End of the Tope?

[Ian Burrett]

I recieved this email from Stuart Cresswell today

 

The reason for contacting you is to warn you about the dire story on the front page of this weeks fishing news (commercial paper)… in short some bunch of hard up fishermen in Lowestoft are highlighting the fact that they are in the process of setting up a commercial operation for long lining tope!! They are also asking commercial fishermen from other parts of the country to contact them with a view to setting up a nationwide buying operation.

 

In short I cant think of a worse scenario for our sport fishing…… and it strikes me that the Shark trust, the UK Shark tagging scheme and the WWF would all be similarly aghast at what is being suggested….. as I understand it you possibly have an existing relationship with these bodies and perhaps could give them a call? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

 

This can't be allowed to happen. I will contact Ken Collins at the UK shark tagging scheme. Hopefully Davey Benson will read this and contact the Shark trust. Has anyone got a comtact with WWF.

 

In 1988 when i started Spur dog where a pest with shoals over 5 miles across, I caught my last spurdog in Luce Bay in 1993. In just 5 years they had wiped the whole lot out apart from odd pockets in the deep locks up North. This will happen to the Tope.

 

Help

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

 

I've posted it on the Shark trusts forum.. so they are now aware of it.

[Leon Roskilly]

I had a call from David Bird of the Specialist Anglers Alliance about this yesterday.

 

He's sending me his copy of Fishing News.

 

But it does sound that they have found a market, and not good news for the tope of East Anglia and far beyond.

 

I'll put up more details later.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[A Norfolk Boy]

It's not good but this is the reality of many commercials. Lowestoft lost it's last deep sea trawler a few years back. In Yarmouth where once you could cross the river over moored boats now has 2, two, full time fishermen. I guess of you're in your 50s, mortgage etc then this is an option. Not to say that it is not bad news though. Remember about a year back about that bloke down the SW doing the same for shark? He made a killing.....

[Davy Holt]

A Norfolk Boy:

Remember about a year back about that bloke down the SW doing the same for shark? He made a killing.....

Yeah that was the problem.. he wiped out most of the shark stock in a couple of days... almost all of which were sub adults.... tis strange he has never managed to catch many more

 

[ 17. June 2005, 08:10 AM: Message edited by: Davy Holt ]

[Leon Roskilly]

It looks very much as though we are moving to a situation where bass will be managed primarily as a recreational species.

 

Remember those words 'starting with bass'!

 

Last week the NFSA Conservation Group met with senior government fisheries scientists to review our plans as to what happens next (it was a good meeting).

 

Tope is one of the species that we have in mind, and as a first step we are gathering information about what species are important to anglers and where.

 

See: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/ubb/ultimatebb...ic;f=2;t=005076

 

At the same time the National Mullet Club are working on a paper, putting the case for that species.

 

But, it seems that, as far as tope are concerned, the horse may already have started bolting

 

What anglers have to realise is that as fishing opportunities decline, because of decreasing quotas, and increasing closed areas, commercials will be pushed more and more onto other species and in other areas than those that have traditionally provided them with profits.

 

To protect our recreational species and areas it means that anglers have got to start getting involved, and getting behind their organisations in real numbers.

 

It's far too far down the road to sit back and leave it to others, if you want to be able to go down to the sea and expect to catch the fish you like fishing for, and want to see your sons and daughters having that same opportunity.

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 17. June 2005, 08:20 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Leon Roskilly]

OK some details have been put up at

 

http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn/latest/i...ex.php?view=326

 

and SACN have been in contact with several NGOs

 

Had this back from one of them

 

"It seem that however much we try to educate people into the vulnerability of a species when the opportunity arises to turn a profit such advice is conveniently forgotten. Apart from their vulnerability the fact that tope will be an unregulated, non-quota species make them even more susceptible to over-fishing."

 

Also been in contact with my colleagues on the NFSA Conservation Group who are following up.

 

If anyone wants to start writing letters, sending emails etc, have a look on the 'contacts' sections at http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn for ideas on who to write to, email addresses etc.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[JeffB]

Sad sad news this...

 

Something has got to give and unfortunatly it usually ends up being the fish :0(

 

As many ideas we may throw around with regards to species being protected things like this always seem to come down to money.

 

For these commercial boys to say they are doing this due to desparation is a bit pathetic really... Im sorry but if the job don't pay, get another!!!

 

I'm for all fishing to be recreational, down with the commercials and if you want fish for supper then go catch it yourself! ha ha...

[Toerag]

The French longline for tope/huss/conger round alderney, one of their boats was arrested last year for illegally fishing inside CI waters, and the photo in the local press showed the deck covered in boxes of tope/hounds. One of the Alderney boats does the same off Weymouth I think.

[JeffB]

Pull up along side, place on board a small device, boom and goodbye, sounds fit and healthy to me ;0)