Protection of bass stocks - UK
Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:13 pm
THE Angling Trust has stepped up its bid to persuade the UK government to enforce the unilateral protection of British bass stocks.
The move follows the UK government's failure at this month's European Fisheries Council meeting to secure an agreement to protect bass and the Trust has since written to UK Fisheries Minister George Eustice to seek an urgent meeting to discuss a timescale for the introduction of national bass conservation measures.
The recreational sea angling sector, which is worth £2.1 billion and 23,600 jobs to the UK economy, feels badly let down by the government which has persistently refused to take unilateral action on the basis that an EU breakthrough was pending. To make matters worse, say the Trust, Ministers are claiming to have secured "a fair deal for fisheries", despite the failure to take any measures on bass in response to the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas' (ICES) recent call for an immediate 80% reduction in bass landings to avoid a total stock collapse.
Since 2004 sea anglers have been calling for domestic measures in UK waters including:
•Raising the minimum landing size for bass from 36cms to at least 45cms to allow fish to breed at least once before harvesting.
•Strengthening and enforcing the UK's network of bass nursery areas and giving greater protection to estuaries.
•Moving away from indiscriminate netting towards line-caught methods that are more selective and environmentally friendly.
•Limiting the weekly catch per commercial boat.
Last month, Fisheries Minister George Eustice, in response to a Parliamentary question from his predecessor Richard Benyon MP, said: "When it comes to bass, I can tell him that we expect to have an important breakthrough in December. We have always said that there should be technical measures. The stock has been fished unsustainably and there is a tentative proposal, which we expect to be raised at the December Council, that will look at both bag limits and catch limits, so that we can preserve this vital stock."
Martin Salter, National Campaigns Coordinator for the Angling Trust, said: "George Eustice was told time and time again that his strategy of leaving it to Europe to agree long overdue measures to rebuild bass stocks was fundamentally flawed. With ICES calling for an 80% reduction in bass landings we have to ask just how bad do things have to get before the government starts reducing unsustainable over fishing in UK territorial waters?"
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust, added: "This is very disappointing news but we feel that that the government has now run out of excuses for putting off introducing domestic measures on bass minimum landing sizes, more nursery areas and increased protection for estuaries. The Angling Trust will be working with supportive MPs in Westminster to step up our campaign for meaningful action to save British bass stocks on behalf of a million sea anglers. Once again we have seen yet another example of politicians across Europe failing to do anything other than manage the continued decline of our precious fish stocks."
Source - http://www.fishnewseu.com/
The move follows the UK government's failure at this month's European Fisheries Council meeting to secure an agreement to protect bass and the Trust has since written to UK Fisheries Minister George Eustice to seek an urgent meeting to discuss a timescale for the introduction of national bass conservation measures.
The recreational sea angling sector, which is worth £2.1 billion and 23,600 jobs to the UK economy, feels badly let down by the government which has persistently refused to take unilateral action on the basis that an EU breakthrough was pending. To make matters worse, say the Trust, Ministers are claiming to have secured "a fair deal for fisheries", despite the failure to take any measures on bass in response to the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas' (ICES) recent call for an immediate 80% reduction in bass landings to avoid a total stock collapse.
Since 2004 sea anglers have been calling for domestic measures in UK waters including:
•Raising the minimum landing size for bass from 36cms to at least 45cms to allow fish to breed at least once before harvesting.
•Strengthening and enforcing the UK's network of bass nursery areas and giving greater protection to estuaries.
•Moving away from indiscriminate netting towards line-caught methods that are more selective and environmentally friendly.
•Limiting the weekly catch per commercial boat.
Last month, Fisheries Minister George Eustice, in response to a Parliamentary question from his predecessor Richard Benyon MP, said: "When it comes to bass, I can tell him that we expect to have an important breakthrough in December. We have always said that there should be technical measures. The stock has been fished unsustainably and there is a tentative proposal, which we expect to be raised at the December Council, that will look at both bag limits and catch limits, so that we can preserve this vital stock."
Martin Salter, National Campaigns Coordinator for the Angling Trust, said: "George Eustice was told time and time again that his strategy of leaving it to Europe to agree long overdue measures to rebuild bass stocks was fundamentally flawed. With ICES calling for an 80% reduction in bass landings we have to ask just how bad do things have to get before the government starts reducing unsustainable over fishing in UK territorial waters?"
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust, added: "This is very disappointing news but we feel that that the government has now run out of excuses for putting off introducing domestic measures on bass minimum landing sizes, more nursery areas and increased protection for estuaries. The Angling Trust will be working with supportive MPs in Westminster to step up our campaign for meaningful action to save British bass stocks on behalf of a million sea anglers. Once again we have seen yet another example of politicians across Europe failing to do anything other than manage the continued decline of our precious fish stocks."
Source - http://www.fishnewseu.com/
Re: Protection of Bass stocks - UK
Sat Jan 03, 2015 7:22 pm
Sad reading indeed Jim but not totally unexpected. The British are not the most loved in the EU at the minute thanks to the sterling efforts of UKIP and some rogue euro sceptic Conservatives so I didn’t expect the plight of the Bass to be given a fair hearing coupled with the fact that we are heading towards a general election in 5 months it was all bad timing on our behalf. Politics governs our fishing and its lead by a man who not too many could name, Karmenu Vella he’s the unelected washed up politician from the fishing mecca that is Malta! and furthermore during the meeting in December Mr Vella actually congratulated all concerened on the progress they made on maintaining fish stocks 
they are in a total state of denial and his sidekick is a washed up accountant called Lowri Evans from the UK both of whom are in the twilight of their years and have been handed well paid cushy numbers on the fisheries board. What is so frustrating is that there is plenty of evidence both scientific and financial that the benefits of a properly controlled Bass stock or any other fish for that matter. But unfortunately for us, most votes or "tentative proposals" put forward need the support of the majority of the other member states which is 27 of the top of my head on that board, I think Luxembourg are too busy harbouring big corporate tax avoiders to worry about a measly million or two euro 
, so when Ireland and the UK try and change the CFP or adopt a new law to benefit our people, then unless it’s in the interest of the other member states or we are willing to "offer" them something for their vote in return then as proven over the past we just get shouted down. The law that the Irish people have on Bass will at some point be challenged in the EU and has already been spoken about on here by the more powerful lobby speaking on behalf of the Inshore brigade and a directive will be passed through Brussels instructing the Irish pigmy politicians to override the sovereign law of the land but that’s how things work. Im not taking the argument away from the plight of the bass in the UK but its no different than cod, haddock, plaice, megrim etc.
Sorry to harp on about this but hopefully come May then UKIP hold the balance of power or better(fingers crossed) then Nigel Farage has already said he would do a deal with the devil to get us a referendum on our withdrawal from the EU and then this would automatically trigger the renegotiation of the CFP at the very least, personally I would love to confine them to their own territorial waters but when you see the graph below you will see why these Islands of ours have a fight on our hands to change any aspect of the CFP in our current situation.
This is the sort of money that they are pumping into what is basically a welfare system/ cash top up for fishermen because they cannot and will not address fish stocks and the sustainability issues (5.7 billion euro) a sweetener if you will, some of the countries on that graph also receive money from their own governments on top of these handouts. The whole system is corrupt and needs addressing, just a point before I end, the EU money is not EU money, the EU doesn’t have any money its our hard earned taxes that are being frittered away into an organisation who haven’t had their accounts signed off by an auditor in 18 years! If that was my business or yours we would be in the slammer serving hard time. Im up for a fight with them and I do from time to time be in contact with politicians who I believe want us out of the EU as it is the only way we will get back our own right to say what gets taken out of our waters.
they are in a total state of denial and his sidekick is a washed up accountant called Lowri Evans from the UK both of whom are in the twilight of their years and have been handed well paid cushy numbers on the fisheries board. What is so frustrating is that there is plenty of evidence both scientific and financial that the benefits of a properly controlled Bass stock or any other fish for that matter. But unfortunately for us, most votes or "tentative proposals" put forward need the support of the majority of the other member states which is 27 of the top of my head on that board, I think Luxembourg are too busy harbouring big corporate tax avoiders to worry about a measly million or two euro , so when Ireland and the UK try and change the CFP or adopt a new law to benefit our people, then unless it’s in the interest of the other member states or we are willing to "offer" them something for their vote in return then as proven over the past we just get shouted down. The law that the Irish people have on Bass will at some point be challenged in the EU and has already been spoken about on here by the more powerful lobby speaking on behalf of the Inshore brigade and a directive will be passed through Brussels instructing the Irish pigmy politicians to override the sovereign law of the land but that’s how things work. Im not taking the argument away from the plight of the bass in the UK but its no different than cod, haddock, plaice, megrim etc.Sorry to harp on about this but hopefully come May then UKIP hold the balance of power or better(fingers crossed) then Nigel Farage has already said he would do a deal with the devil to get us a referendum on our withdrawal from the EU and then this would automatically trigger the renegotiation of the CFP at the very least, personally I would love to confine them to their own territorial waters but when you see the graph below you will see why these Islands of ours have a fight on our hands to change any aspect of the CFP in our current situation.
This is the sort of money that they are pumping into what is basically a welfare system/ cash top up for fishermen because they cannot and will not address fish stocks and the sustainability issues (5.7 billion euro) a sweetener if you will, some of the countries on that graph also receive money from their own governments on top of these handouts. The whole system is corrupt and needs addressing, just a point before I end, the EU money is not EU money, the EU doesn’t have any money its our hard earned taxes that are being frittered away into an organisation who haven’t had their accounts signed off by an auditor in 18 years! If that was my business or yours we would be in the slammer serving hard time. Im up for a fight with them and I do from time to time be in contact with politicians who I believe want us out of the EU as it is the only way we will get back our own right to say what gets taken out of our waters.
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Re: Protection of Bass stocks - UK
Tue Jan 13, 2015 4:07 pm
If Ireland can ban commercial bass fishing & restrict the size and catch , then so could the UK. I fished Kinsale in Sept but caught nothing but jacks.
I did see two bass eating a dead fish in about 6 inches of water. Booked another holiday in Courtmacsherry for Sept this year. Only heard of one Bass being caught on Skye but with global warming you never know.
I did see two bass eating a dead fish in about 6 inches of water. Booked another holiday in Courtmacsherry for Sept this year. Only heard of one Bass being caught on Skye but with global warming you never know.
Re: Protection of Bass stocks - UK
Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:26 pm
Re: Protection of Bass stocks - UK
Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:05 pm
sniff....sniff.......sniff...... Yeah I definately smell dung!!!!
It's a half hearted attempt, too little too late, this seasons spawning will be over by the time this filters down the various levels of the EUSSR so called parliament to the skippers and the wholesalers. Whatever the French didn't get this time around you can bet your left testicle they will get added to the statutes in time for next years wrangle.
Being a complete hater of the EU political stranglehold over our great nations I was never going to be happy with unelected commissioners taking decisions on behalf of us but the legislation is rushed and flawed and that's with decades of evidence to go on and it just highlights the complete lack of interest the EU have in this matter, for gods sake the guy in charge only does it part time, complete waste of time!
It's a half hearted attempt, too little too late, this seasons spawning will be over by the time this filters down the various levels of the EUSSR so called parliament to the skippers and the wholesalers. Whatever the French didn't get this time around you can bet your left testicle they will get added to the statutes in time for next years wrangle.
Being a complete hater of the EU political stranglehold over our great nations I was never going to be happy with unelected commissioners taking decisions on behalf of us but the legislation is rushed and flawed and that's with decades of evidence to go on and it just highlights the complete lack of interest the EU have in this matter, for gods sake the guy in charge only does it part time, complete waste of time!