Shambles

[Matt]

There was a Trawler who spent all day today going over the shambles. Its was ridiculous besides scraping the last few fish off he was a totall git trawling through groups off small boats, he would off run us down if we hadnt avoided him.

 

I do feel he was extremly negligent and compromised basic safety it seemed his attitude was f off out my way while i ruin this mark

 

 

[dicky]

not that i like the idea of the shambles being trawled but i think if he is towing gear and boats are not anchored then he has the right of way. frustrating i know but it's a little easier for a powered boat to move rather than a larger boat towing gear.

[duncan]

There was a Trawler who spent all day today going over the shambles. Its was ridiculous besides scraping the last few fish off he was a totall git trawling through groups off small boats, he would off run us down if we hadnt avoided him.

 

I do feel he was extremly negligent and compromised basic safety it seemed his attitude was f off out my way while i ruin this mark

Somewhere else, on another forum, a trawler skipper will be posting about the negligent small angling boats that were slow to get out of the way whilst he was going about his job.

 

From a negligence perspective I think you need to read the IRPCS, especially definitions and rule 18 (a)

[codpiece]

Which says what please Duncan. D,V.

[shytalk]

he is doing us a favour really just thinning out the dogfish population a bit

 

[Matt]

 

 

But should a vessell deliberatly set a course through a group of boats ?

 

and when he tried to run us down most boats were at anker at slack tide.

[Matt]

Yeah next time i dodge the guy who has changed course 100 meters away ill check all relevant legislation

[Rob]

 

How many of you were displaying an Anchor Ball?

 

How else is he to know? If youdont he will assume you are drifting and head for you, assuming your drift moves you out the way by the time he gets there!

 

Rob

[dicky]

very true about the anchor ball.

only small boat i've ever seen display one when at anchor in the brissy channel is ours!

only ever seen 1 charter boat display one and that was off Brighton.

Never seen anyone anchor on the shambles either.

[duncan]

But should a vessell deliberatly set a course through a group of boats ?

 

and when he tried to run us down most boats were at anker at slack tide.

if you were at anchor, assuming you hadn't just anchored in his path, then he shouldn't trawl in a manner that puts you in danger.

 

if you feel concerned in that situation a call on the VHF asking the trawler if he's seen you and his intentions would have the benefit of raising awareness with Portland CG, who will have his AIS track and may well contact him (he probably won't reply to your call) which might cause him to give a wider berth than might otherwise be the case. Generally his view would be that he can go as close as he needs to you as long as he doesn't hit you - your view might be somewhat different.

 

When drifting you, and all the other boats, should take care when setting up drifts - although it's particularily difficult on the shambles because the trawler will be following carefully mapped contours rather than straight lines; and you won't know where he's going next. It can be bad enough on something as well defined as the Schole Bank at times!

[Peter]

I think Matt was motivAted to post by the conservation issues raised by ur day out. There were probably at least 40 private harter and commercial boats buzzing around the shambles and mussel beds plus the trawler. The trawler was working all day long and must have covered nearly every square inch of the area. Sadly he was not just thinning out the dogfish but making a serious inroad in stocks of fish concentratedin the area to put on some weight for winter and or migration - plaice bream bass turbot brill cod and rays all prime species. Left to regenerate these stocks would naturally spread out and populate other areas.

 

I fear between us we are just putting too much pressure on the area even if some of us practice catch and release there are still those who stock the freezer to its limit and I am sure in addition to the bon fide commercial boats there are many seelling illegitimately

 

This such a FERTILE PLACE FOR FISH IT NEEDS AND DESERVES SOME PROTECTION AND IN THE MEANTIME A HIGH DEGREEE OF DISCIPLINE FROM ANGLERS

 

PETER

[Paul J]

Well Said Peter

 

I must admit i get sad when i think of the amount of fish taken off my local patch in a week.

 

Sometimes it's easier to bury your head and not think about it

 

PJ

[niggle]

Im with PJ on this.

[great white]

Over pressure on fish stocks is certainly right in all productve areas.

 

A few weeks ago we were down your way Peter, and when out on the mussel beds I counted 41 boats fishing the area. from the shambles to the races.

 

The time before that we watched what I believe is the same trawler going up and down. Although I believe he does not catch all the species you mention, he must be catching or he would not be burning diesel.

 

We must do our bit and continue to catch and release, but you have to wonder what affect that has when trawlers still discard.

 

Charlie

 

 

[Rob]

 

When talking to Mark from Alderney Angling, he advised the trawler on the Schole was catching Rays, and the Turbot and Brill were too fast and spooky to be netted.

 

A ban of trawling on half the bank would be a result! But again, long term vision required which seems short in all manners of life!

 

Rob

 

[Newboy]

From what I've heard fron skippers down weymouth, the trawler don't get many turbot because they swim infront of the net and don't get netted.

However, from what other anglers were feeling, many who used to return fish don't anymore because they believe what they return will only be kept by some greedy anglers the next day.

[Graham Nash]

thats a bit like not washing cos we will only get dirty again