Clonea 31/7/08

[Figs]

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Report:

Took my dogs out to Clonea last night while I dug a few lug. When I went to leave, one of the dogs was way down the beach standing out in the surf which they generally dont like to do.
Went down to the dog anyway as she wouldnt come back, and was disgusted to see what she was sniffing at - a gillnet snagged up with weeds out in the surf.
Was able to pull it out of the water, probably about 12 dogfish bodies rotting in it and a few mullet and a few fish reduced to carcases.
I wont describe the setup other than to say it was tied to a flat rock at one end. The other end was in a ball with weeds/rotting fish.

It was too heavy to drag it up the beach and had I nothing to cut it but fortunatly another angler showed up and gave me a hand to get it past the high water mark.
(Thanks Martin, hope you got a few)
Not a nice sight anyway Indiscriminate killing which no doubt is going on quite a bit.

[gearoid mc s.]

be very careful

I used go along with a neighbour draft netting (shore netting) for salmon when i was younger along the estuary he had all the lisences and tags etc and was 100% law obliging but one day when we arrived we noticed a net was already out on "our" patch about 500 yards from where we normally fish....I went over to have a look and was told to leave it well alone..as i walked back three caravan types emerged from a bush and swiftly removed the net and left..

basically if i went to pull it in and while i was doing so a balif came along on his rib you would have a good time trying to explain it wasnt yours but you just found it..

what do you think a poacher would say if he got caught? exactly the very same thing ..i was walking my dogs...or i was digging lug...or i just found it..

fair play to you and well done but id recommend if you have time the best thing to do is to ring someone who will sort this out like the fisheries board or you could get in trouble....

[Figs]

Cheers Gearoid , a valid point.

Possibly naieve and impulsive of me but I would never really have any fear in doing the right thing by my own standards. By the state of the net a baliff would know it (and the contents) were useless.
As for the poachers...... bring it on.....
Incidentally, I did leave a message with the fisheries board.

I think in the case of an 'active' net I would leave it and contact the authorities who would hopefully watch it and wait ......

[gearoid mc s.]

I think when balifs are notified of a net they "watch" it until someone comes back for it and catch the poachers..a good idea...

but going back to my point they could be watching a net that you pull in while you were only doing the right thing...

then again common sense will prevail in most circumstances..

Fair play to you anyway thats your good deed done for a month!!

[corbyeire]

sad to hear - fair play to you on reporting it and good to highlight the issue and how to go about it when you see one

[marshpike]

Sad to here it, just on Gearoids point if you do find a net don't touch it or you may be found liable, just contact the authorities and they deal with it.