12/07/07 STRANGFORD LOUGH, HAVEST HOME

[Jonny]

The Boss has allocated me a drawer in the freezer all of my very own .So I see no problem of filling it with mackerel when I can for both bait and eating.Have about 90 mackerel in the freezer and that's all I need to tide me over to next year.So now Im not targeting mackerel but may keep one for bait if I catch but anything else i return.
As long as fish aren't wasted or killed for fun I don't see why some people are so interested in how many others take.
This has been a great year for Mackerel so why not make the best of it

[The Dirty Fecker]

Mackerel are not so indestructable as you might think. Looking at the past you will see that the East coast of Ireland once had a sustainable Herring fishing industry that has been completely wiped out. Herring are a food fish like Mackerel, Whiting and Sandeel. They are the very basics of the food chain where fish play their part. Mackerel are under threat. Yes they come in a wave at the beginning of June and grow in numbers. It seems like there are loads of them but they are fished by trawlers like everything else and their inshore migrations for sprat and sandeel will cease in only a few years to come if the fishing continues as it has been for the last 10 years. It will be a sorry day when it comes but it is coming. Mackerel have probably survived as long as they have because they are yearlings. The Joeys you catch are only a year old as are pin whiting. It seems like there are loads of them because up till now they have had to carry the weight of the trawlers nets with the help of other targeted species like Cod, haddock and plaice. What species will all the pressure fall on when these stocks collapse? The poor old mackerel should be respected. if anglers don't set an example who will follow it?

[ray]

by the by i got a really nice ballan at lee's yesterday

[Senor Feeshy]

Ah! Howeeyas!

On the subject of returning/conserving macks, I read on another forum that the combination of heat and oil of the hand eventually kills the fish. Even though ya see him swim off like a bullet apparently he's doomed. Something to do with feckin up the osmotic balance.
The recommendation is to wear wet neoprene gloves or barbless hooks and shake 'em off.

They've stickied the thread over there.

[url]http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=64059[/url]

Anyway I was aware that you should handle them carefully but never realised the threat that handling posed.

This is probably old news to most people here but sure no harm if a few others are enlightened like I was.



**edit**
Even better I see its stickied here also.
[url]http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bulletin%20board/viewtopic.php?t=3234[/url]
Suppose I still have a lot of readin' to do at SAI

The Feesh