Help needed to estimate Irish recreational marine catch

Hi everyone!!

I am wondering if you could take a few minutes to help me out. I am currently attempting to reconstruct total fisheries catch from Irish waters from 1950-present. The issue is that current official records only report total 'landings' and this does not incorporate estimates of discarding, IUU landings and recreational catch. This is a HUGE task and the finished database WILL NOT be perfect - but it will be BETTER than what we currently have, which are records that do not incorporate these substantial additional contibutors to overall fish mortality. To learn more about this overall project which involves the reconstruction of global catches, visit the 'Sea around Us Project' webpage at http://www.seaaroundus.org/

So - for Ireland, recreational catch has been one of the hardest components to reconstruct. Practically no records or reports exist with useful quantitative data. Thus, to help me in creating anchor points for data estimation, if you have 5 minutes to spare could you please answer the following four questions? Thanks so much!!

1) Within the last 12 months, what was the (approximate) maximum total weight of fish that you (as an individual) caught and retained (didn’t release) on any one day spent sea angling? If you can comment on the following, what was the maximum weight you would have brought home in a day 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? Eg. “On my best day fishing last year I caught and brought home 5kg of fish. 20 years ago on a good day fishing I would have brought home 7kg.”

2) Within the last 12 months, what would be the (approximate) total weight of fish caught and retained (didn’t release) on an average day spend sea angling where you were successful in catching fish? If you can comment on the following, what was the average weight you would have brought home about 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? Eg. “On average, on days I caught fish last year, I brought home about 1kg of fish. 10 years ago, on average I would have brought home 3kg.”

3) Within the last 12 months, what (approximate) percentage of days spent sea angling did you catch and retain fish? If you can comment on the following, what percentage of days did you catch fish 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? Eg. “25% of the days I went fishing last year I brought home fish, 10 years ago I would have caught fish on 75% of the days I went fishing.”

4) What percentage of the total weight of fish that you caught and retained within the last 12 months were any of the following (must add up to 100% and putting 0% for any of the listed varieties is fine:

Cod:
Pollack (white pollack):
Coley (saithe, black Pollack):
Plaice:
Black sole:
Lemon sole:
Dab:
Witch:
Brill:
Turbot:
Dogfish:
Ray/skate (specify species if possible):
Conger:
Whiting:
Haddock:
Bass:
Sea trout:
Common eel:
Wrasse:
Halibut:
Hake:
Spurdog:
Porbeagle:
Other (specify):

If you are able to comment, would your answers have been the same in relation your experience fishing 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? If not, how would it have been different?

Thanks so much for your time, it is much, much appreciated!

Kindest regards,
Dana Miller

Welcome to SAI, dana. One quick question first, please.

Here, on behalf of the Irish Wildlife Trust you wrote:

the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs), where fishing activities are banned.

Do you include Recreational Sea Angling in the banned activities within the proposed Marine Protection Areas?

Hi Tanglerat, thanks for your welcome to the forum. In the article you are referring to, I would have been broadly referring to the designation of MPAs where 'commercial' fishing activities are banned. I will contact the Galway Atlantiquaria and ask them to change the text to specify this. I also don't feel completely comfortable with the words 'risk of commercial extinction' used here, I don't think these were my original words and I'm not sure that I agree with their use here.
I do feel that there is a need for MPAs that offer varying levels of protection, including small areas where all fishing activities are banned - including recreational angling. Examples of areas where this could be implemented are those that contain particularly important habitat for vulnerable species. Generally though, what is most importantly needed within Irish waters are large areas of water where larger-scale commercial fishing activities are banned, particularly those that use any form of destructive fishing techniques. I personally support sea angling activities within Irish waters. It is a low-impact, selective activity that I feel it generates an appreciation and respect for the marine environment from most of those that participate in it.

Hi Tanglerat, thanks for your welcome to the forum. In the article you are referring to, I would have been broadly referring to the designation of MPAs where 'commercial' fishing activities are banned. I will contact the Galway Atlantiquaria and ask them to change the text to specify this. I also don't feel completely comfortable with the words 'risk of commercial extinction' used here, I don't think these were my original words and I'm not sure that I agree with their use here.
I do feel that there is a need for MPAs that offer varying levels of protection, including small areas where all fishing activities are banned - including recreational angling. Examples of areas where this could be implemented are those that contain particularly important habitat for vulnerable species. Generally though, what is most importantly needed within Irish waters are large areas of water where larger-scale commercial fishing activities are banned, particularly those that use any form of destructive fishing techniques. I personally support sea angling activities within Irish waters. It is a low-impact, selective activity that I feel it generates an appreciation and respect for the marine environment from most of those that participate in it.

Thanks Dana, good answer and there's lots to digest in it.

When you say you "personally support sea angling activities" - can you comment on what the IWT's position is. Is it the same as yours, different, or you can't comment?

I see a lot of proposals there that are laudable and which I support. However, unless it can be unarguably demonstrated that RSA in any proposed MPA actually causes harm to a fish stock then I will not support the establishment of anything that restricts our right to fish.

There are many ways to improve fishstocks before denying RSA the right to fish.

Hi Tanglerat,

At the moment, I can not comment on the IWT's position on sea angling activities as I am no longer holding a position with IWT. I volunteered with them for a number of years but am now no longer living in Ireland. There are plenty of friendy, engaging individuals that I'm sure would be more than happy to answer any questions on policy positions though. Visit www.iwt.ie for contact details.

Thanks for your feedback on this article posted some time ago. The primary purpose of this article is to promote sustainable seafood choices and to raise public awareness of general sustainability issues relating to commercial fisheries - certainly not to criticise recreational fishing activities. I have been notified by the Galway Atlantiquaria that the content of this article has now been altered so that 'commercial' has been inserted before 'fishing activities'.

I would really appreciate it if I could get feedback from individuals on this forum in relation to my originally posted message. This purpose of this project I am currently involved in is certainly not to produce a report that would harm the recreational fishing sector in Ireland. I merely intend to create a 'more accurate' record of total marine removals. Recreation fishing is a very small part of this entire picture, but nonetheless it is a component that had not been estimated or integrated within historical national catch records to date.

I am hopeful that at least a few individuals may be willing to contribute information to help with this. I was told this is the most popular public online forum for recreational anglers. Thanks!

Kindest regards,
Dana

dana, it would help users to respond simply and accurately to you if you posted once more, with only the questions you want answered. That way, all anyone has to do is hit the "pm" button to respond directly to you.

Also, are you aware of Ashley Hayden's study of historic specimen fish returns?

Thanks for the tip Tanglerat! Also - yes, I'm well aware of Ashley's work, he has a fantastic, incredibly useful website.

So - if there is anyone out there that could help me by answering the following questions, that would be great! Feel free to pm the response, thanks!

1) Within the last 12 months, what was the (approximate) maximum total weight of fish that you (as an individual) caught and retained (didn’t release) on any one day spent sea angling? If you can comment on the following, what was the maximum weight you would have brought home in a day 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? Eg. “On my best day fishing last year I caught and brought home 5kg of fish. 20 years ago on a good day fishing I would have brought home 7kg.”

2) Within the last 12 months, what would be the (approximate) total weight of fish caught and retained (didn’t release) on an average day spend sea angling where you were successful in catching fish? If you can comment on the following, what was the average weight you would have brought home about 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? Eg. “On average, on days I caught fish last year, I brought home about 1kg of fish. 10 years ago, on average I would have brought home 3kg.”

3) Within the last 12 months, what (approximate) percentage of days spent sea angling did you catch and retain fish? If you can comment on the following, what percentage of days did you catch fish 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? Eg. “25% of the days I went fishing last year I brought home fish, 10 years ago I would have caught fish on 75% of the days I went fishing.”

4) What percentage of the total weight of fish that you caught and retained within the last 12 months were any of the following (must add up to 100% and putting 0% for any of the listed varieties is fine:

Cod:
Pollack (white pollack):
Coley (saithe, black Pollack):
Plaice:
Black sole:
Lemon sole:
Dab:
Witch:
Brill:
Turbot:
Dogfish:
Ray/skate (specify species if possible):
Conger:
Whiting:
Haddock:
Bass:
Sea trout:
Common eel:
Wrasse:
Halibut:
Hake:
Spurdog:
Porbeagle:
Other (specify):

If you are able to comment, would your answers have been the same in relation your experience fishing 10 years ago? 20 years ago? 50 years ago? If not, how would it have been different?

Thanks everyone - your help is much appreciated.