Something to smile about this morning.....

[fishyrob]

Amongst all the rants about owing a few quid on the mortgage, today I actually recieved a letter I liked. It was from Dr Ken Collins, who is the administrator of the UK shark tagging progamme. A female Tope I caught in May 2003 East of the Nab tower was re-caught 2nd May this year, west of La Rochelle in the Bay of Biscay. I would imagine it was rushing to get laid back in the solent somewhere. I dont have the details of how it was caught again, and I will find the details of what it weighed when I caught it later, but it was 20kg at re-capture. Fingers crossed it was a sports fisherman and it was released again, as I would love to see her in a couple of years. It proves a coulple of points. 1, Catch and release works 2, a wild fish can retain its liberty for four years despite the gauntlet of nets and anglers. Made my day anyhow..... If it carries on like its going, the big bucket of live prawns I just picked up off the reef are gonna get me a monster later on!

[Leon Roskilly]

Let's hope that it stays away from the Thames Estuary for a while.

 

At a meeting I attended the other day, fishermen confirmed the unintended consequences bought about by the imposition this year of a 25% bycatch limit on landing of 'skate' in the Southern North Sea.

 

Previously unwanted fish (such as tope) were often returned alive into the sea, but now they are being retained to legitimise landings of 'skate', even though they are on occasions dumped back dead into the sea on the following day.

 

Last year kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee declined to move forward on a proposal to protect tope in the district as 'there is no threat' (you can bet that they would now reject a similar proposal because tope are now valuable to the local fishermen!)

 

And the DEFRA consultation aimed at introducing protection for tope seems to have been put on the shelf and lost without trace through apparent lack of interest!

 

 

Some letters to DEFRA might help in getting their tope consultation dusted off and moved forward before too much damage is done.

[Jaffa]

Let's hope that it stays away from the Thames Estuary for a while.

 

At a meeting I attended the other day, fishermen confirmed the unintended consequences bought about by the imposition this year of a 25% bycatch limit on landing of 'skate' in the Southern North Sea.

 

Previously unwanted fish (such as tope) were often returned alive into the sea, but now they are being retained to legitimise landings of 'skate', even though they are on occasions dumped back dead into the sea on the following day.

 

Last year kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee declined to move forward on a proposal to protect tope in the district as 'there is no threat' (you can bet that they would now reject a similar proposal because tope are now valuable to the local fishermen!)

 

And the DEFRA consultation aimed at introducing protection for tope seems to have been put on the shelf and lost without trace through apparent lack of interest!

 

 

Some letters to DEFRA might help in getting their tope consultation dusted off and moved forward before too much damage is done.

 

 

So one bit of ill thought out legislation leads to demands for yet more legislation

 

Might be an idea to let the Wurzels of this world decide whats good for fish stocks and keep the idealists well out of it?!

[fishyrob]

So one bit of ill thought out legislation leads to demands for yet more legislation

 

Might be an idea to let the Wurzels of this world decide whats good for fish stocks and keep the idealists well out of it?!

 

 

I must admint, I would be interested in Wurzels views on the Tope and catching them to be allowed to land skate is just STUPID! What sort of an idea is that? Another example of the THIRD WAY?

[Bob Jerunkel]

good idea jaffa.

then there wouldn't be anything exept jellyfish left and no one would have to worry.

[wurzel]

I must admint, I would be interested in Wurzels views on the Tope and catching them to be allowed to land skate is just STUPID! What sort of an idea is that? Another example of the THIRD WAY?

 

 

As I understand it we are only allowed 5% by catch of shark species .

 

I have had comfirmation to day that the 25% skate and ray by catch has been droped and replaced with a catch limit of 200 Kg (30 stone) per day.

 

good idea jaffa.

then there wouldn't be anything exept jellyfish left and no one would have to worry.

 

 

 

you've been reading to much "Charles Bloody Clover!!!"

[fishyrob]

As I understand it we are only allowed 5% by catch of shark species .

 

I have had comfirmation to day that the 25% skate and ray by catch has been droped and replaced with a catch limit of 200 Kg (30 stone) per day.

you've been reading to much "Charles Bloody Clover!!!"

 

Thanks for that Wurzel. Could you explain the other bit though. Does this mean you are entitled to land 30 stone of shark, should you wish, per day? The market price at Newhaven for Smooth-hound is now up to 70 to 80 pence, which is a worrying trend for a fish that Really doesnt need to be on the commercials list.

[wurzel]

Thanks for that Wurzel. Could you explain the other bit though. Does this mean you are entitled to land 30 stone of shark, should you wish, per day? The market price at Newhaven for Smooth-hound is now up to 70 to 80 pence, which is a worrying trend for a fish that Really doesnt need to be on the commercials list.

 

 

Hello Fishyrob

 

No, we are still only allowed 5% of the total catch to be sharks, this is for the North sea only, as far as I'm aware there are no resrtictions for sharks or skate and rays south of Folkstone.

 

Why doesn't smooth hound need to be on the commercials list? better than being used for pot bait or dumped.

 

 

(I know skate are sharks but it seems the EU commission might not)

[steve good]

Hello Fishyrob

 

No, we are still only allowed 5% of the total catch to be sharks, this is for the North sea only, as far as I'm aware there are no resrtictions for sharks or skate and rays south of Folkstone.

 

Why doesn't smooth hound need to be on the commercials list? better than being used for pot bait or dumped.

(I know skate are sharks but it seems the EU commission might not)

 

Hi Peter

 

Loads of tope and smothounds in my area real nuisance factor we can land what we want to but dont bother, cannot be asked to gut them out.

 

We are seeing mountains of undersized skate and rays never ever seen these large numbers ever before.

 

Regards Steve

[barry luxton]

As I understand it we are only allowed 5% by catch of shark species .

 

I have had comfirmation to day that the 25% skate and ray by catch has been droped and replaced with a catch limit of 200 Kg (30 stone) per day.

 

 

Good morning Wurzel, this sounds to me that the management of our fisheries is crap, is that what you have been trying to tell me over the months. One minute there's a ban, bycatch only, then they allow you to catch five minutes later. What with a huge amount of flatfish showing in the channel and the huge amount of cod showing in the north sea, we don't need quota. Come to that we don't need defra either, i wonder if the rsa will still have bag limits though.