following on from the \"undersize fish\" thread

[micky-quayle]

just wondering what nesa members think is the best way to protect fish stocks (talking commercial trawlers here)
is it
a) size limits
b) tonage limits
c) mesh sizes
d) numbers of days a trawler is allowed to fish per year
e) a combination of the above
f) other

in my oppinion all have their drawbacks eg size limits and tonage limits result in huge numbers of fish caught and then because either they are the wrong species or wrong size are tipped back into the see dead, mesh sizes work to a degree but on a good trawl the larger mesh gets clogged up with the better fish and hence everything else gets caught and once again tipped back dead..

what is the answer, i\'m not sure.

[Mike.Haley]

I think the best way is to ban all commercial boats for a 20mile limit of any shore and a closed season during breeding times. this way the fish may have a chance of surviving.

[Chippy]

There are better brains than mine working on this subject. Perhaps an answer could be a species based quota, X tonnes of cod , regardless of size per rolling 12 month period. Undersize fish have to be landed. I suppose they would get round this by slinging the under size ones back.

I\'m unsure about no take zones during the breeding period, surely they\'ll just hover around the edges of the boxes and then when they open, hoover the lot up.

I think that realistically, there has to be some research on farming at risk species in the same way as salmon, hopefully with less ecological damage.

Finally, and it\'s very easy to say it sat here, but perhaps fishing has to go the way of coal mining and the majority of other heavy industry, if indeed it hasn\'t already. Sure it was unpopular to say the least in the eighties, but the reforms of British industry then to a large extent saved the economy of this country for the longer term. Perhaps if deep sea fishing isn\'t largely sacrificed now, with Government/EU support for retraining of trawler men and associated workers, then it may well collapse regardless in a few years time when fish stocks deplete completely.

Who contributes more to the economy, recreational anglers or commercials?

[Davyred]

Good question Mick. A 3 year ban (for that years spawning to reach maturity) for me, then limited trips out.

Yes fish prices would shoot up, fish and chip shops would shut (although I personally don\'t believe that), and jobs would be lost, but its called biting the bullet. Do it now, and have a future fishing industry. Don\'t and get used to empty seas.

I think we all realise that something has to give regarding this situation, either Fishermans livlihoods or fish stocks. I know what my money would be on, and if I\'m right, I\'d get used to empty catch bags