Increase in bag limit for Bass in 2020

[donal domeney]

What are people's opinions on this?


"A new increased bag limit for European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) has been agreed by EU Council Ministers. In 2020, recreational anglers will now be allowed to take 2 bass per day over or equal to the minimum size of 42cm. This is an increase on the single fish allowed during much of 2019.

Anglers will be allowed to take up to 2 fish a day in all months except January, February and December (i.e. 1st March to 30th November), which are catch and release only periods to help protect spawning stocks. An increased bag limit had been called for by various lobby groups such as the European Angling Alliance (EAA)  , Save Our Sea Bass  and the UK’s Angling Trust ."
https://www.offthescaleangling.ie/news/ ... ions-2020/

[donal domeney]

What are people's opinions on this?


"A new increased bag limit for European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) has been agreed by EU Council Ministers. In 2020, recreational anglers will now be allowed to take 2 bass per day over or equal to the minimum size of 42cm. This is an increase on the single fish allowed during much of 2019.

Anglers will be allowed to take up to 2 fish a day in all months except January, February and December (i.e. 1st March to 30th November), which are catch and release only periods to help protect spawning stocks. An increased bag limit had been called for by various lobby groups such as the European Angling Alliance (EAA)  , Save Our Sea Bass  and the UK’s Angling Trust ."
https://www.offthescaleangling.ie/news/ ... ions-2020/

A subject I had planned to bring up.
While this has been pass at a EU level it can be tightened up on be the Irish government

This is what I got back from http://www.fisheriesireland.ie
"However these are an EU minimum and member states are at liberty to put more stringent regulations in place if they see fit.

My understanding is that this is currently under discussion at department level.

We will issue any update on Irish regulations as soon as we have them."


It is very irresponsible of bloggers and the facebook brigade to be quoting the new EU regulation a be the new legislation to apply in Ireland without reading into it properly. Offthescale is the only site I have seen the full story on these new regulations.

I have been in dozens of arguments with anglers over this.

[JimC]

What are people's opinions on this?


"A new increased bag limit for European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) has been agreed by EU Council Ministers. In 2020, recreational anglers will now be allowed to take 2 bass per day over or equal to the minimum size of 42cm. This is an increase on the single fish allowed during much of 2019.

Anglers will be allowed to take up to 2 fish a day in all months except January, February and December (i.e. 1st March to 30th November), which are catch and release only periods to help protect spawning stocks. An increased bag limit had been called for by various lobby groups such as the European Angling Alliance (EAA)  , Save Our Sea Bass  and the UK’s Angling Trust ."
https://www.offthescaleangling.ie/news/ ... ions-2020/

The increase is based on the premise that bass are recovering somewhat. Also the advisory bodies underestimated the amount of bass that were released and also underestimated the potential mortality of released fish. The lobbying is largely for UK and FR anglers. In these countries there is a commercial fishery and greater numbers of bass. Anglers felt unfairly treated when rod and line commercials and netters are working alongside them and getting more generous limits.

Bass are in no danger from bass anglers. The majority of bass anglers that catch bass regularly practice C&R. The danger to bass is from the fellows that catch an occasional one or who fluke them while fishing for other species. Many of these fish are killed. The greatest danger to bass is from illegal fishing. Those criminals will not give a monkeys what the law is in any case.

The EU legislation can be superseded by more stringent local law. This is common knowledge and has always been the case. However over the last few years the new EU regulations have been accepted by the Irish Government. Last year the regulations were enforced by statutory instrument and the department consulted no other bodies before issue.
You'll probably see towards the end of next month (or later in the event of an election) whether more stringent rules will be applied to Irish anglers.
In the absence of more stringent Ireland specific regulations the new EU regulations will be law, as in previous years.

It would be great if the the powers that be were a bit more progressive and brought in a "slot size" as well as well as limits. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

[chuckaroo]

Don't see the need to be keeping bass at all!!! we should be promoting saving them! i would rather C&R all day long.

[patk]

Don't see the need to be keeping bass at all!!! we should be promoting saving them! i would rather C&R all day long.

Anyone can of course practice C&R all day long.

[JimC]

Don't see the need to be keeping bass at all!!! we should be promoting saving them! i would rather C&R all day long.

Anyone can of course practice C&R all day long.

Exactly!

[cd07]

Anyone keeping bass is mad imo. They taste good but I'd rather a flattie any day or nice Whiting. Restaurants and other commercials are pushing 'sea bass' and to the average person think yea cool local caught fresh fish. But the general public haven't a clue what they're eating. Us as anglers can tell if it's a tiny farmed bass from Greece or somewhere...! Mate of mine caught a 11lb bass last summer..the biggest I've personally witnessed! And to watch it swim off was just amazing and I dunno just...right! And that's what it should be about. I'm old enough to remember the serious drought of bass along especially our east coast....

[donal domeney]

This is my opinion
There seems to be a mentality around bass and some other fish that they should never be taken and anglers who take them are looked down upon. Fishing at the end of the day is really a method to catch food and if someone is within the law to take a fish then they shouldnt feel any pressure not to. Social media is a breeding ground for circle jerk mentality where people with the same views nearly become radicalised.

Anglers are not the problem when it comes to over fishing. If you want to release a fish thats your choice but if your friend wants to keep it to feed himself he should be able to.

[Phortlairge]

This is my opinion
There seems to be a mentality around bass and some other fish that they should never be taken and anglers who take them are looked down upon. Fishing at the end of the day is really a method to catch food and if someone is within the law to take a fish then they shouldnt feel any pressure not to. Social media is a breeding ground for circle jerk mentality where people with the same views nearly become radicalised.

Anglers are not the problem when it comes to over fishing. If you want to release a fish thats your choice but if your friend wants to keep it to feed himself he should be able to.

Exactly, I agree with every sentence, especially the circle jerk mentality of alot of people these days, it's pathetic, and after all the seas here do have quite a few of bass in them, I keep 4 or 5 a year to eat (out of atleast 400+ caught) if they're bleeders as they're delicious and it's disgusting and cowardly to throw a dying fish back, they're not my favorite fish to eat but definitely very tasty.