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This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: Bass Shambles!
...Useless Eustice, a man merely looking to save his electoral ars longa vita brevis at next May's polls by keeping his netsmen constituents sweet. Weakest link. Goodbye.
Usual nonsense from Crow. Loads of support for the campaign being run jointly with BASS. Eustice has had plenty of MPs correspondence due to lobbying from anglers responding to our call to arms. Our position on bag limits couldn't be clearer and is set out in the parliamentary briefing on our website.
"In 2012 the previous Fisheries Minister, Richard Benyon, instigated a review into the evidence supporting this measure. However, the outcomes of this review have yet to be made public and we hope that the results can be released in the near future. Raising the minimum legal size for bass from 36cms to 45cms in the UK would achieve the following outcomes:
Contribute towards the necessary 80 per cent reduction in catches recommended by ICES which is highly unlikely to be achieved by EU measures alone.
Improve the recruitment of bass and protect the year classes upon which a stock recovery will have to be built.
Contribute to the UK’s obligation under the reformed Common Fisheries Policy to achieve maximum sustainable yield for all stocks.
Reduce the fishing mortality from both recreational and commercial fishing in a fair and even-handed way.
Sow the seed for the development and long term increased profitability of the £5m commercial and £200m recreational bass fisheries in the UK.
Demonstrate good practice fisheries management by not targeting immature stocks.
Deliver a positive conservation message from the Government to the estimated 886,000 sea anglers in England and the proportion of the 23,600 people employed in England who are reliant in full, or in part, on an abundant UK recreational bass fishery
Reduce discards by phasing out damaging inshore targeted juvenile bass otter trawl fisheries in the Bristol Channel and elsewhere.
Raising the minimum legal size for bass is, in itself, not the single answer to protecting and restoring the UK’s bass fishery; a fully inclusive package of measures is also needed on top of the EU proposals including:
Strengthening and enforcing the UK's network of bass nursery areas.
Taking steps to incentivise the line-caught fishery to improve selectivity and reduce unwanted fishing mortality.
Re-profile the current exploitation pattern away from fishing methods that have the biggest negative impacts on stocks towards methods that are most environmentally friendly, selective, and generate the best return from the fishery.
Decreasing the catch limit per commercial boat per week to ensure we achieve the 80% necessary and to get closer to all commercial fishermen making a contribution to solving this issue, thus ensuring fairness between commercial and recreational sectors, without risking increasing discards.
When the points above have been addressed, considering the introduction of bag limits for recreational anglers and a consideration of slot size limits to protect bigger, more fertile, trophy fish from unnecessary harvesting."
So you are saying that what I read is not true then? please let me know I can then inform the author of the piece I read that its all untrue....
Hi thecrow,
Unfortunately, you quoted Martin's comments in full when we could read them ourselves with a quick scroll-up and back, but have neglected to quote or give source-attribution of 'the piece I read'. If you are making a valid point we should be aware of - could you please help us understand it - rather than give Martin more ammunition to confirm his opinion of your 'anti' stance.
You are likely to garner more support for your views if we have a clearer view of the subject matter.
Many Thanks!
Reduced Daily Bag Limit from 2 to 1 fish in any 24 hour period to reduce exploitation. Thereafter catch
and release would operate. Voluntary catch and release is widely practised in the bass fishery. Development
of best practise guidelines are required to minimise any mortality due to poor handling and a review of
ongoing improvements in angling hook technology is recommended.
But the decision to impose restrictions on anglers rather than the commercial fishermen also partly responsible for the crisis is proving controversial.
The Angling Trust told The Times that the proposed limit was “grossly disproportionate” and would threaten thousands of jobs on charter boats, in fishing shops and at seaside pubs and guest houses.
Anyway, more about fish and less about attention-seeking, soon to run for the hills, cosy retirees, barrack-room lawyers and also-rans, the latter grouping often being the cause of many a fishy problem and who then have the temerity to make a living out of trying to fix it
This way, irrespective of any commercial or political or in-crowd affiliation, if someone or something really needs a stop-them-in-their-tracks bashing, I am the man who can do it, without fear or favour - which does tend to rather worry some!
Could you give some examples of this?
Seems examples are as rare as answers from MS, one lives in hope.