Fishing industry on the defencive already

[Guest jay_con]

It was bound to happen, and im sure there will be more to come.

 

http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.p...__madness_.html

 

http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.p...s__Euro_MP.html

 

 

I also see some mp's and fisheries reps are calling for us to quit Europe. I bet they havent even thought of a policy on how to manage our fishery even if we did leave the eu (which in reality isnt going to happen).

[Davy Holt]

I just love this quote from the first link

 

“But I do not see any comment in this report on the effect of seal and seabird predation on fish stocks, each of which eat more than the fishermen catch.”

 

Just what planet is this guy on??????

[thurso angler]

Actually davy, in a research done some years ago by aberdeen university, i think? they calculated that with the number of seals living in our waters they would consume more in a year than the whitefish fleet would catch in the same period.

[Guest jay_con]

Even if it were true ( I dont know wether it is or not and am looking forward to reading the research), the seal population is kept in check by distemper which wipes out the excess numbers on a reguler basis, Plus the remaining seals havent got the ability to increase their catch limits.

Its a shame distemper didnt effect Trawlermen and leave those cute little seals alone

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

 

Even if it is true, which I seriously doubt it least the seals are environmentally friendly and don't destroy the sea bed, shellfish and ton's upon ton's of immature fish.

[Leon Roskilly]

Having removed the large finned predators, cod and large bass etc., is it any wonder that the seal populations have increased?

 

The sea around my way is teeming with pout and pin whiting, and with competing predators removed, the seals and cormorants are having a banquet!

 

Tight Lines - leon

[kentangler]

Trawlermen didn't complain when fishing was so good, that they were making a fortune and grabbing as much as they could, and they have had years of that. Now, their selfish greed has come home to roost. If they are not forced to stop, they will never agree that fish stocks are at danger levels, until the day that they go out for a week and catch nothing. They do not have a God given right to empty the sea. It is only a business, and other people in business go bust every day, why shouldn't they? There are calls for 'special help' for fishing communities. Has everyone forgotten the miners? Put out of work in their thousands. How come we have the lowest unemployment rate in Europe? Because there are other jobs that people have to do to feed their families, I don't see thousands of miners still on the dole? Trawlermen will have to do the same as me when I was made redundant after 22 years with the same company. Get up off of their arses and stop complaining about how unfair the world is. We all have to manage without 'special help, so should they.

[Guest jay_con]

well put

[kentangler]

Thanks, I feel better for that!

[MorecambeBay]

Just a quickie on seals, Last winter myself and a friend were having a bit of a night session, fishing on the stone jetty in morecambe, fishing was awful. We had only had maybe a couple of small whiting all night and by 9am we were getting ready to leave, vowing never to fish the place again. When my mate said, "whats that down there" as he pointed at a big black shadow seemingly floating back out to sea. at first we were not too sure...but then it stuck its head out of the water... What followed behind was a sight that neither of us will likely see again, we must have counted in excess of 40 seals swimming back up the channel...both of us just stood there in amazement. No wonder we didnt catch anything!!! (knew it couldnt have been our talent letting us down!!! )

 

Have seen plenty of seals around there before but only in ones and twos...dred to think how much fish something of that scale would wipe out in a night, nevermind in their lifetime!!