Rumours that Government is to Reopen Commercial Bass Fishing

.

Anglers should embrace this fact and develop a lobby through their associations and clubs to designate Bass a sport fish. We all have a duty of care, therefore all recreational anglers are protectors and enforcers. It is too easy to abdicate responsibility.

That all well and fine assuming all anglers are memebers of clubs, but most recreational anglers are not members of clubs and have not been made aware of this conservation attempt. I returned to fishing last year and it was through this site that I became aware of the bass laws but there are plenty of anglers who dont know about or plead ignorance to these laws. If the awarness was improved the enforcement would become easier for anglers and fisheries board.

After twenty years of having abided by the bass bye laws isn’t it time to realise what Ashley says and designate the species as a true sportfish. NOW is the time as the indictors of recovery and the realisation of another generation that this is a worthy fish and that conservation measures DO WORK - anglers need to seize this opportunity to continue where bye laws are weak to make the fish our own.

What does bothers me is the frequency of the expressed expertise and opinions that I witness and experience in relation to bass fishing in Ireland from people outside this country. Why cant we do this ourselves, when in fact we already have experts working on the ground in this country. Professional people trying to make a living on a yearly and daily basis, knowing in detail the techniques, how to manage their customers, their business and selling a unique Irish angling experience to the world on a sustainable basis. From the North east to the south west and east they are out there –

It behoves people like Ashley in the ERFB and others in the CFB and Bord Failte and many other organisations to do something for OURSELVES with the fishery. To build CREDIBILITY around and to promote not only these angling guides and what they are doing as been extremely positive, educational, sustainable and contributory to economies etc but also to enhance the relationship that this generation of anglers can have with these people and how they could work together. To improve and create visibility how they as guides and anglers and the fishery are to be perceived by the world in the next twenty years of continuously improving bass angling opportunities!

Anglers should embrace this fact and develop a lobby through their associations and clubs to designate Bass a sport fish.

I Think that would be our best option but not just through clubs. With someone politically minded to represent angler's veiws and concerns I would have no problem paying a yearly fee to fund research legal fee's etc, I'm sure others would too but I would like to see the same concern extended to all fish in Irish waters not just Bass.

....i`d be in favour of banning the keeping of fish over 50cm as smaller fish are very abundant and most probably wont make breeding size anyway.

Just to remind people that Bass are still like hens teeth here in Mayo...

I've caught two in ten years and not for want of trying... bother returned and neither was big!

I'd also be careful about making statements concerning breeding size, recent reports show that cod have started to breed at far smaller size due to commercial overfishing...

Think about the average size of fish in the Med - is that what you want for your fishing?

FWIW

....i`d be in favour of banning the keeping of fish over 50cm as smaller fish are very abundant and most probably wont make breeding size anyway.

Just to remind people that Bass are still like hens teeth here in Mayo...

I've caught two in ten years and not for want of trying... bother returned and neither was big!

I'd also be careful about making statements concerning breeding size, recent reports show that cod have started to breed at far smaller size due to commercial overfishing...

Think about the average size of fish in the Med - is that what you want for your fishing?

FWIW

where bass ever common in mayo?

Ban, closed season embargo it all amounts to the same thing, you are not allowed to fish or
attempt to fish for Bass from the 15th of May to the 15th of June, this is a good thing maybe
it should be longer or have size limits i don't know but the fish needs some help.
However if you say there isn't one and as a fisheries officer people listen to you then people
will continue catching and taking Bass during this time,
The reason I put the wording up is to show there is a Ban or what ever other wording you
want to use, where as by you saying there isn't one causes some confusion.
Therefore leading to people ignoring it.
(All other laws should be embraced too but they are still policed)