Attention all anglers in Cahore area

Hi All

A very good friend of mine was in cahore tuesday evening walking along cahore head sussing out spots for opening day. He sees a guy in a rowing boat slinging a net on the very corner of cahore head. See the attached photo taken from his mobile phone(hence poor quality)

I urge you all to phone the ERFB on 012787022 and report this illegal net. anyone in the area should head down there and take photos or watch out for the guy in the rowing boat. im not suggesting you approach him, just take photos as evidence.
This is blatant in broad daylight. I thought the risks these poachers take would reduce following recent incidents.

We need to stick together in situations where we spot an illegal net and highlight these incidents with fisheries officers.

I think there is more and more of this going on particularly on the southern/south eastern coastline.

A

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These guys probly love the closed season when anglers are keeping away from the bass hotspots. I 'm very surprised how few bass reports Ive seen in the first few days considering the good weather. I hope its not because the poachers have been wiping the place out

What really stifles me is having so many laws, bylaws and regulations piled upon every honest citizen in the country, alas they are not enforced when it comes to it. And all these criminals get away with stealing, robbing, poaching, you name it, mainly due to a complete and utter lack of interest and sense of responsibility of the relevant authorities.

Indeed but we have the responsability of reporting such activities as well, getting descriptions reg numbers etc to help bring these f*****s to justice!

There are nets down at Tinnaberna as well, about 200 yards south of the channel markers an 500 yards offshore. Marked with three red and white buoys.

Saw them being checked by a guy in a rowing boat with a small outboard but didn't have camera phone or binoculars so couldn't tell you what he looked like.

The net might be legal also and this has to be considered as part of the equation. Looking at the floats on the net it certainly looks like the quarry are bass, salmon, and seatrout, however given how short staffed the fisheries board are it would be better to establish a few facts first rather then assuming the worst.

If possible engage with the fisherman directly or local people on the quay, posing as an interested tourist. Ask innocent but pointed questions, the truth will usually out, if only between the lines. Having established the modus operandi by all means then contact the local waterkeeper or fisheries officer.

As someone who grew up with the sea around Greystones, Co. Wicklow, the use of trammel nets, tangle nets, and long lines are a familiar form of artisanal fishing practiced by usually responsible locals. They are entitled to fish and have to be considered within the greater scheme.

Real information is what is required not speculation to catch the real crooks.

In this instance talk to the local Cahore Angling Club. If there is impropriety they should know and deal with it accordingly.

We have to be more proactive as individuals.

Hi Ashley

I really feel for the short staffed fisheries boards but sorrier for the fish and the anglers who spend countless hours and money in pursuit of their sport.

While i think it is very important for us to take ownership of this problem we cannot be expected to take responsibility for investigating these activities.
There are numerous instances of evidence being handed to fisheries boards/sfpo's and nothing done. These guys will keep at it if there is little or no enforcement by the people charged with enforcement. The inactivity of fisherboards etc in this area is well know to poachers who have no real fear of being punished or fined even in circumstances where they are know repeat offenders.

Can you advise what drift style inshore nets are illegal/legal in Ireland?

It is obvious to me that the quarry here was/is bass.

The battle continues.

A

It is our civic responsibility to report activities to the authorities, be it something for the police/garda to approach to something that the fisheries board to investigate. They may be understaffed but giving them the right information will help deploy the resources at the right time.

Ashley, who is responsible for policing the onshore side of this business, ie identifying the buyers of illegally caught fish? If the black market was choked off, poaching would wither fairly quickly.

Hi Lurefisher,

Your gripe should be with the present Government who diluted and confused enforcement by creating in a previous term the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency. Both they and the Fisheries Boards (soon to be amalgamated) are hard working and professional, but unfortunately are short staffed and have had their budgets significantly cut thus exacerbating an already difficult situation.

Your gripe should also be with the law and legislation, as in so many other areas the rules are lax and the fines insignificant. Again talk to your politician either directly or through your club, association, or federation. The reason nothing is done is because there has never been noise or movement politically from the sea angling world. Take a leaf from the salmon/seatrout lobby.

Again I'll reiterate, and immunecfg is right, the authorities will respond to correct information, so we have to play our part. I have stated in previous posts on this subject that local court appointed waterkeepers have turned around the poaching situation in Co. Monaghan and Judge McBride has rowed in behind this effort with effective and strict sentencing. We have to be proactive.

Hi Ashley

We dont really need more big and condescending excuses for and officialdom in Ireland. More and more lameness blamelessness. i cant stand it!
We cant keep making excuses for inaction by fisheries officers etc.
We cant allow them to abdicate responsibility on to us anglers either.
There is umpteen incidences of inaction on reports of illegal netting which cant be denied.
We should not have to lobby to have the state agency charged with enforcement do their work. A concerted effort by anglers to keep reporting nets might just get a satisfactory response.


I still dont think it appropriate for us anglers to become Columbos or inspector Clouseas. It is not for anglers to pose a tourists and engage the fisherman directly, this would be reckless behaviour in my opinion and there has been a number of nasty incidents between poachers and anglers reported in the past.

The purpose of this post was to highlight the ongoing illegal netting of bass and to ask fellow anglers to be on the look out and photograph and report these nets to the relevant body which is the fisheries board or the sea fisheries protection agency or which one is it? i'm not sure, neither are they. Glad to see them being amalgamated again, maybe the will then know their roles better and have less excuses for inaction.

The laws are there, just not being enforced. i dont see how enforcement can be diluted and confused. more excuses.
If there was a willingness to deal with this by relevant authorities it would be dealt with.

Finally, i think you have miss quoted immunecfg. The way i read it he is calling for people to report these nets to relevant authorities, same purpose as the original post.

I support Hugos post, if there was no market for poached bass the poachers would be out of business. I wonder who is responsible for monitoring import/export dockets?i suppose thats us anglers responsibility too.

A

The reason nothing is done is because there has never been noise or movement politically from the sea angling world. Take a leaf from the salmon/seatrout lobby.

I'm sure the reason the salmon/seatrout lobby is taken seriously is that they're licence-paying stakeholders. While bass angling remains an unpaid-for pursuit, regulation enforcement will probably go on being patchy and half-hearted and exploitation will grow - the "Tragedy of the Commons". A few quid a year from each of us for a bass licence could dramatically transform how we're listened to. It would also raise the non-angling public's perception of the importance of bass stocks. IMO.

great another expense put on the humble angler a license to fish in the sea. for a fish that has been caught for centuries by our forefathers.just so we could be politically correct. we pay over the odds with our taxes and vat on the baits and gear we buy. we squander millions of euro on every thing, but the right thing in this country.bass and seatrout and salmon have been netted illigally since jesus went to school. it has always been this way. fisheries officers never have the time or resources to investagate any reports. but show them a trawler that has exceeded his quotas or an unlicensed lobster man selling lobster they will act then because its convieniant. stand at the harbour and watch for them .when you report you seen nets he ways up his options will they be back between 9 to 5 to pull there nets because im not going down there to look if its on my own time and who can blame them. would you work for no pay?its only when it hits the papers that they get the nod to go and sort it out. if this was an option to pay a licence fee for bass. where would it stop. we would then be looking at a licence for flats and one for doggies and a dearer one for tope because they give better sport. lads we all have lived with nets on our beachs its part and parcel of coastal life and are not half the threat that the big trawlers pose to all marine life.

stand at the harbour and watch for them .when you report you seen nets he ways up his options will they be back between 9 to 5 to pull there nets because im not going down there to look if its on my own time and who can blame them.

i f**king blame them,if they had an ounce of pride in their work or cared atall then yes they would respond to reports at whatever time is required to get a result.i got sick of reporting to these lazy good for nothings a long time ago,sure ffs most of the illegal landings and sales nth of wexford happen right infront of the sfpa office on howth harbour daily. when they do come on board checking nets etc. the fishermen make eejits of them because in most cases they dont know the first thing about commercial fishing practices and all the sh1t that goes on.last summer i watched an sfpa officer inspecting nets on a twin-rig prawn trawler in howth harbour,he was counting the meshes arond the bag lost count twice,gave up but filled in his sheet/chart anyway and its well known that most of the prawn boats fishing the irish sea have a balloon in the bag.

if the fisheries board are in such trouble why don't they appoint a reserve like the gardai and give
them some power, i'm sure there would be plenty of people interested.

.last summer i watched an sfpa officer inspecting nets on a twin-rig prawn trawler in howth harbour,he was counting the meshes arond the bag lost count twice,gave up but filled in his sheet/chart anyway and its well known that most of the prawn boats fishing the irish sea have a balloon in the bag.

thats my point the harbours are there comfotrt zone. they know what time the boat will be docking. and any of the local fisheries officers are known by the locals. so a quick check to see where he is. and out with the nets.its been like that since i was a boy. when i was a boy the locals netting seatrout would have a trailer full of hay ready to block the road if a fisheries officer or garda car came in to view.they would ring gorey to make sure the officer in question was at his local watering hole. or if his car was outside his house. and as soon as the coast was clear in went the nets

if the fisheries board are in such trouble why don't they appoint a reserve like the gardai and give
them some power, i'm sure there would be plenty of people interested.

now theres a cracking idea.....only thing is the reserve member would probably only be allowed work in the company of a full time officer as in the garda and as these fisheries officers are a little shy of work youd probably become an expert thumb twiddler before long.

in the rural areas the fisheries officer knows who owns these nets. and it becomes a game between the poacher and the games keeper.the problem is they have to be caught when coming a shore with fish .some nets are left un touched for days when they know there been watched.

Two of my neighbours with foreshore farms were at that crack when I lived down in Waterford. When challenged about it, they gave exactly the same argument you made against any bass licence Twinkle - "our forefathers fished free like this since the time of the Fir Bolg, its our traditional right."

Trouble is the seas were walking with fish way back in the ancient past, they arent any more, for the poachers or for us. We all have to make compromises because of that sad fact.

The reason nothing is done is because there has never been noise or movement politically from the sea angling world. Take a leaf from the salmon/seatrout lobby.

I'm sure the reason the salmon/seatrout lobby is taken seriously is that they're licence-paying stakeholders. While Bass angling remains an unpaid-for pursuit, regulation enforcement will probably go on being patchy and half-hearted and exploitation will grow - the "Tragedy of the Commons". A few quid a year from each of us for a Bass licence could dramatically transform how we're listened to. It would also raise the non-angling public's perception of the importance of Bass stocks. IMO.

i totally agree with you hugo,the sooner some revenue is generated from bass,and by revenue i mean govt revenue,the sooner they will sit up and notice this important fishery,i would quite happily pay for a bass licence,even tho i would not fish for them on a regular basis,i have seen the benifits that seatrout/salmon fisheries have gained from the licence,even tho i was against it at the time,mainly due to not knowing all the facts.