Letter Waterford News and Star

jd

http://www.waterford-news.com/news/story.asp?j=22628

It’s illegal to fish commercially for Bass

WHILE researching information about Bass in the Wexford and Waterford areas, I came across the article in the Dungarvan notes section of your newspaper from August 2005, under the heading “Good Fishing’, which appears to condone criminality with respect to the fisheries laws.

The article read “With the August spring tides in full spate, many local fisher-people, both young and old can be seen on the beaches and especially on the foreshore in front of the Cunnigar chasing the elusive bass.

This is the best time of the year for the fish and catches are reported to be good.

The younger anglers were making the best of their final days of the holidays and they report a good price when their catch is sold locally.”

However, is illegal to fish commercially for Bass in Ireland, and people who do so are liable to receive heavy fines, and to have their tackle confiscated. It is also illegal for fish dealers and restaurateurs to purchase such fish and they are also liable to receive heavy fines.

Bass are particularly slow growing fish, and in Irish waters a fish of 10lbs may be 25 years old.

There are therefore susceptible to commercial fishing, and we encourage our members to practice catch and release.

Legally, an angler may retain two bass of 40 cm’s or over in a 24 period for personal consumption.

You may like to remind your readers of this. Your reporter may also wish to inquire on who is giving “a good price when their catch is sold locally.”

From: John Diamond,
Treasurer of the Sea Angling Ireland Sea Angling Club,
and Technical Administrator of http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org .

growler

It's like banging your head off the wall mate. I honnestly don't think that 90% of recreational anglers in Ireland realise that bass are protected (let alone understand the reasons why that is). It's the same gob****es who'll catch 5 million mackeral and throw half them out or kill a conger eel for the sake of it, and leave a trail of litter behind them at every mark they find.

As i mentioned over on the SAI site, unless there are signs educating / threatening people about bass protection and marine conservation in general + some enforcement of the laws .... there is no chance this will change.

I'd even pay a licence now if I thought it would be used to employ enough people to keep the idiots and criminals away from fishing (commercial and recreational) , the amount of illegal, irresponsible and stupid behaviour i've seen this summer makes my blood boil.