especially if the gear has been left for quite a while (24hrs!!).

 

I've seen a range of methods used, depending on offending item and number of fleets to be worked during the tide, obviously the greater number of fleets, the greater the urgency to get nets cleared. As a rule of thumb, unwanted shellfish are smashed up, Edibles clear more easily without their legs and claws, these are removed, the shell can then be cleared quite easily, some times a bang on the gunnel will do the trick, no need to get a mallet or hammer out, just swing the net with offending item onto the gunnel, the impact does the rest, remember most fishing vessels will have a SS or re-inforced gunnel to either shoot over or to haul heavier gear onto (pots etc.). Sea urchins can be cleared very quickly with a swift bang on the gunnels, saves time trying to tease out and no cuts to hands or holes in gloves. Velvets are no so lucky, being feisty little critters they usually get no more than a size 8 and then the remaining debris is rubbed together complete with net until the majority falls out onto the deck

Not such a problem for drift nets like Wurzel uses, but bottom gears with lead line and or no false bottom can sometimes be a real pain to clear, especially if the velvets have tried to walk off with the gear.

 

Hello Doc

 

You've summed it up about right, for nets set and left for 24 hours.

Now for my version.

You soon learn (I did anyway) for successful netting it's best to avoid all dunage if possible, as Nigel said if a northerly swell develops the chances are you will have problems with hammer crabs (edible) if your nets are set on or near rough ground, not only crabs, if your nets lift and move around in the swell you collect up stones, star fish, weed and all the sorts of dunage you could mention ,a lot of work for the mallet, plus a lot less fish, I found it best to keep the nets on board, save your nets and energy for fine weather when you can work the same ground with more fish and a fraction of the work.

It's rare for us to leave nets 24 hours, I found that I could catch nearly as much in what we call a tide lay, 3 to 4 hours over slack water, the nets are very clean, the fish are fresh and alive and fetch better prices.

For a short time in the spring we do set nets for 24 hours, for Dover soles, they only swim at night, unless the water is very dirty. The area we do this is very clean sand or shingle, we have little trouble with dunage and we are far enough off as not to be bothered by green shore crabs, even so if I think the weather will be too bad for us to get to the nets the next morning, they are kept on board. Most of the year, as do most of the netting boats in the Thames area, we use drift nets, there are not the problems with dunage unless you get it very wrong, you soon learn not to.

 

Sams experience of set netting was in the river or very close inshore, there are more shore crabs per 100 square meters than people on this planet in these areas, any fish left in a net for 24 hours would soon be completely covered in fierce little crabs, the ground it's self tends to be very dirty with weed, shells, starfish, and sea urchins , all in all the nets and fish come back after 24 hours in a right mess, that is why, other than the odd hobby fishermen with a short bit of net, I don't know of any commercial fishermen that do it in this area.

It is possible to work these areas if you needed to, If Sam and his mate had shot his nets in the evening at dusk, then hauled them just before day light the next morning on fine settled nights, he would have found the nets come back much cleaner with just as many soles.

 

You can inform the KESFC meeting on Monday that the commercial netting fleet in their area do not pose a threat to the sea urchin or green crab populations. Also that the amount of close inshore netting done in the area is negligible.

[stavey]

Sams experience of set netting was in the river or very close inshore, there are more shore crabs per 100 square meters than people on this planet in these areas, any fish left in a net for 24 hours would soon be completely covered in fierce little crabs, the ground it's self tends to be very dirty with weed, shells, starfish, and sea urchins , all in all the nets and fish come back after 24 hours in a right mess, that is why, other than the odd hobby fishermen with a short bit of net, I don't know of any commercial fishermen that do it in this area.

It is possible to work these areas if you needed to, If Sam and his mate had shot his nets in the evening at dusk, then hauled them just before day light the next morning on fine settled nights, he would have found the nets come back much cleaner with just as many soles.

 

You can inform the KESFC meeting on Monday that the commercial netting fleet in their area do not pose a threat to the sea urchin or green crab populations. Also that the amount of close inshore netting done in the area is negligible.

 

Hi wurzel, if i did not know better, from what you are saying sounds like a good endorsement for the golden mile mate

[wurzel]

Hi wurzel, if i did not know better, from what you are saying sounds like a good endorsement for the golden mile mate

 

 

How?

[stavey]

How?

 

You said quote: other than the odd hobby fishermen with a short bit of net, I don't know of any commercial fishermen that do it in this area.

 

What would be your objection to stop close inshore netting if it does not apply to you or any other commercials as you stated?

[stavey]

I have read on this forum that a mallet is employed to smash the crabs and sea urchins to tiny bits against the gunwalls of the boat. Is this correct? or are all the unwantedcrabs and urchinscarefully and painstakingly removed to live anouther day?

 

Leon - if solid information and sweet reason was the purpose for the topic, the above part with the very sarcastic ending was totally out of place.

 

Sam - if you would like to try again sans sarcasm and the very PETA-like descriptions, your topic will not be removed.

 

stavey - Aint that the truth, but sadly so is wurzels incessant commercial clap trap he preeches comes across as one of those snippy personal attacks that would draw an angry response from someone a little less level headed tha Wurzel has shown himself to be. It is also the sort of comment that tends to turn perfectly good and informative topics into slagging matches. Thus the deletion. You may not agree with his viewpoint but 'clap trap' and 'preaching' in this context are insulting.

 

The beginnings of the topic were quite reasonable

 

Fair enough newt, it was not meant as a personal attack on wurzel he knows i have not got no real problems with him personaly! he is talking for his proffesion and i am talking for one of my former hobbys (who knows when i will resume it) anyway i take your point

[Newt]

Firstly Newt, you have to understand something about a lot of us Brits, we love sarcasm.

 

From what I have gathered after being on this forum for a while, it would be more accurate to say (about those who are on forums anyway)

Some Brits love sarcasm when they are dishing it out or if someone/something they dislike is at the sharp end of said sarcastic remarks.

Those same Brits seem to hate it, take offense at it, lash out violently at the ones leaving it when they or someone they like happen to be on the receiving end.

 

I think I can recognize friendly banter in most cases. There will be occasions when two posters know each other well and what seems nasty is indeed only in fun. However, if it requres knowing the relationship between two posters to sort out nasty from friendly, the banter does not belong on an open forum.

 

Many posters on this section have said that conservation is an important issue that needs discussion and I agree. Since sarcastic, nasty, hateful remarks can derail those important discussions I prefer to err on the side of caution and remove comments that seem likely to derail the discussions.

 

Note to any who think splitting the sea forum into two parts was done in haste or because Elton does not understand the issues - neither thought is accurate.