Issue 157 JUNE 2008
Pick up your FREE copy of The SAN from a tackle shop near you!
UK BASS STOCKS COLLAPSE
BASS SOCIETY DEMANDS URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION
John Leballeur, Chairman of the Bass Anglers' Sportfishing Society (BASS) Restoration Project Team says "In over 20 years of bass sampling I have never seen a period when the numbers of young bass have been so low for so long".
Shocked by the emerging evidence the society has written to Jonathan Shaw, the UK Fisheries Minister, demanding urgent measures to halt the disastrous collapse, demanding that both the recreational and commercial bass fisheries are closed during the 3 month breeding season when spawning congregations of bass are particularly vulnerable, and suggesting the establishment of designated Marine Protection Areas designed to protect bass stocks. Recommended as a species to be regarded as recreational only in the Prime Minister's Strategy Units 'Net Benefits' report, bass was recently described by the current Fisheries Minister as 'an important displacement species' for the hard pressed commercial fishing industry when the Minister cancelled measures designed to protect the species last year, despite the superior value of the UK recreational bass fishery. Even some commercial fishermen have since expressed concerns at the present unsustainable level of exploitation.
In his letter to the Minister, as well as offering the new evidence, John Leballeur points out to the Minister that he now faces a catastrophe on his watch as Fisheries Minister, unless he acts with urgency to bring in effective measures to protect the species. ( Letter to the Fisheries Minister is printed in full on page 2 of this months SAN )
ANGLERS URGED TO WEAR LIFEJACKETS
Eleven sea anglers lost their lives while sea angling in 2007, up from seven in 2006. Reporting the more than 50 per cent rise, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said that all the fatal accidents in 2007 took place between May and October, seven during fishing from a boat and four whilst angling from the shore. Richard Jackson, the MCA's Prevention Team Manager says that given the number of anglers who participate in their sport, the rate of fatal accidents is still relatively low, but anglers do not appear to appreciate the need to wear lifejackets, particularly when angling from hostile coastal areas.
"Before setting off, ask yourself if you have done everything to ensure that you would survive if you fell in the water or your craft sank," says Richard. "The primary need is to wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid at all times, even while fishing from the shore. When something goes wrong there is simply no time to get into a jacket." Two of the four shore anglers who died in 2007 slipped into the water from the shore and were drowned. Another fell from a bridge and the circumstances of one is unknown. Unfortunately none were wearing lifejackets. The seven boat anglers all died after issues with their vessels left them stranded in the water. In most cases the casualties were not wearing lifejackets. In one incident involving a group of five anglers whose vessel sank, three were wearing lifejackets and were able to be recovered, the other two did not have lifejackets on and drowned.
This year the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be working to persuade everyone who uses the sea to wear a lifejacket at all times. "Better preparation is a key factor" says Richard Jackson. "Wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid will aid your survival in our cold seas, and angling in company with others will ensure that there will be someone on hand to raise the alarm."
PRIZE WINNERS
(Above left) Shakespeare Shore prize winner Colin Wyatt had this 17lb 2oz bass from Chale Beach on the IOW. This fish is a new WWAC record, beating the old record by 2lb 2oz. Tackle was a 2/0 Mustad hook baited with sandeel on a pulley rig.
(Above right) Sakuma prize winner Gosport and District AC member Rick Jones with his undulate ray weighing 6.23kgs which will earn him an NFSA specimen medal as well as the heaviest fish pools in the latest GDAC beach match held at Blackgang Bay on the Isle of Wight.
(Above left) Warren Knapp from Swanley in Kent landed his personal best turbot weighing 23lb 8oz while drifting the famous shambles bank aboard flamer iii out of Weymouth. warren was using 20lb class tackle and a five foot trace with a 4/0 hook on. the trace being given to him by the skipper. bait was double mackerel strip. warren and his friends booked flamer iii to go flattie fishing and were rewarded with some nice plaice and of course the big turbot.
(Above right) Eleven year old Stacey Bayldon with a 12lb smoothhound caught aboard Minehead charter boat Alkyat. The fish was released safely back to the sea after being photographed. Congratulations, Stacey, our Shakespeare Junior Boat prize winner this month. Full SAN Competition details here
(Above left) Maisie Darby proudly holds her specimen "Skerries" Plaice 3lbs 7ozs caught from her family private Ocqueteau 645 "Chester B" out of Dartmouth - Sunday 4th May 2008 - Photo courtesy of Maisie & Bob Darby.
(Above right) Karen Dawe, a member of the Plymouth based Mayflower SAC, caught these fine specimen Plaice weighing 2 lbs 11 ozs 8 dr and 2 lbs 2 ozs from the private boat "Cloud 9" on day 1 of Dartmouth Plaice Festival - Saturday 26th April 2008 - Photo courtesy of Mike Concannon. Full Dartmouth report on pages 14 and 15 of this months SAN.
DAIWA/SAMALITE LEAGUE UPDATE By Norman Berry
At the halfway point the league is going well, with the top anglers from Wales and England competing hard for honours. Although it wasn't the plan, I'm told this is the top league to fish in. I suppose with the amount of sponsorship it was always going to attract the top class anglers. I did hope that with the amount of sponsorship and prizes available it would attract a wider range of anglers but apparently they were deterred by the big names that signed up to fish, they felt they wouldn't stand a chance of winning anything. Well, there's no better way to learn than fish with the best, you learn something every match and by next year you could be in the top ten or twenty in the league.
The June match is the last of the Penn points matches as Penn are strictly enforcing the six match limit, no complaints, that's the rules so we abide by them and are grateful that Penn are continuing with the points as it gives anglers that "something extra" to fish for. We've had a couple of stormy matches but the Preston Beach plan has come up trumps, so far. Long may this good weather last which enables the anglers to fish Chesil Beach as planned. There may be some more good news soon but I can't comment on it until it's confirmed as it involves more than one organisation, watch this space in the July issue.
Discount Fishing Tackle supplied by
Tacklebargains
|
|||
