Pair Trawling in the Channel

[Jaffa]

@SPRING@:

This is an horrific quote from the third article:

 

"At least 80% of the Scottish fishing fleet is breaking the law almost every time they put their boats to sea"

 

And to think we have individuals here involved in the fishing industry from north of the border who beleive nothing illegal goes on - Come on guys who you trying to kid.

I've never suggested that nothing illegal goes on north of the border @spring@. I was only talking about my locasl port, Arbroath, in relation to blackfish; if its going on it must be very small scale here. Just as well given that they have closed the fishery office ....

 

Whats been happening north of Aberdeen is not something I have had experience of for a few years. I'll take the 80% figure with a big pinch of salt but its no surprise if massive blackfish landings have been happening; thats been on the cards since they reduced the quota to below what the boats could survive on.

 

In judging them remember that a lot of the trust that used to exist between the scientists, managers and fishermen is long gone. Years of shovelling perfectly good fish back into the sea dead, while your crew don't get paid is only going to have one result when its combined with useless enforcement.

 

The blame game is a waste of time IMO, we need to get the management system changed radically and get serious enforcement in place. The management has got to include the commercials as well; if the trust is not rebuilt no conservation measures will work and it will all just happen again.

[Jaffa]

maximo:

anyone seen that rick stein programme where he goes out on that big trawler and catches 150 ton of herring.

probably catch as much as ten of the normal trawlers.

Don't want to upset you further maximo but 150 tonnes is small time for the pelagic fleet. I can think of at least half a dozen boats that can catch and carry 2000 plus tonnes and im a few years out of date.

 

These fisheries are well managed though and the stocks in good health, so i think its wrong to assume that the large size of vessels involved and the quantities involved automatically make them bad or unsustainable.

[wurzel]

saved me some typing with both those posts Cris,

Agree with you 100%.

[Jaffa]

Your turn on east coast Lobsters then

 

My local grounds are hammered and have been for decades because recruitment is coming from somewhere else and the geology here provides fantastic conditions for young lobsters. The market wants lobsters just over the minimum size and thats what they catch. Its almost a perfect fishery, but it could be destroyed by a couple of boats in a very few years. Current fisheries management would not even see the problem should it arise, or have any means to address it. The paperwork would all be in order and they would be happy. Lobsters would be gone.

[Guest jay_con]

Never actually meant you jaffa. I can never figure out if your scotch or welsh anyways

[Jaffa]

Welsh when its rugby, Scots when its football (heaven help me), Shetlander when I think of politics and community

[Jaffa]

How went the comp tonight?

[wurzel]

the local lobster ground here has always been fished hard, hard ground is at a premium and every lump of rock has a pot on it, but the lobsters still keep coming, catches have been good,and plenty of undies to come on in future years, a bit like the dover soles and bass,

It's the climate whats doing it.

I read some were that lobsters like a milder climate, but if it gets too warm they won't like it.

[Guest jay_con]

How did you know it was comp night?

 

I won with 2 fish for 4lb. Not a very pleasant night at all, non stop rain all night. Big cod never fished, I think he must have gone to the pub instead. Only 1 match left now.

[Jaffa]

I do listen/read, whatever expression is correct for the internet!?, to what you say

 

Rains hammering down here too and I have no desire to go out in it.

 

Could you win overall?