'Trawlerman' on TV tonight

[MarkTheSpark]

Did anyone else see Trawlermen tonight? What a sad indictment of the way we are treating our fish stocks.

One new seiner took 500 tonnes of mackerel in one trawl. ?300,000-worth. The skipper boatsed how complete a job he'd done, and how lucky he'd found the shoal on its way to the spawning grounds.

So what happens next year?

Another trawled so close to a wreck he snagged his net. He got it free, but what if he hadn't? He'd have created another lifeless spot on the ocean bed.

It's time the CFP did something useful, and stopped this altogether. I'd rather go without fish than see these people wipe out the last few fish with ruthless efficiency. They're brave and hard-working men for whom I have great admiration, but they should be doing something else.

Even worse viewing this week was Gordon Ramsay serving up tint skate wings (thornback, in real life). They were about 8 inches long, from fish which hadn't even had the chance to breed.

 

[Nik Foad]

Mark I too watched this program.

Perhaps what is worse is the story played out last week.

A trawler hunting for haddock kept catching cod instead. They bagged up on cod and kept hunting for haddock.
Alas they kept on landing yet more cod. Oh well I thought more cod for these hard workers - but no - they had to throw these fish back into the sea because they had hit their cod quota. By the time the fish nets are in and the fish processed and returned to the sea they're dead.
So a law created to protect fish stocks from being gobbled up by hungry humans fails without reason.
I understand that the governments are trying to protect fish but perhaps they should just rest areas of the North Sea in a rota rather than setting quotas?
Thoughts?

 

[alan]

Nik, the goverment have no intrest in protecting fish stocks.

look at all the recomendations they have received.

cod stocks nearly gone,
tope as a protected species,
increase the mls for bass,
limit trawlers within a mile of the shore line,

they have ignored the lot.

did you know that in a bass nursery area it is illeagal for a trawler to lower or raise his nets, but he can drag the entrance to the nursey killing the fish on the way to spawn and the smaller fish leaving the nursery area.

its all about money, the smaller fish size look better on plates so people will buy them.
the trawlers make shitloads of cash for the goverment to tax.


Mark 500 tonnes of smouthounds were caught in the solent in a week by one small trawler, they are not eaten, they are not sold, they are ground up and used as pot bait for crabs.

makes you sick dosnt it.

 

[Gav Barbus]

Sickening ,why they are allowed to carry on when everyone knows the damage being done is crazy.Brave fisheman or not Mark he is an arse ,I couldn't do that job for no ammount of money knowing that they are killing the seas, fecking tossers.

 

[Nik Foad]

Alan

You have yet again lowered my confidence in our ability to oversee the protection of our seas balanced against the need to earn money and recover taxes.

Not a great picture.

 

[MarkTheSpark]

I think complete fishery closures in the way that the Icelanders made it stick is the only way. Europe should just agree on a complete cessation of commercial fishing in huge areas for the next five years, enforced by gunboats.

Fish is so hard to find, it's like we're eating the last few tigers...

 

[Gav Barbus]

This is something you agree with me on again Mark ,Iceland had it right when they turfed us out of there waters .
Gunboats may sound drastic but it worked for them and they have a sustainable fishery ,I feel all anglers should be making a big stink about this.

 

[Nik Foad]

...and I'd be happy to take some annual leave to man the gun boats!
Sinking a rogue trawler maybe nearly as satisfying as landing a 9lb river chub!!

 

[alan]

Nik, wait till they come close in shore, they dont like being bombarded with 6oz weights.
the thump as the weight hits the boat is ohh so satisfiying.

 

[captain carrott]

my thought on this subject have been voiced repeatedly.

ban trawling and longlining in british waters NOW.

anyone caught doing it, board em, then sink em and leave the fekkers to drown.