Your help is needed

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

It's that time of year again! Please put pen to paper to add weight to the campaign.

 

Here is a copy of my own letter--by all means pinch from it whatever you wish and add your own comments. Please write; a short single paragraph will suffice if time is pressing.

 

Thanks, Malcolm Gilbert

 

 

Mr Fahey

Minister for the Marine & Natural Resources

Lesson Lane

Dublin 2

Ireland

 

 

8th February 2001

 

 

Dear Mr Fahey

 

RE: THE BASS (RESTRICTION ON SALE) ORDER

 

Representations made to your predecessor over recent years have quoted many examples of specific marine fish stock resources being utilised for sport fishing. However these examples have, in the main, been based on activities in distant global locations.

 

The bass legislation in Ireland is, to the best of the writer’s knowledge, the only example in Europe where a specific sea fish resource has been set aside for the exclusive use of the recreational sport fishing sector.

 

Ireland is leading the way.

 

Evidence to support the concept that natural fish stock resources can generate the optimum sustainable socio economic benefits from sport fishing tourism continues to mount up.

 

Recently, since devolution here in the United

Kingdom, the National Assembly for Wales commissioned a reputable consultancy, Nautilus, to produce a study of all Welsh fisheries.

 

Nautilus is an accredited consultancy service that is used by both MAFF and the EU

Commission.

 

Recreational sea angling was calculated to have a turnover in Wales of £28.7 million, whereas inshore fishing a turnover of £8.8 million.

 

The report further pointed out that the scale and economic worth of sea angling is often overlooked when tourism and coastal development matters are debated.

 

In a SWOT analysis, one of the weaknesses was the lack of interest in the recreational fishery sector by the Tourist Board, but on the scale of importance the primary weakness was identified as lack of policy and enforcement to protect against over exploitation.

 

An appendix to the report, headed “Development Opportunities for Fisheries in Wales”, repeatedly identified tourism as the main beneficiary to the development of recreational salt-water sport angling.

 

Incidentally, in a socio-economic impact study of recreational marine fishing on the eastern seaboard of the United States, 56% of the economic expenditure by anglers in what is now a multi-billion pound sustainable

industry was spent within tourism.

 

The Welsh report included a detailed analysis on a species by species basis of commercial landings, which demonstrated that three quarters of the species by value are not targeted by sport anglers.

 

These would include species such as hake, monk, lobster, crab, etc.

 

The fact is that the £28 million is actually generated from only a quarter of the resources that commercial fishermen target (by value) and the first hand sale value of those species amounted to less than £3 million.

 

The case for recognising that specific marine species can generate the optimum sustainable return used as recreational sport fish is overwhelming.

 

There are, however, two further considerations.

 

Firstly, many species targeted by recreational anglers can be returned and therefore the larger economic impact actually results in minimal fish mortality and, as Nautilus pointed out, the recreational fishery in Wales is currently based on a depleted stock resource base and if the resources can be restored to previous levels of abundance, there will be immense potential to develop the sport fishery.

 

I have been visiting Ireland for its bass fishing annually from 1975 having never missed a year, and during recent years I have witnessed an increase in anglers from the UK and from continental Europe – France and Holland in particular.

 

I and others have considered the potential to invest in Ireland to take advantage of the developing marine sport fishery, especially for sea bass, but no-one has ever taken it further because the bass legislation has historically only been renewed on an annual basis.

 

The risk currently, therefore, for any investment in the bass sport fishery is too precarious to justify an investment.

 

To maximise the economic impact from sport fishing, the bass order needs setting in stone for perpetuity and the legislation requires vigorous enforcement to make it work.

 

The UK has a million sea anglers and a recent report from France claims there are three million adult sea anglers! If Ireland has the commitment, the sustainable rewards are enormous.

 

I have also seen a significant increase in the number of visitors to the west of Ireland during the shoulder periods of the tourism season for a wide range of outdoor activities such as surfing, wind sailing, hill walking, ornithology, archaeology, etc.

 

More often than not the participants carry out their activities in relatively remote locations and are not at all high profile.

 

Nevertheless, they must contribute to the local coastal economy.

 

As a visiting shore angler I believe my own angling activity (and that of many friends who now regularly make the annual pilgrimage) is almost invisible, taking place at some of the remotest locations.

 

I should think 200 shore anglers spread throughout the Dingle peninsular would go virtually unnoticed, yet their economic contribution during just one week would be in

the order of £90000.

 

Please renew the bass legislation and better still make it permanent so that Ireland can capitalise on its wonderful natural resources.

 

Yours sincerely