Pair Trawling - Dunmanus Bay, West Cork

Yep! As the title says.

At least"Super Trawlers" have a quota! These boats hoover up huge quantities of sprat without consideration or control?

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Disgusting. And the Irish commercial fishing lobby spend all their time bleating about foreign super trawlers.You wont hear a peep out of them about this

For some mad reason there is no quota on sprat so if they appear it's a free for all. There were 100s of tonnes of needle sprat put to fishmeal from donegal bay in September before the larger sprat shoaled up for consumption by large "tank" boats. It was during the same time as the minke whales and bluefin tuna were in the bay. Lots of sprat fishing going on at the moment out of Dunmore East also and I believe that's all for fishmeal

hey Jim,
Was that the Rachel Jay and dillion owen????
The Rachel Jay was on a beach I fish over the last few days....surprise surprise no fish around....and its a banker this time of year
I agree...the race to the bottom is on...its depressing

Rom the Marine Institute Stock Book 2015 page 342 - see previous post

FEAS - SINGLE STOCK CONSIDERATIONS

ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, catches
should be no more than 3,500 t in each of 2016 and 2017. This has
been the same advice since 2013. Currently there is no TAC for this
species in this area, and it is not clear whether there should be one or
several management units. This species will not be subject to the
landing obligation in 2016 in this area.
FEAS agrees with the broad approach of ICES that a reduction in outtake
is required in the absence of better information on sustainable harvest
rates. However, as stock identity is poorly understood and catch data
require further scrutiny, it is not possible to quantify the catch level.
A management plan for sprat is required. This should incorporate precautionary reductions in
the absence of information to advise on sustainable harvest rates. If no such plan is developed, a
precautionary TAC should be implemented at the level of the ICES advice.
FEAS agrees with ICES that this advice is not dedicated to a ‘stock’. The stock structure of sprat
populations in this eco-region is not clear. Preliminary studies suggest at least three somewhat
discrete populations in this region; one on the south, west and northwest coasts of Ireland, one
in the Irish Sea and one in the Clyde. Management should, at least initially, be framed on this
spatial structure.
This stock falls into ICES Category 5, as only landings data are available. However, acoustic
survey estimates indicate that removal of 3,500 t is unlikely to be detrimental to the stock.
Given their importance as forage fish, sufficient information should be made available to assess
the resource, the impact of the fisheries on the resource, and their role in the ecosystem.
There is no long term management plan in place for this stock.

Big boats may get all the bad press but inshore punts with ring nets were getting up to 100 tonnes per day at the sprat which is more than the trawlers were getting. No quota. Free for all

There is an average of 10 trucks a day which carry about 40 tonnes bulkers arriving at the fish meal from down south. 400 ton of sprat a day for meal

hey Jim,
Was that the Rachel Jay and dillion owen????
The Rachel Jay was on a beach I fish over the last few days....surprise surprise no fish around....and its a banker this time of year
I agree...the race to the bottom is on...its depressing

It's the Fiona K II and the Ocean Venture today anyway...