Bass Fishery proposal

It has come to my attention that the Federation of Irish Fishermen (commercial) are proposing to open an "off shore" fishery for sea bass south of 51 30 N.

This,in my view, would act as a cover for the sale of Bass in Ireland caught right up to the highwater mark and would finish recreational bass fishing which is just showing signs of recovery.

The allowing of even a "by-catch" would be detrimental too.

For reference, that is below line on map below..

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thats exactly where they shoal up in winter,just s/e tuskar rock as i know for a fact trawlers landed at least 60(AT LEAST 1000 FISH) boxes on one occasion(through the back door) last winter to one of the leading fish buyers in dublin,right under the nose of SFPA.

Disaster, disaster , disaster if they succeed! I grew up fishing when bass were plentiful (60s &70s).When they were targeted by fishermen in the late 70s and 80s they were all but wiped out in a very short time. They have begun to recover. If the netsmen start again they will be wiped out. A greedy few will gain. Rod caught bass are worth a lot to the general economy.I bring the lads in my club down for weekends fishing to Waterford. B&B's, pubs and restaurants all gain. The fish are put back to be caught again. What value can be put on each bass caught......a lot!! A bass caught in a net is worth a lot less.

I bring the lads in my club down for weekends fishing to Waterford. B&B's, pubs and restaurants all gain. The fish are put back to be caught again. What value can be put on each Bass caught......a lot!! A Bass caught in a net is worth a lot less.

i agree,a bass caught in a net is only worth a few euro and stocks will be wiped out in a matter of months where as a bass caught by line and released again is worth thousands to the community it is caught in
i was brought up on the shore of lough corrib and i can see how much money the trout fishing brings to the local village every year,people from all over the world come every year and a lot of them are repeat visitors
why not build up the bass fishing the same way,get Ireland a name for its great bass fishing
lets look at the long term benefits rather then the quick benefits a few fishermen from Federation of Irish Fishermen can make

The commercial lobbyists are a strong united powerful and cohesive force that constantly tease at the commercial restrictions pertaining to Bass fishing. This is done not only in Ireland or the UK but at European level at EVERY opportunity that is presented to them. This type of message rings out at this time every year but only since the change in the necessity to ‘re-invoke’ the commercial ban every year has it taken on a new note or variation. It may keep us on our toes for a while but soon disappears over the horizon – most of us forget about it, while this group never takes its eye off the ball and invents and re-invents new strategies to appeal to politicians. They get closer and closer.

Having attempted to make a living from Bass guiding in this country for the past seven years, approaching the month of may was always a nervous time as the bye laws needed to be re-considered by the relevant minister, I mean how could you forward plan your business if your resource could be destroyed in a very short space of time? A double whammy a national resource that you hope you are carefully exploiting by been sustainable coupled to something that you loved doing could be destroyed in a flash. And not only for you but for thousands of others too. You operate a business within the bye laws knowing that you are probably wasting your time

June was always met with a sigh of relief. So its no different this year – the rumours will start and hopefully go away as nothing but rumours, the illegal fishing will continue, and as I have worked very hard this year to sell an angling experience to people from Denmark, Italy, France, Ireland, America, Holland, England and Spain - whom will leave thousands of euros in the local Wexford economy, come the year end I will submit my numbers as I have always done in the hope that this information is in some way a preparation for some war chest to counter the lobbyists.

Because I’m afraid some day it may well happen – how well prepared in hard facts and figures will anglers and other organisations like the IFSA, Bord Failte, the CFB be on that day, how strongly united, cohesively proactive and energised will they be to defend the species? In fact how interested is anyone really in been creative and imaginative at this time in terms of making new and valid changes to bass legislation or bye laws as the situation has evolved over time?

Who will stand up and protect and defend what is a national resource and not just the imagined property of a reckless few who are quite prepared to destroy it?

Doing it on that day, as usual, will be too late!

Fastnet.
Would you please PM me and let me know the source of your information as I would be very interested in verifying it.
Regards .
Timmy.

Representations have been made to the Minister (Tony Killeen) to allow Irish commercials access to Bass fisheries around Ireland. Their argument is apparently that fishermen from other member states can fish for bass outside the 12 mile limit whereas Irish fishermen cannot. The issue is under consideration by the Minister.