Nets of Death

This message is from Martin James:

When are we anglers and the general public going to protest and demand action to get the gill nets being used around the coastline of the United Kingdom banned?

In the North West, on the Lancashire coast at Heysham, we have a bass nursery. Now you would think the powers that be would ban the nets of death in such an area. No they continue to let these gill netters cause the slow death of undersize bass, sea birds and crustaceans.

I was at Heysham today and witnessed some twenty or more big crabs caught in a net with no chance of escape All they could hope for was a slow death. I had no knife or scissors so I wasn't able to cut these poor creatures free. Lets see PETA do something about this cruel practise. I am writing to my Member of Parliament when he gets elected on June 7th, MY local sea fisheries officer at Lancaster University, The RSPB and the management of Heysham power station. Also various local papers seeking their help to get this horrid practise outlawed. Please help me get gill nets banned by writing to your MP and those groups listed not forgetting your local paper. If enough people demand action things will happen. For ten years I fought to get storm over flow pipes banned at sewage works. In 2002 they will be banned. But it doesn't happen over night.

Martin James

It's rife where I live, they even do it on the beach near our house. The powers that be say it's hard to catch them on miles and miles of open coastline, yet they seem to be able to pull out all the stops to catch anyone stealing a few birds eggs.

Most nets are unlicensed. Materials for making them can be bought cheaply from ads in Fishing News etc.

BASS have been campaigning against this.

Graham, I hope u are joking about Heysham...It MUST be protected, surely....
Have u spoken to the powers that be about it?

Hi Guys This is not the first time I have protested about the nets of
death. I have been writing to Government Ministers of both colours, MP's
Northwest fisheries officers, national and local press for several
years. I have not written to the angling press as I feel its probably a
waste of time. I feel we have to get organisations such as the RSPB
involved. They don't like seabirds getting caught in nets. Also it
alerts the general public to the problem. As with all these causes it
takes time to get action. I am also a member of BASS where I get
involved in there letter writing campaigns Kind regards to all Martin
--
martin james

I am in total agreement with Graham and think we should all try to get gill nets banned, i have not seen any such nets around Scarborough. And the government blame anglers and the population of seals for the drop in fish stocks, these nets sweep the beaches of anything under the sea (from what i've heard anyway)!!