An end to overfishing?

Hopefully the CFP reforms will prove positive for all sea fish species!

http://fishinginireland.info/news/news- ... -examiner/

Tight lines,
John D.

Im not sure if its me being thick but how does it make a difference if they dont have to dump it, would it not mean more boats will take more fish knowing they can?

Discards are an abomination. The sooner they're phased out and a more equitable system introduced the better.

Big fines for high grading and some large NTZs would help.

The management of the seas is a complicated issue and while I agree that discards make no sense no matter what angle you look at it, I'm still very disappointed that there is still no talk of close seasons or mandatory no fish zones. I'd also question whether a land all policy will work. If you're a skipper with a hold full of Coalfish and you then happen across a monster haul of more expensive fish, what do you think is going to happen to the Coalies? The same thing that happens now. They'll go back over the side.

If you're a skipper with a hold full of Coalfish...

...then it would be advisable to stop further fishing and land your catch?

If you're a skipper with a hold full of Coalfish and you then happen across a monster haul of more expensive fish, what do you think is going to happen to the Coalies? The same thing that happens now. They'll go back over the side.

As I said

Big fines for high grading ...

Austrian, yes in an ideal world you're dead right but Coalie is fished for by a lot of skippers and is used as a smoked fish alternative to Cod. It's also used as filler in the food processing industry (fish fingers etc) and plenty of chippers use it. Unfortunately though it's not as lucrative as some other species and all trawler skippers these days are bottom line motivated. They should stop fishing but they don't and I don't believe they ever will unless JDs solution (fines and massive ones at that) is seriously taken into consideration.

I heard a while ago that gps tracking and cctv would become mandatory on all trawler fleets within the EU but I don't know if that has or will be made law.

Austrian, yes in an ideal world you're dead right but Coalie is fished for by a lot of skippers and is used as a smoked fish alternative to Cod. It's also used as filler in the food processing industry (fish fingers etc) and plenty of chippers use it. Unfortunately though it's not as lucrative as some other species and all trawler skippers these days are bottom line motivated. They should stop fishing but they don't and I don't believe they ever will unless JDs solution (fines and massive ones at that) is seriously taken into consideration.

I heard a while ago that gps tracking and cctv would become mandatory on all trawler fleets within the EU but I don't know if that has or will be made law.

I do believe GPS tracking is already in place via the A.I.S network.

...Coalie is fished for by a lot of skippers ...
...used as a smoked fish alternative to Cod...
...used as filler in the food processing industry...
...and plenty of chippers use it...
...not as lucrative as some other species...

...all trawler skippers these days are bottom line motivated...
They should stop fishing but they don't...
....unless (JD's solution) fines and massive ones at that is seriously taken into consideration.

tracking and cctv is already in place...

- and the (...cough) efficiency of those ... ahem, 'measures' brings us back to square one!

One way, which has proofed to at least eradicate most of these issues is something as 'The Sustainable Fisheries Act: In 1996 of the U.S Government', also known as

'The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006:'

In 1996, the U.S. Congress amended the Magnuson-Stevens Act and passed the Sustainable Fisheries Act. These amendments were designed to:

• Conserve fish stocks and restore over fished populations.
• Minimize by-catch and restore and protect habitat.
• Assist traditional small-scale fishermen.
• Assist regional councils and impose a moratorium on creating new quota programs.'

In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, commonly referred to as The Reauthorization, the new law took significant conservation steps designed to end overfishing. Those steps include policies such as catch shares and sector allocation. It also calls for an increase in global cooperation.

Whereas - in short; designated fishing times and catch allowances are equally distributed throughout the fleet, rather than being based on the completely flawed quota regulations practiced here and throughout all the members of the EU.

The entire European sea fishing plan is in desperate need of a complete overhaul in order to guarantee a miniscule glimpse of hope for being a viable outlook to future generations of Irish Fishermen and their families!

High grading wont be necessary, if our fleet could be adapted to this system and a much more stabilised price structures would be achieved with seasons for herring, mackerel, cod, whiting etc. - simply the way nature works and we should just follow the generous offerings provided and be grateful for this wealth, rather than being led by (oh, so common nowadays) thoughts of negativism, greed and profit thinking by only but a few who don't care.

FWIW

I do believe GPS tracking is already in place via the A.I.S network.

this is a very valid point, but you would be surprised how many 'ghost ships' are around nowadays...

Equally and being just as unfortunate in my findings, no Irish law (at least I'm not aware of one) can command a skipper/owner of a vessel to be obliged of having a 'constant and uninterruptable power supply' available 'at all times' in aid to support the proper working of the AIS tracking and monitoring system.
Far too many faults 'can happen by act of god' and there you have another one of the (just too many...) red herrings in the system.

However, you might be able to find out more (from one of these links I posted underneath) if you suspect something 'fishy' and then, please let http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/About-Us/contact-us.html know about any irregularities in your designated area/homeland.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/
http://www.vesselfinder.com/
http://shipfinder.co/

I do believe GPS tracking is already in place via the A.I.S network.

this is a very valid point, but you would be surprised how many 'ghost ships' are around nowadays...

Equally and being just as unfortunate in my findings, no Irish law (at least I'm not aware of one) can command a skipper/owner of a vessel to be obliged of having a 'constant and uninterruptable power supply' available 'at all times' in aid to support the proper working of the AIS tracking and monitoring system.
Far too many faults 'can happen by act of god' and there you have another one of the (just too many...) red herrings in the system.

However, you might be able to find out more (from one of these links I posted underneath) if you suspect something 'fishy' and then, please let http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/About-Us/contact-us.html know about any irregularities in your designated area/homeland.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/
http://www.vesselfinder.com/
http://shipfinder.co/

True that 'My power supply went down your honour'

Big fines for high grading and some large NTZs would help.

i agree with the no take zones,i have been watching http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/ for a long time and most of the boats are fishing the same ground every day they go out
if anyone is interested watch the spots in the photo

http://www.marinetraffic.com 2012-10-12 0-43-25.JPG

Austrian, yes in an ideal world you're dead right but Coalie is fished for by a lot of skippers and is used as a smoked fish alternative to Cod. It's also used as filler in the food processing industry (fish fingers etc) and plenty of chippers use it. Unfortunately though it's not as lucrative as some other species and all trawler skippers these days are bottom line motivated. They should stop fishing but they don't and I don't believe they ever will unless JDs solution (fines and massive ones at that) is seriously taken into consideration.

I heard a while ago that gps tracking and cctv would become mandatory on all trawler fleets within the EU but I don't know if that has or will be made law.

The entire EU fishing fleet over 15 meters was given until 2014 to fit AIS transceivers and transponders
i think all boats involved in fishing no matter what size they are should be fitted with AIS transceivers and transponders,i have seen small boats pulling nets a few hundred yard from shore,most of the grounds near the shore would be breeding grounds or nursery's for juvenile fish,any of the undersize fish caught can be used in crab and lobster pots and no record is taken of this

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A step in the right direction, it all helps

i like that marine traffic website interesting... i just checked where all the trawlers were today and there was five just south of tramore inside where gfkelly1969 had circled.

and there is even a website called http://www.trawlerphotos.co.uk were you can see the photos of the trawler you are looking at.