Irish Bass Protection and Awareness Group

The website for the new Irish Bass Protection and Awareness Group (see [url=http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bulletin%20board/viewtopic.php?t=8298]this thread[/url]) is now up and running at [url=http://www.irishbass.org]www.irishbass.org[/url]. The site is still being developed but already contains some useful news, links, articles and downloads.

Anyone interested in joining the group can do so [url=http://www.irishbass.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=42]through the website[/url].

There is a [url=http://www.irishbass.org/forum]members' forum[/url] associated with the site. Access to the forum is restricted to registered members of the Group, so you'll need to [url=http://www.irishbass.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=42]register first[/url].

NOTE: The site and forum is intended as a place to discuss issues that relate directly to the activities of the Irish Bass Protection and Awareness Group. Please keep all other angling and conservation discussion on the SAI forum. This will be enforced by moderators.

Jonathan

In light of some of the recent discussion on this forum about Bass, and catch-and-release in particular, I feel I should clarify the objectives of the [url=http://www.irishbass.org]Irish Bass Protection and Awareness Group[/url], which are to:

- Argue for greater enforcement of existing Bass bye-laws and regulations

- Ensure that suitable bye-laws and regulations remain in place to protect Irish Bass and facilitate the recovery of stock levels

- Cooperate with official state bodies and representative organisations to further our knowledge of Bass in Irish coastal waters

- Raise awareness of the threat to Irish Bass among anglers, commercial interests, consumers and the wider public

The issue of whether individual anglers should keep or return the fish they catch is something that can be debated elsewhere. All we ask of people who want to be associated with the group is that they respect the relevant bye-laws and regulations. We already have members with a range of views on this issue.

Hopefully, by focusing on the main objectives of the group, we can present a united front to address what we see as the most significant threat to Bass.

Jonathan