Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the National Federation of Sea Anglers (W25a)
SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES
This has been prepared in close consultation
with our colleagues at BASS and the SACN who attended on December
14, and represents the views of us all.
1. General
We seek the designation of certain species of
fish as primarily, NOT exclusively, for RSA use. All species are
currently managed to benefit commercial fishing, without regard
to the effect of this management regime on the major contribution
which RSA makes to the economy, or on the large potential which
exists to expand the RSA contribution.
The key ingredient for expanding RSA is the
availability of more and bigger fish. The ethos of sea angling
is to find, to catch and to release the finest specimens, keeping
only enough to provide the angler and his family with a few enjoyable
and healthy meals.
Ever more effective commercial fishing methods
which can find and corner surviving fish stocks may make them
appear to be as plentiful as ever. But it disguises the fact that
this harvest (with the exception and herring and mackerel) is
only being maintained by killing smaller less commercially valuable
fish which may not even have spawned once, so that in reality
it is steadily eroding the remaining already seriously diminished
stocks.
Recognising the shortage of good fish for anglers
in UK seas, tourist organisations are now attracting UK sea anglers
abroad. One advertisement for fishing holidays in Norway is typical
promising "The finest fishing imaginable for huge cod, massive
halibut and a wide variety of species."
Research published by Defra in July 2004 (the
Drew report) said that 217,000 anglers, or 15% of the total in
England and Wales, fished abroad in 2003 lured by the promise
of better fishing.
This research found the demand for sea angling
was possibly increasing, especially among higher income groups,
but the trend was vulnerable to anglers switching to fishing abroad.
2. Sea Bass
Bass is the UK's primary sport fish and the
one RSA wishes to see the first to be protected as mentioned in
the Strategy Unit report. The Bass Anglers' Sportfishing Society
(BASS) helped secure the 1990 Bass Nursery Areas Legislation setting
up 35 protected coastal areas which together with climatic changes
are responsible for an abundant juvenile bass stock. BASS has
also contributed significantly to the knowledge base about these
fish with its assistance to CEFAS in conducting tagging studies.
Climate change is also responsible for bass
stocks spreading northwards. This means fewer of our bass now
migrate to the offshore fishery but remain in UK territorial waters.
This provides the opportunity for the UK to manage its valuable
bass resource primarily for the benefit of UK stakeholders, both
RSA and commercial.
The availability of an abundance of larger bass
of 55 cm and above will, we believe, stimulate and rapidly expand
the already considerable and profitable, recreational bass fishery.
It would attract more anglers and increase the number of fishing
trips by existing bass anglers.
History shows that wherever good quality fishing
is available the uptake is immediate. Trout fishing in reservoirs
and carp fishing in ponds and lakes are but two examples in the
UK. With the bass stocks managed primarily for RSA, a sustainable,
selective and profitable commercial hook and line fishery could
be supported—a case of having one's fish and eating it.
Aquaculture now produces 80,000 tonnes of farmed
bass annually, against an EU wild catch of 7,000 tonnes. A report
to the EU Commission by the University of Stirling said that in
2004 some 2,400 tons of farmed bass, largely from Greece and Turkey,
would be imported into the UK. There will be no shortage of bass
for British tables.
RSA believes that the best value from the bass
resource will be achieved by designating it a primarily recreational
fish and that the fiscal benefits from such designation warrant
the support of the Environment sub committee for the adoption
of the Bass Management Plan.
3. Substituting Species
Substitution of other species for cod has been
suggested. The idea that all that is required to give a break
to overfished species is to substitute others, as though fashion
was the only reason that these species have been ignored, is a
misunderstanding of marine biology.
The substitutes would be slow growing fish such
as mullet which take ten years to reach three pounds when they
first spawn and then spawn only every two or three years. Shark
species (tope and smooth hound) bear only one young each year.
Commercial fishing would soon harry them close to extinction.
Mullet and flounder, when caught from the right
places at the right time of the year, are edible. But when commercial
pressure means that spent flounder are being landed and netsmen
are tempted to net the sewage outfalls, then the quality maybe
doubtful.
4. UK Fish Consumption
Total landings by the UK fishing fleet in 2002
was 685,000 tonnes. Of that 388,000 tonnes was exported. At the
same time the UK imported 619,000 tonnes.
So of the 916,000 tonnes of fish consumed by
the UK less than one-third was supplied by the British fishing
fleet. Most of the wild caught fish imports comes from countries
using far larger mesh size nets, larger minimum landing sizes
and where there are seasonal closures of spawning grounds.
Cod and chips maybe Britain's most basic fish dish.
In 2003 the UK fleet caught 15,000 tons of cod and a staggering
215,000 tonnes imported.
5. Conclusion
The UK commercial fleet contributes 50 grammes
(a little under two ounces) of fish a week for everyone in the
UK, much of it species of minimal interest to sea anglers. The
Strategy Unit report states that RSA contributes £1 billion
to the UK economy. Both sectors rely on the publicly owned resources
of our seas.
RSA involves no public subsidies while its contribution
to UK plc by way of VAT, income and corporation tax is significant.
Anglers have through many decades also made, and continue to make,
a substantial contribution through bass tagging which has saved
taxpayers' money and their general support of the work of CEFAS/Defra.
Our seas used to be regarded as so vast, inexhaustible
and resilient that they could never be harmed. The fact is that
they are finite and fragile, a bounty which human activity is
fast depleting.
Richard Ferré
January 2005
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