Poachers Markets

[John D]

Hello Leon,

Does this mean it will be legal once again to sell Bass after June of this year?

John D

[teacher]

Does this mean it will be legal once again to sell Bass after June of this year?

I think new orders are introduced each year so we can expect a new order from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007.

Jonathan

[Leon Roskilly]

The fact that the order has to be renewed every year is stopping a lot of people setting up business in Ireland as Charter Boat Skippers, Angling Lodge Owners, Angling guides etc.

If it was made permanent, they would have the confidence to make the investment.

As it is, they dould invest all they have and then find that the bass are given back to the commercials on a political whim.

Of course there is opposition to it being made permanent just for those reasons,

Commercial interests always hope that one day they will be able to apply enough pressure to be able to get their feet back in, but if a lot of folk have invested in the recreational angling sector, that isn't likely to happen.

So, when the order comes up for renewal, you need to get as many people as possible writing in to ask that, not only should it be renewed for another year, but that it should be made permanent so that people will have the confidence to invest, and Ireland benefit from that.

(And don't forget to make a note at the back of the diary to do the same next year!)

[John D]

Good advice. Thanks Leon.
John D

[rapala]

Sorry, I cant keep quiet on this one.
If I ever saw one thread that typified the bass situation in Ireland then this is it.
I and many like me who look at this board dont even live in Iteland but every year we collectively spend 1000's of euros visiting your country for the bass fishing.
We are well aware of the restriction of sale order and myself and others like me write each year urging your minister for the marine to resign the bass order.
What we have see over recent years is a big increase in illegal netting, especially along your Southern coast. Tho we have seen them, its not just small-time netters that are the main worry but big commercial outfits setting miles of gillnet on a daily basis.
Last year we saw a net of 1000yards being dropped in an area that for the previous 3 years trips had produced sensational bass fishing for us. We first saw the nets there 2 years ago, then again last year.
We reported them and met bailiffs the next day.
Last year the fishing was dreadfull, and not just for ourselves but for various other aquantances who were fishing the same area over a period of 6 to 8 weeks. The abundant stocks of large bass in that area are now gone. sure the occasional decent fish will turn up but the reliable backbone of 5 to 7 lb'ers that were so so common have all but disappeared.

In our case, the bailiffs explained they knew who the netter was but couldnt touch him because he had already been prosecuted for illegal bass once that year already and a legal loophole prevented him from being done twice for the same offence in the same year.
The netter in question might only have a small boat, but he sure has a lot of big nets. We were told that the SWFB have a massive area to cover and resourse issues. Everyone in the local comminities know what cars the bailiffs drive so it is next to impossible to ever catch the netters unloading the illegal bass.
We were told the bass gets smuggled out of the country hidden amongst legal fish, which I found highly believable.
Previous atempts at reporting illegal netting by the email address have been a waste of time but I must admit I was impressed with the response when I rang them up.
It was just a pity that when we bumped not the bailiffs the next day they were looking in the wrong place - they were 5 miles away from where I had reported the massive nets.
I might be wrong here but I am left with the impression that the bailiffs / SWFB felt that powerless at enforcing the laws they were just going through the motions, get their wages, and get no agro off the netters. I cant say I blame the bailiffs personally for this, I mean if it was me and I wasnt getting the backing from above, (ultimately the government), then I doubt I would be stiring things up and riking a good hiding off the netters either.
I get the impression that the restriction of sale order is purely a cosmetic gesture to boost angling tourism. Sure the fishing you have is still better than what we have in Wales/England but I'll tell you what, the gap is narrowing.
I think its such a tragic waste to see it all go down the pan, if I were you guys I'd be making an almightly song and dance about it to your local councillors and TD's, after all they are your bass.

One final point - as for the tale from Fish Magnet further up this thread
Quote <<<- A trawler based where I live, caught 300 boxes of Bass as a bycatch while prawn fishing in an area 50 south of Wexford called the smalls last spring. The skipper, a neighbour of mine, did not know what to do with this unusual catch, so over the VHF to another skipper, he was told to take the fish to Milford Haven in Wales, which he did. He sold the fish no problem , but got a poor price for them as his crew had unwittingly gutted the bass. When you live among commercial fishermen some of the stuff you find out, from them would frighten you. >>>Unquote

well, I never! I bet theres a h3ll of a lot more going on just like that, and i bet a lot of it is being caught less than a mile from the shore.
300 boxes of Wexford bass....dear me! Its enough tomake me wanna puke.

Leon Roskilly really does know his stuff and his advice is always rock solid. The depth of knowledge he has on these kind of subjects is astounding.
He is dead right - everyone/ anyone who cares about Irish bass needs to write to the minister for the marine to ask him to resign the order, but also as Irish citizens you need to try and put as much pressure on you local government and the fisheries boards to try and get this dirty business cleaned up.
Jim Hendrick was setting an action group up for this but I havent been on this site for a while but it seems to have gone a bit quiet...
Any news Jim?

Tight lines everyone.

[JimH]

I have just returned from Holland and Germany from a time consuming, expensive and neccessary trip in order to determine whether i would like to promote my business in these countries in the future.

I know what its like to live - year by year with the current legislation - it badly affects planning and my ability to make decisions in respect of the business and its development. Yet the business must support my need and financial costs to promote not only angling but Ireland as a tourist destination as well. Guiding involves a lot more than simply fishing.

Over the last few weeks I met some very interesting and capable fishermen/guides and lots of 'recreational anglers' who may be interested in coming to Ireland to fish. I have also had time to meet and speak with people who are actively engaged in Tourism and Angling in Ireland as well as people responsible for legislation.

I have a visitors book from three previous seasons in which customers wrote of their experiences of the fishing and services. I believe that viewing it from a commercial point of view these visitors returned a vast sum of money to the local economy via restaurants, shops, pubs and not forgetting my own enterprise. They witnessed a clean, at times spectacular, countryside and marine environment and as a result some returned for the 2006 season, and some generated new customers by talking to friends and relatives. The main reason they did this was because of the quality of the fishing and the services. It might be neccesary to copy these visitor reactions and post them to the relevant people.

I want to do this job - I want to do it with confidence, sustainability and proper management, I want to do it with a view to helping other people understand and learn of this resource and others and maybe, who knows, someone might like to do the same. I want to be as professional and capable as posssible.

Right now as i am about to embark on another season what do i feel?

I feel that i know the poachers will be back in the usual places.
I feel the frustration of knowing they dont care.
I feel the un -neccesary fear of reporting illegal activity.
I feel the frustration of knowing they are not willing to change.
I know that the support people are completely under resourced.
I know that if it continues, bass, like salmon will dissappear AGAIN.
I know that the authorities need to sit up do something.
I know that if it continues visitors will stop using my services.

no one said it was an easy Job!

Will i be in Europe next year?
Will i promote the angling paradise of Ireland and all its local attractions?
Will i help local businesses like shops and restaurants, insurance companies, tourist attractions etc in Wexford?
Will i help other angling charter boats with business in Wexford?
Will what i do help to protect and develop sensibly, bass angling in Ireland?

not on my own i wont.

[John D]

Well said Jim H.

John D

[Codswallop]

Yeah well said Jim!