Bass pair trawling - are things happening?

[Rob]

This momentum gathered needs to be kept moving!!!

 

"Commission to adopt measures to protect sea bass stock

(19/01/2015) The European Commission has announced a package of measures aimed at averting the collapse of the declining sea bass stock. In the first instance emergency measures will be implemented to ban pelagic trawling of sea bass during spawning season which runs until the end of April."

 

 

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/mare/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=20107

[Wedger]

I hope this one sticks!!!

 

And it gets enforced. Might need a Frigate to keep it safe!

[Steve S]

Sounds good, not a lot of detail re us anglers.

 

Forgive me not giving a thumbs up until it actually happens. So many false dawns.

[Rob]

There is no let up on the bass yet:

 

Trawlers in Orange :0(

 

[Kingfisher 126]

 

I've watching these and there is the same going on just off Brighton, Newhaven there are around 15 Belgium trawlers working a few miles off shore!!

The ground must be wrecked!! excuse the pun!

[Rob]

I think I read they "mid-water pair trawl" for the spawning bass.

[ChrisE]

The ban doesn't come into effect until end of Jan, I beleve.

[Paul J]

Latest from the AT as of yesterday:

http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?section=29&sectionTitle=Angling+Trust+News&itemid=2438

AT Urges EU Commissioner To Introduce Emergency Bass Measures Now!

Earlier this week the Angling Trust wrote to European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella ahead of the crucial EU Fisheries and Aquaculture Committee meeting taking place today, Friday, urging the EU to resist pressure from French and other commercial fishing interests and  proceed in full with emergency measures to close targeted mid-water and pelagic trawling for bass in the English Channel, Southern North Sea and Irish and Celtic Seas.

Further meetings are planned over coming weeks to address the impact of recreational fishing and other commercial fishing fleets before the full package of EU emergency measures is known.  Following the outcome of the EU’s measures the Angling Trust is due to meet with officials from Defra to discuss what measures could be taken at UK level to further protect and restore British bass stocks.

We expect the measures to be passed so hope to be able to pass on good news early next week. Watch this space!

> Read more

 

 

http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?section=29&sectionTitle=Angling+Trust+News&itemid=2438

[Topher]

 

Karmenu Vella, Please Save the Spawning Sea Bass with Karmenu Vella

the price down to a level that the 100s of more sustainable line bass commercial fishermen in France and the UK can't make a living. Don't water down the bill just because of the big French commercial fishing lobby is applying pressure. Remember they are already subsidised.

[Topher]

The ban doesn't come into effect until end of Jan, I beleve.

That is why the Karmenu Vella, 32 Big French, British and Belgium trawlers are this weekend targeting the spawning bass. It is deplorable.

[Topher]

[Paul J]

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/mare/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=20186&lang=en

European Commission acts to protect sea bass stock

(26/01/2015) The European Commission has announced measures to avert the collapse of the declining sea bass stock. Immediately effective emergency measures will place a ban on targeting the fish stock by trawling while it is reproducing, during the spawning season, which runs until the end of April. This will be complemented by further measures to ensure that all those who fish sea bass make a balanced and fair contribution to saving the stock.

The European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, said: "The impact of this stock collapsing would be catastrophic for the livelihoods of so many fishermen and coastal communities. This is about saving sea bass and saving jobs in the commercial and recreational fishing sector. I am proud of our quick reaction to what is an immediate danger to the stock".

The pelagic trawling ban is a critical first step in this package of measures. This ban will protect the stock from being targeted when at its most vulnerable – when the fish is coming together in shoals during the spawning season to reproduce.

The spawning season is already underway and will last until end of April. Pelagic trawling on is a major source of mortality and reduces the spawning stock as it makes up 25% of the impact on the stock. With a reduced spawning stock further actions and any rebuilding of the stock would be endangered. The measure will therefore come into force immediately and last until 30 April 2015. It will apply to the Channel, Celtic Sea, Irish Sea and southern North Sea.

Commercial and recreational fishing

In order to help the stock of sea bass recover, more action is needed to address the impact of all other commercial and recreational fishing activities.

Therefore the Commission is currently making a renewed and urgent effort in order to help Council and Member States put in place a package of measures to manage commercial and recreational fisheries on seabass more effectively.

For recreational fishing which accounts for 25% of sea bass catches, this would include a limit of three fish per day per angler. Member States would also need to set a minimum size of 42 cm so that fish are not caught, or are released, before they have reproduced.

For other commercial fisheries than pelagic trawling, this would also include limiting catches.   The Commission is working with the Member States involved to prepare a proposal to the Council of Ministers as soon as possible.

Background

Sea bass is one of the most valuable fish on which many fishermen, especially small fishing enterprises, depend. Recent scientific analyses have reinforced previous concerns of unsustainable fishing advising urgently a substantial reduction in fishing mortality. We are witnessing a rapid decline of sea bass that risks leading to a collapse if no action is taken.  International scientific bodies have called for an 80% reduction in catches to turn the situation around.

Around 100 fishermen depend to a higher degree for part of the year on pelagic trawling of sea bass, while during the rest of year their income is made up also from other fisheries. There are however several hundred small scale fishermen that depend solely on sea bass for their income and for whom finding another source of income is much more difficult. With over 1.3m recreational anglers in France and another 800 000 in the UK, many thousands of jobs also depend on recreational fishing.

Following a lack of agreement between Member States since 2012 on coordinated and effective measures to protect this important stock and another lack of agreement of EU ministers in December's Fisheries Council, on 19 December 2014 the UK made a formal request to the Commission to take emergency measures. The Commission then consulted the Member States involved and analysed the scientific evidence available. On the basis of discussions with all Member States and based on the scientific evidence the Commission has taken its own decision.

The Commission has previously taken such emergency measures to protect vulnerable stocks, most recently with anchovy in the Bay of Biscay.

More information

Protecting sea bass

[Paul J]

     

 

  Anglers Celebrate As EU Bans Trawling For Bass

 

Trawling for bass during the spawning period has been banned in a historic set of emergency measures aimed at averting a total collapse of Europe’s bass stocks.

 

The ban on pelagic trawling – which accounts for 25 per cent of the impact on the stock and includes the controversial method of pair trawling – will begin immediately in the Channel, Celtic sea, Irish Sea and Southern North Sea and run until April 30th during which time adult bass aggregate to reproduce and are most vulnerable.

 

The EU is putting forward further measures to deal with the impact on bass stocks of recreational and other commercial fishing methods. For recreational bass angling the proposals include a three fish a day bag limit and an increase in the legal minimum size of bass from 36cm to 42cm.

 

The European Commission is also proposing limiting catches for other commercial bass fisheries and is working on a proposal with member states which will be taken to the Council of fisheries ministers as soon as possible.

 

The emergency measures have been introduced following scientific advice in June 2014 that recommended an 80 per cent cut in catches from the previous year and confirmation that continued fishing pressure was leading to serious harm to the reproductive capacity of the stock.

 

This is the first time that Article 12 of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy has been invoked due to, “A serious threat to the conservation of marine biological resources..”.

 

The Angling Trust and our partners at the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society (B.A.S.S.) and (European Anglers Alliance) have been campaigning tirelessly for the introduction of conservation measures for bass – a crucially important recreational species and one that generates hundreds of millions of pounds and supports tens of thousands of jobs across Europe. In 2012 the Angling Trust organised a delegation to the then Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to press the case for bass conservation measures in the face of evidence demonstrating that stocks were in trouble.

 

The Angling Trust will be continuing to work with the UK and the Commission to ensure that the measures to limit other commercial bass fisheries are in proportion to the new bag limit and minimum size being proposed for recreational catches. In addition the Trust will be working with the UK to agree on what additional measures the UK can take to restore the UK bass fishery.

 

David Mitchell, the Angling Trust’s Marine Campaigns Manager, said;

 

“Emergency measures such as this, can last for a maximum of 12 months so it is crucial that the Commission and member states now follow through on the commitment to develop a long term bass management plan which the Angling Trust and our partners will play a key role in helping to develop. This is an historic decision for recreational fishing and hopefully represents a sea change in public policy towards marine conservation. However, there's a long way to go yet to achieve what is needed for a truly sustainable fishery."

 

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust, said;

 

“Bass anglers have been calling for action to protect stocks for nearly a decade and it seems that the UK government and European Commission have at last acted, in the face of undeniable scientific evidence and a concerted campaign by the Angling Trust and BASS. The immediate emergency measures that have been confirmed are very welcome and the intention to follow these up with further restrictions on commercial exploitation is encouraging. “

 

Nigel Horsman, of the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society, said;

 

“This is a great day for Dicentrarchus Labrax, the fabulous European Sea Bass, and what we have been working so hard and waiting so long for. We also look forward to the production of a long term management plan for bass, which will lead to healthy stocks of all sizes of bass for the benefit of everyone who uses this stock sustainably.

 

I would like to pay tribute to the fantastic work of everyone in the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society (BASS) and the Angling Trust who campaigned for this for many years. The strength and breadth of that support has been invaluable in achieving this amazing result.

 

We know that recruitment to the adult stock will be weak for the next few years, but I hope these measures will ensure that the current stock remains broadly stable until environmental conditions allow a full stock recovery, which we can cherish and then enjoy great British Bass fishing for many years to come."

-Ends-

 

Notes to editors

Bass Stocks Background

 

• The latest scientific advice issued by ICES in June 2014 recommends a 80 per cent cut in landings of bass across the EU for 2015. This follows advice for a 36 per cent cut in 2013 which was not acted upon.
• The decline is the result of intensive overfishing, increasing fishing effort and successive years of recruitment failure. Successive Fisheries Ministers have been well aware of the current parlous state of sea bass numbers around the inshore waters of England and Wales and the long overdue need for the government to introduce measures to prevent a catastrophic stock collapse.
• The results from this year’s Solent bass survey confirm five poor year classes in a row (2008 – 2012) which offers a bleak prospect for the future.

The EU Commission has produced a guide to the measures which can be downloaded HERE

Lots more information on our bass campaign can be found on our website HERE.

 

Angling Trust

The Angling Trust is the national representative and governing body for angling in England. It is united in a collaborative relationship with Fish Legal, a separate membership association using that uses the law to protect fish stocks and the rights of its members throughout the UK. Joint membership packages with Fish Legal are available for individuals, clubs, fisheries and other categories.

 

Find out all about the Angling Trust and its work at www.anglingtrust.net or call us on 01568 620447

[Kingfisher 126]

Looking at all the trawlers up the east the ban will not be soon enough!!!!!!

Amazing there are any fish left!

[Paul D]

Here is a thought.

 

Would this ban have taken place if the UK were outside the EU ?

[Paul J]

From the latest Commission Staff Working Document
http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/EU/X...e_10526733.pdf

Item 10.)
The sea bass stock in this area has recovered from a very low level since the beginning ofthe 1990ies but has been declining rapidly since 2012 and will according to ICES approachits historically lowest level in 2016. The number of young fish adding to the stock (socalledrecruitment) has been declining since the mid-2000s and has been very poor since2008; this has been the longest period of low recruitment on record. Fishing pressure (socalledfishing mortality) has continuously risen since the early 1990ies and reached an alltime high in 2013. ICES now advises a severe reduction of catches, by 80%, to stem therapid decline in biomass.

[Paul J]

"

 

Courtesy of  EAA:

Subject: Press FNPPSF: recent European measures concerning the "bass"

 

The European Commission has confirmed the ban on fishing for bass pelagic trawl until 30 April 2015. It also announced, under the insistent pressure of commercial fishermen, a bag limit 3 bass per day per recreational fisher. Through the efforts of various federations including the FNPPSF, the initial "bass per day per fisherman" measure has been slightly relaxed. The commission, it seems, taking into account, but only in part, the reduction of catches by recreational fishermen. Brussel operates with a total recreational landing figure 25%, which we believe is still too high, but it undermines the fanciful statements that have appeared in the press about this. The Commission has also considered the economic importance of recreational sea fishing and the negative impact such measures would inevitably have on the recreational fishing and boating sectors.

 

This new measure against the recreational fishery remains though it is inappropriate and stupid and dangerous. Some would like to see disappear this activity (recreational fishing). We cannot interpret this differently! We will, as part of ongoing and future discussions, recall and argue our proposals for an eco-friendly fishery, respectful of the environment.

The introduction of a bass minimum landing size 42 cm to apply for all commercial and recreational fishers in Europe is a priority measure. This provision advocated by the vast majority of the scientific community is still under consideration in Brussels spheres! Why? The current disparities on the sizes are absolutely unfair and unacceptable!

 

These measures taken in emergency by the European Commission are made in the absence of any consistency. What about other professions and other fishing areas? The inevitable reports that will result, including the Atlantic areas, may go against the preservation of desired stocks.

 

It would be enough - as we have requested - prohibiting fishing during the breeding period and to fix the minimum size to 42 cm for all European commercial and recreational fishers. But, why make this simple when it can be complicated? The Europe of technocrats is not that we want!

 

We hope that the European Commission will recover and be in the coming months a little more consistent. A series of measures taken in haste does not solve the problem. We wish for the coming years an action plan taking into account the recreational fishing specificities. We keep saying that the daily bag limit is not appropriate for our business. Develop laws based solely on the means available to police and control services inevitably leads to a police state that nobody wants! Hope to better support the millions of fishermen for most respectful of good practice through such processes is pure utopia! Instead, it is the police and control services that need to challenge, change their behavior and take priority of poachers!

In a constructive spirit, we proposed to fight against abuses by a tiny minority of poachers to set up a monthly quota more suited to our business. The measure to be effective must be accompanied by targeted controls vis-à-vis these fishermen disreputable behaviour.

 

We ask to be received as soon as possible by the French and European authorities to consider with them harmonious and environmentally responsible recreational fishing in the French and European waters.

 

Communiqué FNPPSF du 29 janvier 2015

Jean KIFFER

Président de la FNPPSF

[Stuie]

Thanks PJ - on balance this seems to be more or less in support of the EU action - I think.

Didn't they make representations to Karmenu Vella?