Further developments on the pelagic trawling ban

So, the guys over in the UK, along with anglers in continental Europe, want to push on with their campaign to protect bass. They've scored one victory with the pelagic pair-trawling ban, but that was only a part of their overall campaign. They now want to build on that success.

Here's a few quotes from another forum that I'm a member of. Some of the SAI members on here will recognise them. I've asked permission of the authors to reproduce the posts - they've agreed, and they say they see no necessity to be identified as such - it's all about the message, not the messenger.

The EU bass working group are meeting on Thursday 5th Feb to discuss further proposals to bring about an 80% cut in bass landings. Other meetings will follow. It may be an idea to lobby the EU, asking that they implement measures to bring about:

• The full 80% cut in landings in 2015, as recommended by ICES and as required by EU law
• No-take during pre spawning / spawning season, for all areas, between 1 Jan to 30 April so as to help restore the stock as quickly as possible.
• An increase in MLS 48cm for all métiers.
• Vessel catch limit to be set so as to reduce F by at least 40% in 2015 – the “rumoured” 1 tonne per month limit will have little impact on most vessels.

The guys to contact are as follows:
Niki.Marlow@consilium.europa.eu
Secretariat.dgb2a@consilium.europa.eu
defra.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

The first two names relate to the working party on internal and external fisheries policy, (ask that your email is circulated to all working party members), which will discuss the proposals and the last to DEFRA.

In addition it may be worth contacting
Bernhard.Freiss@ec.europa.eu European Commission Fisheries Committee
Karmenu.Vella@ec.europa.eu Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
lowri.evans@ec.europa.eu Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

More info at BASS blog
http://www.ukbass.com/the-view-of-bass- ... our-sport/

just making the effort is also vital. The commercial sector has professional lobbyers working on their behalf. The EU Commission has already published an paper relating to the implementation of emergency measures for bass. This paper refers to the letters / emails received from “citizens” as follows:

“During this procedure, the Commission has also received over 100 spontaneous submissions
from citizens (recreational and professional fishers) active in fishing sea bass, who almost
unanimously and some with detailed reasons asked the Commission to take emergency
measures to protect the sea bass stock. In their submissions citizens and professionals
expressly criticize the fishing on spawning aggregations and identified it as damaging in the
current circumstances. They expressly ask that the Commission takes measures that ensure
that large shoals of breeding fish are left alone so that they can replenish the stock of sea
bass”.

That is the effect just 100 emails have. Imagine the impact of a couple of thousand. If we all send an email we can really make a difference.

In a nutshell:

Scientists advise an 80% reduction in bass landings because the breeding stock is overfished

Agreement could not be reached on how to achieve this so The EU Commission have banned pelagic (mid-water) trawling for bass, which accounts for 25% of annual bass landings, until 30th April as an emergency measure.

There are also proposals to increase the Minimum Landing Size for recreational catches from 36cm to 42cm (but no mention of increasing the commercial size limits) and a 3 fish per day bag limit for recreationals (anglers, spearos and 'hobby' netters).

I was sent the following email from a highly knowledgeable campaigner which highlights the farcical and ineffective situation that any proposal for a dual size limit is likely to create


A provocative take on things!

Discussions are still ongoing so nothing is set in stone yet, but all the indications are that apart from the pelagic vessel closure until end of April which is excellent news, the ONLY additional measures that have been proposed at this moment is that RSA is going to get a double kicking – a bag limit and an increased MLS.
Do sea anglers understand the consequence of these two RSA measures?

Please bear in mind the following.

1.) During the last couple of decades commercial fishing effort on bass has increased.

2.) At the same time, increasing numbers of recreational angler are practising catch & release.

So anglers have been reducing their proportion of impact on the stock whilst commercials have been increasing their proportion of impact on the stock.

According to CEFAS, in the mid eighties recreationals were responsible for about half of all mortality.

By 2012, the proportion of mortality attributable to recreational anglers had more than halved to below 25%.

Correspondingly, the proportion of mortality attributable to commercial fishing has increased from half to over 75%.

The scientists say stocks are now threatened.
You might well feel that it is commercial fishers who should shoulder most of the responsibility, but most recreational anglers are so concerned at the possibility of a total collapse, that they are prepared to shoulder their proportion of the scientifically recommended 80% cut in catches.

Closure of the Pelagic fishery cuts mortality by 25%, so we’re a long way from the 80% reduction even after the Emergency pelagic closure.
In the UK, gill nets are responsible for 45% of all mortality but so far no suggestions have been tabled to cut their mortality or the 20% of UK mortality from commercial hook and line fishing.

Even though recreationals can already demonstrate a genuine track record of conservation driven exploitation over the last three decades, the authorities very quickly announced plans to cut recreational catches with bag limits and increased minimum landing size (MLS) for recreational angling.

Right now, the indications are that whilst commercial fishing retain a 36cm MLS which means they can exploit a cohort of bass at age 4+, recreational sea anglers wont be able to access that cohort for a personal feed of fish until the cohort reaches 42cm at age 6+ - and access will of course only be available for those that remain after two years of exclusive access by commercials.

We have data in published scientific literature that shows that fishing mortality can be as high as 50% during the first year a year class becomes legally retainable.

So 100 bass that reach 36cm may be reduced to 50 bass at end of first year.

During the second year of exclusive commercial exploitation, the 50 will be subject to as much as 40% mortality.

So by the time recreational sea anglers can take one for supper, they will only have access to 30 of the original 100.
(I say “take one for supper” , actually the bag limit will allow an angler to take three.)

Meanwhile, the commercials having enjoyed exclusive access to the bass for two years will still have joint access alongside anglers for the remaining fish except, they wont be restricted by bag limits. They will still be able to keep all they can catch!

IF this happens, the authorities will at a stroke have taken a societal public fishery resource and given exclusive access to it to commercial fishermen for two years on the understanding that if any bass survive and can be located by members of society seeking to access their own resource for a personal feed, they can then have some, BUT only with a three maximum daily limit.

Meanwhile, commercial fishermen will continue to have access to those fish after their exclusive two year access without any restrictions!

And this is what Defra call: Balancing the needs of all stakeholders.

Note. A 36 cm bass is age 4+ whilst a 42cm bass is age 6+.

So guys, another push - take 10 minutes and shoot off emails to the addresses listed in the first quote.

Hi guys.

Sorry for being a pest but now is an amazing opportunity for us all to have a positive effect on the future of bass angling and bass stocks.
Please send the following message and bullet points below to Niki.Marlow@consilium.europa.eu and Secretariat.dgb2a@consilium.europa.eu
It would be more beneficial if you were to cc: your e-mail to karmenu.vella@ec.europa.eu and Bernhard.Friess@ec.europa.eu

Also ask them to circulate your e-mail to other members of the working party.

Yours hopefully and faithfully,
John D.

Dear Sir/Madam

In the interest of acting immediately to save our rapidly diminishing sea bass stocks please consider the points below:

The European Union working party on Internal and External Fisheries Policy meets this Thursday (5th February). This is to discuss further measures to bring about the 80% cut in landings ICES stated were needed to prevent a collapse of the stock of our bass. BASS wants the Working Party to implement the following to improve the management of our bass stocks:
The 80% cut on bass landings that ICES stated as being needed to prevent bass stock collapse to be fully implemented in the near future.
An annual no take season for both commercial fishermen and recreational anglers from 1st January until 30th April for coastal and offshore areas. This will protect the pre-spawning bass aggregations, allow them to breed unmolested, and maximise the value of those bass harvested given these are out of condition fish and of low relative value.
A minimum landing size for bass of 48 cm. This is the minimum bass breeding size of 42 cm plus one years further growth. It should enable all bass taken to have bred once before they can be harvested.
The suggested maximum landing figure of 1 or 1.5 tonne(s) of bass per month to be set far lower – if it is used at all. At this level it would only limit a few commercial boats, plus it is also hard to police with trans-shipment between boats a potential problem.
Consideration of making the bass fishery rod and line only. This would largely eliminating considerations of problems of undersized fish being returned dead as returned undersized fish will be returned to grow into mature fish.

Yours hopefully and faithfully,

Sent off a few emails, hopefully more positive moves come from all this pressure being put on them!

Similar topics merged

It would drive you bonkers at times dealing with all the info out there, most of its nothing more than wish lists dreamed up by a handful of bass tarts who are so consumed with their own passion that they have a total disregard for other species, I have made my feelings clear about this on my previous posts. Your post is very interesting with regards to the conflicting messages being bandied about, there doesn't seem to be one positive sound bite. I've harped on enough on the subject of marine conservation and how it is impossible to have sustainable fisheries here in the UK and Ireland when our destiny is being decided by useless unelected puppets in Brussels and Strasbourg.

NO EU POLITICAL UNION = NO CFP = SOVEREIGN IRELAND AND UK OWNING WHATS RIGHTFULLY OURS, OUR SEAS, OUR FISH, OUR RIGHT TO GOVERN OURSELVES, OUR RIGHT TO HOLD TO ACCOUNT POLITICIANS WHO WE HAVE ACTUALLY ELECTED DEMOCRATICALLY.

We shouldn't be lobbying or sending 100 emails begging these creeps in the anti democratic EU commission to protect or try to protect any individual species, it turns my guts thinking about that, I don't know how the rest of you feel. We should be sending them emails more befitting of the rebellious nations that we are and tell the EU to get stuffed. It was the greed and stupidity of a few who got us into this mess and we will need the strength and courage of the majority to get us out!