Genetic Fingerprinting

BRFC please take note.

Progress by a country that some, who don't know any better, consider behind the times,and all this done by a country who have no fishing licence either, makes you think doesn't it?

The BRFC have been "taking note" for 6 years what they need to do is pull there finger out and actually do something. I won't be holding my breath.

Graham W we still have a lot of problems over here don't let this fool you in to thinking the Irish Central Fisheries Board are blazing a trail of any sort, they are still very much behind the times in other aspects of fisheries management, Especiaaly some of the regional Boards treatment of Pike. This measure was pretty much forced upon them as there was no other way of identifying specimen fish due to the introduction of bye-laws earlier in the year that outlaw the killing of fish above 25cm.

Andy, I was just being polite-)

Stephen, they're still streets ahead of our BRFC when it comes to fish ID. Our lot are quite prepared to accept photographic evidence as they did with the recent roach record caught from Ireland.

They might take note if they could figure out how to turn on their PCs! Like Andy, I have no immediate desire to asphyxiate!!

Perhaps of more note is the introduction of the bye-law limiting coarse fish removal itself.Is there any evidence it is having any effect?

Stephen if the 25cm rule were bought in here it would not force the BRFC to change. They are happy to rely on photgraphic evidence even though they know full well it is a inaccurate way to verify the species of cyprinids.

I would welcome moves in this country to stop the removal of fish over 25cm and to restrict the sale of coarse fish.

Well relying on Photo evidence is bound to be contraversial as it can open up a whole range of possible ways to falsify claims.

As for the bye-laws that were introduced they now give the fiheries officers here something to go on as before this there were no laws governing the what could and could not be taken ( coarse ). Which in some areas led to the wholesale destruction of fish stocks by people netting and poaching small lakes and stretches of canal / river.

That being said people still have to be caught with fish above the size limit on there person and there is a limit of four fish under 25cm that can be taken in a day. So there is scope there for the so-called fisherman to still wreak havoc on a fishery.

On another point there are now a lot of people over here asking for the introduction of some kind of licence/permit based on similar lines to the EA Licence, as there are now more people willing to take an interest in their coarse fisheries and feel that for too long the coarse side of fishing in Ireland has been neglected.

And on a final point about the bye-laws that were introduced, there was special provision for Pike made in the Laws that made it ilegal to take more than 1 pike in a day and any pike over 50cm long. This has not stopped the Western Regional Fisheries Board running it's anuual pike competitions on some of the great western lakes where the aim seems to be to get as many pike on the bank during the competition and pretty much leave them on the bank. So no matter what Laws are introduced their effectiveness will only be measured by the amount of people who take them on board as policing these new laws is still virtually impossible witht e limited resorces available, and if one of the boards basically sponsors the wholesale slaughter of pike on waters it controls it doesn't offer much hope of things changing here.

Sorry for the rant ! but I've been invlved in a group that have campaigned for certain changes in fisheries law here and it does become very frustrating dealing with these people!!!