No fish left in the sea's...

[KieranBroadfield]

Having recently moved to New Zealand, I have been graced with all new sorts of Fish Species, which we regularly catch.

I would like to give a little information behind the New Zealand Fishing Industry:

In NZ, they go mental for a fish called a "Snapper", it's almost like Mackerel 'was' in England.. There's so many of them, and the people love catching them.

They do however, have very strict limits of 30cm, and you're only allowed to take 6 a day (which is about to get lowered to 3).

A lot of the fish and shell fish in NZ have certain limits on them, and the fisheries are very strict with enforcing them.

If you go out for a day on your boat, bring in 20 snapper at 10cm, they'll simply take your boat, car, fishing rods, and any other personal possessions you have on you, and destroy them.

In the UK, as far as I am aware, nothing like this is in place at current? My Dad explained to me, that in Ireland, there's something similar, where the limits are strict, but in England I am unsure?

Even with the strict fishing regulations that apply in NZ, the stocks have still greatly decreased over the years,

but in the UK, I think that something needs to be done, I regularly went spearfishing along the south coast of Cornwall, only to rarely see any form of fish.

Does anyone know why the authorities are so slack with protecting the fish in the sea around England?

[swkieran]

There not kieran,you can't just take every fish you catch here,sea trout is a big no and if anybody catches small stuff unless there a complete idiot they get thrown back,also the same applies to mackerel most sensible people only catch what they need and it ends there,problem here is our oriental friends lol.but the majority of British anglers are very responsible people,I personally don't find anything fun about catching mackerel on feathers 5 a time,I like the sport aswell as the catch,so I use very light tackle and light rod with a float then the mackerel are much more fun,also I have got into try into catch mullet with bread and alot of skill.

[KieranBroadfield]

Yes, there is a lot of "idiots" unfortunately, and when people take small mackerel, bass, etc, there's nobody there to penalise them...
Even though some size limits are there, there's nothing in place to stop people.

Here in New Zealand, if you take under size fish, they take everything you used to catch that fish: car, boat, rods, everything you have on you at the time. It stops people doing it, reserving the marine life.

Having been diving on the Cornish coast for 5 years, even in that short space of time, I can see a rapid decline in fish, last summer on the Cornish south coast, I maybe seen 5 fish all summer. 5 years ago, I would have seen heaps of fish in the same spots.

[Midge_Fodder]

Well the sea I live near is the Solway coast, there is no restrictions unless it's within 1 or 2 miles of the river mouths. The Solway is hardly fished due to the tide times being as quick as they are, and known to kill regularly. They come in faster than a race horse runs, that horse was lucky to survive. To be honest the fish stocks are fine around here as it's not heavily fished, there's not many anglers, and even less Haff netters (our traditional way) now. I always work on the principle if it's migratory put it back, anything small same applies. The best thing to take is bass around here as it's not migratory and in plentiful numbers. Although if I head out to Palnackie the flounder tramping is great fun.

[swkieran]

Yes, there is a lot of "idiots" unfortunately, and when people take small mackerel, bass, etc, there's nobody there to penalise them...
Even though some size limits are there, there's nothing in place to stop people.

Here in New Zealand, if you take under size fish, they take everything you used to catch that fish: car, boat, rods, everything you have on you at the time. It stops people doing it, reserving the marine life.

Having been diving on the Cornish coast for 5 years, even in that short space of time, I can see a rapid decline in fish, last summer on the Cornish south coast, I maybe seen 5 fish all summer. 5 years ago, I would have seen heaps of fish in the same spots.

I'd agree its in decline it was a bounty 10 or so more years ago,there's plenty and plenty of whiting around at the moment thou lol,fishing in the last 3 years has been very weird due to the warmer weather we have been getting cod have been very short in the Bristol Channel this year,usually lots,and the decline is due to uneducated anglers aswell from overseas the British angler have been conditioned and educated into conservation,the new marine protection zones I think are a good idea hopefully in the future it will pay off kieran

[rawfish111]

Well I have lost count of the times I have seen people carry off a bucket full of mackerel from princess pier in Torquay with no intention of eating them but they will dig them into the garden. Not to mention grockles leaving dead fish on the quay as they can't be bothered.

Then there are the fishing contests who still keep their catch for the weigh in then just throw the dead fish into the harbour. Catch and release is fine for this and although growing still nowhere near enough.

Add to the above the years of dead by catch and under sized being thrown back from commercial boats leaving sod all left to spawn (govt policy not the fishermen who have always said it was stupid) and then you have dredge type boats ripping up the seabed and leaving nowt but wet desert and we have a recipe for disaster. Add to that the foreign factory trawlers that take umpteen million tonnes per haul let alone load and is anyone surprised that there is bugger all left to catch.

Over the last, probably decade, I have to agree I have noticed catches dwindling as has everyone I speak to but we do not protect our fisheries like Scandinavian countries do so what can we expect?

[swkieran]

Princess pier in Torquay and hopes nose are no go zones for any sensible angler raw fish especially in the summer months,full of chicken chuckers and idiots its not just the grockles with there £9 lidil fishing kit,the Chinese and Eastern Europeans who are the worst offenders for taking away bucket after bucket of mackerel,garfish.they even take wrasse most British anglers would admire them take a photo and back they go the cuckoo wrasse is a very exotic looking fish,I have seen a scorpion fish stamped on by some grockle.sorry if I sound a bit of a racist but its only the truth,if you want to fish the Torbay area in the summer in relative peace raw fish you have to do some rock climbing there are little places no one goes or if they do its only 2 other people.

[rawfish111]

Aye I've seen the pier literally shoulder to shoulder with them in the peak of season. The E Europeans have decimated some inland fisheries too. I must admit the Liberty Lass looks funny with a full compliment of mackerel bashers onboard too. A far cry from one of the little 12 seaters. I rarely get chance to go fishing working in the trade but if I do it is normally on Saltwind out of Dartmouth. I have often seen folks fishing from armchair rock and thought "is it worth the hassle" as we cut the lines with the boat.

Nothing racist mate. A grockle is a grockle regardless of background lol.

I see my post above was edited. Apologies if one got a little agitated.

[FishyFolk]

Up here the fishermen hava bonanza. They say they have never seen as much cod as now. The water jet propelled ferries between the islands are having problem as their coolinjg water intakes are being blocked by herring sucked into them while at speed. And then you have the Mackerell. Until 5 years ago it was un-heard of up here. We never saw it. Now the fjords are filled with them each summer. And they come further and further north each year....same story goes for hallibut, and coal fish...

[swkieran]

Up here the fishermen hava bonanza. They say they have never seen as much cod as now. The water jet propelled ferries between the islands are having problem as their coolinjg water intakes are being blocked by herring sucked into them while at speed. And then you have the Mackerell. Until 5 years ago it was un-heard of up here. We never saw it. Now the fjords are filled with them each summer. And they come further and further north each year....same story goes for hallibut, and coal fish...

Sounds like heaven :).

[swkieran]

Aye I've seen the pier literally shoulder to shoulder with them in the peak of season. The E Europeans have decimated some inland fisheries too. I must admit the Liberty Lass looks funny with a full compliment of mackerel bashers onboard too. A far cry from one of the little 12 seaters. I rarely get chance to go fishing working in the trade but if I do it is normally on Saltwind out of Dartmouth. I have often seen folks fishing from armchair rock and thought "is it worth the hassle" as we cut the lines with the boat.

Nothing racist mate. A grockle is a grockle regardless of background lol.

I see my post above was edited. Apologies if one got a little agitated.

I always wondered what the liberty lass was used for you often see her docked in Paignton harbour,quite a big vessel up close but looks small when she's out on the sea,there's a one man band operation that works out of Paignton harbour he is a crabber I think is the boat called the Claire Louise I think it's a shabby looking red trawler with r39 on the side,you proberly know him or have seen his vessel out and about ,you must fish the skerries then working out of Dartmouth.

[rawfish111]

TBH I work on pleasure boats and have never taken a rod as far as the skerries (although plenty of grockles down that way doing coastal trips) Liberty Lass is the largest of Kenny and Ash Lanes boats usually used for liberty boat work and supply jobs for various ships... They had quite a bit of work during the last Olympics. They are both bloody good blokes and know their trade.

I think I have seen the Claire Louise in Brixham harbour from time to time but I don't know the bloke who operates her.

[rawfish111]

Up here the fishermen hava bonanza. They say they have never seen as much cod as now. The water jet propelled ferries between the islands are having problem as their coolinjg water intakes are being blocked by herring sucked into them while at speed. And then you have the Mackerell. Until 5 years ago it was un-heard of up here. We never saw it. Now the fjords are filled with them each summer. And they come further and further north each year....same story goes for hallibut, and coal fish...

Aye I was reading an article a while back about some English fishermen who went for a holiday out your way and after landing their days catch. Pleased as punch with, what for them was a record haul, only for a local to walk by and shake his head and say "yup the problem is getting through those little ones to the big fish"

Coalfish are getting more scarce here too ...as well as everything else.

[Midge_Fodder]

I was reading an article that otter boarding was still legal in Norway

[rawfish111]

I was reading an article that otter boarding was still legal in Norway They torture information out of Otters???

Sorry ... couldn't resist :ashamed:

[Midge_Fodder]

That was terrible...... Not quite worthy of a crimbo cracker

[FishyFolk]

I was reading an article that otter boarding was still legal in Norway

Yup...unless it's forbidden by the land owner in the particular lake you fish at.
We do have a lot of lakes that are completely over populated as most lakes are not cultivated...

[Bernie]

I have no idea what Otter boarding is. I thought it'd involve Otters, but from the little I could harvest from the web, it's more about fishing. :confused2:

South Africa has similar punishments for illegal fishing. Taking more than your quota, or under size fish/shellfish can lead to all your equipment used in capturing that catch being taken away. That'll include your boat, car, trailer, and the rest. We had to buy annual crayfish licenses, which also educated people on daily limits of numbers and sizes.

Whilst some people might be idiots, I suspect there are a lot of people fishing in English waters simply ignorant of the laws that pertain to it. Maybe a little emphasis on education would help?

For example, whilst I might know my Bream from my Bass, there are many other fish species I wouldn't recognise. I'll be fishing from my SOT this Summer and I expect it to be highly educational. I was thinking of trying to get my speargun in working order again but living on the South Coast of Devon, I'm not sure what I'd be likely to find. I do think spearfishing is kinder in the sense that only the fish we select are bothered, and the end is pretty quick for them.

There really is only one solution to the world's ever decreasing habitat and resources in my opinion. We need far fewer of one particular species; the invasive and prevalent homosapien.

[bigpaul]

I've been saying for years there are too many people, I saw this on Sunday when I went to Exeter(Marsh Barton) car boot-the place was heaving at 07.45 AM! they were still coming in at 10AM but by then there were no parking spaces left. don't get to go fishing these days, haven't been for over 15 years since I left Plymouth, the nearest "coast" is now a 50+ mile round trip.

[Midge_Fodder]

I have no idea what Otter boarding is. I thought it'd involve Otters, but from the little I could harvest from the web, it's more about fishing. :confused2:

South Africa has similar punishments for illegal fishing. Taking more than your quota, or under size fish/shellfish can lead to all your equipment used in capturing that catch being taken away. That'll include your boat, car, trailer, and the rest. We had to buy annual crayfish licenses, which also educated people on daily limits of numbers and sizes.

Whilst some people might be idiots, I suspect there are a lot of people fishing in English waters simply ignorant of the laws that pertain to it. Maybe a little emphasis on education would help?

For example, whilst I might know my Bream from my Bass, there are many other fish species I wouldn't recognise. I'll be fishing from my SOT this Summer and I expect it to be highly educational. I was thinking of trying to get my speargun in working order again but living on the South Coast of Devon, I'm not sure what I'd be likely to find. I do think spearfishing is kinder in the sense that only the fish we select are bothered, and the end is pretty quick for them.

There really is only one solution to the world's ever decreasing habitat and resources in my opinion. We need far fewer of one particular species; the invasive and prevalent homosapien.

Otter boarding is ruthlessly effective. It uses a team of 8 to 12 flies swam at different depths. Why it's illegal is it was the poachers method of choice. Poachers don't like to mess about, they can't justify the risks without the prize for them at the end. Using an otter board or lath, is both silent easily stored. So on the whole as a bushcraft fishing method it's great but very illegal. Getting caught is treated the same as dead lines, gill nets and gaffs here.

[FishyFolk]

Yes it is very effective. Done it myself a couple of times. Yet again, most lakes here are over populated, giving 10 year old trout that is 100-200 gram sized...

But I prefer the good old UL rod and spinner approach.

Minimum sizes for salrt water fish was not introduced until 2010 here.

[Midge_Fodder]

Yes it is very effective. Done it myself a couple of times. Yet again, most lakes here are over populated, giving 10 year old trout that is 100-200 gram sized...

But I prefer the good old UL rod and spinner approach.

Minimum sizes for salrt water fish was not introduced until 2010 here.

I'm more a fly man myself, even for saltwater.

[FishyFolk]

I'm more a fly man myself, even for saltwater.

I use 14" beach caster rods for dead bait, or salmon rods chucking lead lures on the beach. In a boat I use a 30lb boat rod and Norway priks, or shads.
Fly rods are somethiong I've never mastered. I do own one, but I have never, ever caught anything on a fly rod.

The only times I catch on flies is when I use the most popular fresh water fishing method in Norway. A salmon rod, casting a 50-60 gram casting float. with 2-3 flies down the trace and one at the end...
very effective as casting length are to the horizon...then reel in slooooooooowly.

But I normally leave that to the wife as it so boring. I preffer stalking the fish with my UL rod..