Bloody shocking

[northeast1]

Well it is but we all new it happened, this may help others see our point of view.

Hartlepool based boat......BBC NEWS | UK | Life behind the net

BBC NEWS | UK | Fish dumping 'will ruin industry'

[Falcone]

Yes it is shocking, cant see any logic in throwing dead fish back, the governments existing quota system is extremely flawed. Rather than go to sea and have all that bycatch wasted the boats should be restricted to how many days at sea they are allowed, because this is decimating the fish stocks. With the rising sea temperatures the prawns are either moving further north or stay buried in the mud untill we get sustained cold weather.
So this means boats are trying for prawns when they just not there in numbers and having all this bycatch just to dump.
You cant really blame the fishermen, as they have a living to make. Its the government who need to sort this out and put in a more practical quota system.

[RossW]

Jesus

We all know it happens but seeing it really brings it home. Don't think I'll ever feel too guilty about deep-hooking a 25cm codling again. There's got to be a solution to this - it's so irrational. It's a disgrace. Is there no way the trawlermen can more accurately guess what's out there? He's targeting prawns and only caught about a dozen. Is it really just a case of drag-the-net-and-see-what-comes-up?()

[The Great Wallsendo]

...Is it really just a case of drag-the-net-and-see-what-comes-up?()

yes it is...and I'd be very surprised if the guys actually give a sh*t...it's all about the money plain and simple - if they were allowed to sell undersize fish they would

[northeast1]

More facts and figures...not good reading if correct.

100,0000+ tones of Herring wasted each year, no the wonder this season has been the first since 1991 that i have not caught a good sized herring from the shore or boat.


BBC NEWS | UK | UK fishing industry in figures

[RossW]

Have to stress that I know more about how to build an igloo than about this - but, surely, science and research can help these trawlermen target the right species at the right time...

I'm tempted to agree with Tony Wallsendo about the attitude of the commercials, i must admit (although I stress my ignorance again!)...

(No death threats, please - wife and kid to look after - cheers x)

[The Great Wallsendo]

Have to stress that I know more about how to build an igloo than about this - but, surely, science and research can help these trawlermen target the right species at the right time...

I'm tempted to agree with Tony Wallsendo about the attitude of the commercials, i must admit (although I stress my ignorance again!)...

(No death threats, please - wife and kid to look after - cheers x)

I built an Igloo once - when I was ten years old...rolled 4 big snowballs and stacked them up...then filled in the gaps with snow - then hollowed it out

Sat in it and read my Beanos...what a hoot

I will also admit I have very little "first hand" knowledge of commercial fishing - so my comments are based on assumption...

If anyone can however, proffer (word for the day ) me anything to make me think otherwise....

[occasionalkevin]

come again?

Fisheries minister Johnathan Shaw on Radio 4 Today prog this moring going on about how cod stocks had improved and that is why so much by-catch by the trawlers .

Solution: Up the quota so that it would not be by-catch.....because some scientist says so.
Other scientists suggesting major reduction in catch, this was put to the minister but he would not have it "plenty of fish, so catch more"

This governement spends its time using dodgy statistics to justfy bizzarre decisions. So no tabs, booze, driving, breathing, etc.

What next?

[Falcone]

As far as targeting the right species, some 10 years ago we were getting Big bulks of prawns from september onward, but now the boats ar'nt getting the bulk of prawns because of the warming climate. The prawns ar'nt coming in any numbers till November december nowadays and the are holeing up earlier in the year. The boat is using a Prawn trawl it has a smaller mesh size than a fish trawl. A prawn trawl is towed slow so that it can dig into the mud, normally only a small amount of fish is caught in a prawn trawl as they can get away from the net as it moves very slowly across the seabed.


Wallsendo i can assure you that not all fisherman share the view of lets trash the sea and to hell with it. you have to understand some of these guys have been fishing throughout there lives,its there livelihood.
Some people have a warped vew regarding these fishermen, a man has the right to earn his crust , and these boats are obeying rules brought in by our government you shouldnt victimise the fishermen for this.

[The Great Wallsendo]

You are right of course - it's their livelihood, which has also been put under strains and pressures by various EU and Governement directives

The lads are a very easy soft target for people venting their frustration

There is no easy solution to all this - a golden mile would protect our inshore fisheries for the best part...but any legislation still needs the willful co-operation of the Trawlermen to work

[RossW]

Eureka!

I ve got it! Someone needs to invent an accurate way of scanning the sea-bed before the nets are dropped. Come on Boffins out there - we've put men on the moon (allegedly), we've invented a way to kill millions of people with one bomb and Wallsendo has even built an Igloo! Surely someone can invent a way to find out what's down there before we rip it all up to its death... (any takers? I'll contribute a tenner to research)

[Falcone]

there is a way of doing this without the need for electronic equipment. you could do it by either decreasing the lift of the trawl net. The lift of the net is the size of the mouth. by lowering the lift the net would concentrate on scraping through the mud and would have a lesser impact on species residing more than a few metre from the bottom.

All though bottom dwelling fish such as flatties monkfish skate etc would still be caught.

[The Great Wallsendo]

there is a way of doing this without the need for electronic equipment. you could do it by either decreasing the lift of the trawl net. The lift of the net is the size of the mouth. by lowering the lift the net would concentrate on scraping through the mud and would have a lesser impact on species residing more than a few metre from the bottom.

All though bottom dwelling fish such as flatties monkfish skate etc would still be caught.

If it's that simple then - why isn't it done? surely that then places the emphasis back on an allegedly unscrupulous netter?

[agent]

I'm also a member of the "well we know it goes on" brigade but seeing it happen is quite another thing. What I cannot get my head around is why we are throwing the bycatch back dead, whilst at the same time we have trawlers netting sandeels (major part of the food chain) in the north sea for processing into fish meal!!

[Falcone]

I would suggest to go down to a fish quay and talk to some of these guys and ask them why, and get a commercial fishermans perspective rather than them get a slating all the time.

I did the job for 6 years and contrary to belief there isnt a lot of money to be made by fishermen these days.They risk there lives everyday to bring fish to people, they have seen escalating fuel bills, restriction on catch limits. many fishermen are on the brink of collapse , and then you go say to him go and buy a new net which may cost thousands to have made.

It might seem simple to say , "why doesnt he go get a new net if its that simple" , isnt always as straight forward as that.