Memorandum by John & Rosalind Brooks,
Angling School
We are recreational sea anglers, who hold Level
2 Certificates in Coaching Sea Angling from 1st4 sport, and regularly
coach youngsters and adults. As well as shore angling, we own
a 26' boat which we use for recreational sea angling based in
Falmouth. We are both teachers and trained as Biologists. We are
both members of a local club which is affiliated to the Cornish
Federation of Sea Anglers and also members of the National Federation
of Sea Anglers. I am also a member of the Conservation Group of
the NFSA.
1. Throwing back dead fish is not an option.
The immoral practice of throwing back dead fish because a boat
does not have quota or sufficient quota must stop.
All fish should be given a chance to breed before
they are considered to be above minimum landing size. Anglers
are already suggesting voluntary codes of practice along these
lines, see "Give Fish A Chance".
No fish should be targeted whilst they are shoaling
in readiness for or during spawning. Closed areas and seasons
should be introduced and more importantly enforced so that both
anglers and commercial fishermen observe these laws.
An aspect of the present management of fisheries,
seems to be that scientific advice is ignored if the lobbying
by commercial interests is loud enough. If there is scientific
evidence of a decline in fish stocks, then it is pointless to
try and justify increasing quota on other grounds, such as preserving
coastal communities. The iron and steel industries, the car factories,
and more locally to Cornwall the loss of tin mining and china
clay extraction have had a far greater effect on communities.
The economic importance of commercial fishing seems to be greatly
exaggerated. Similarly, the economic importance of recreational
sea angling, both directly through tackle manufacture and sales,
and indirectly through tourism seems to be underplayed.
2. Marine Conservation Areas should be introduced
based on scientific evidence. Reading reports from around the
world, and closer to home from Lundy, would seem to indicate that
areas around MCAs have a richer and more abundant mix of fish.
3. Total Allowable Catches should include
species caught as by catch. More North Sea cod have been reported
as discards during fishing for sole than there is official quota.
This just does make sense.
4. Climate change is affecting the mix of
fish caught. Here in Cornwall we are seeing new species and more
examples of species which were until recently rarities. Anglers
need to be involved in recording of these fish as they often target
these rarities far more keenly than commercial fishermen in the
process of setting new records.
5. It would seem that the general public's
scepticism of the slack enforcement of EU rules and regulations
is backed up by the Auditors Report. There seems to be a lack
of honour and honesty and responsibility, whether it is elected
politicians, civil servants or NGOs.
6. We all need to sing from the same hymn
sheet. People are fed up of different sanctions being applied
by different countries and the fact that when the UK makes rules
for British fishermen, they do not apply to continental fishermen.
7. Looking at the figures for landings at
Newlyn, this is now about 55% of what it was 10 years ago. More
and more public money is being pumped into this industry. But
then we have the fraud case at Newlyn and therefore all figures
must be suspect. It does leave one wondering what the MFA and
CSFF were doing during those years.
8. No experience of this.
9. Fisheries belong to us all, they are
not the provenance and only for commercial fishermen. Anglers,
divers and wild life devotees as well as other fauna and flora
all have a right to be considered in the sustainable management
of this public resource and good.
10. Regional Advisory Councils seem to have
had little impact so far.
11. Scientific advice should be obtained.
All evidence needs to stand rigorous examination, but all too
often it is overruled for political reasons. Sea Fisheries Committees
and Defra departments seem to have an undue bias towards the commercial
sector. Other stakeholders and their views need to be considered.
I must admit that I was impressed with Rodney Anderson of Defra
at a meeting in Newlyn last year and his approach to the 25 year
vision. However, his political masters come and go and the follow
through of political will does not always run consistently.
4 February 2008
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