you don't catch as many fish as you used to

jacksonflam

there aren't as many fish as there used to be.

jd

funny enuff, for the first time in ages I blanked today, tried Ballyhealy,Ballytrent,Rosslare Point , wexford quays...
I'm off to the pub...

Ruaidhri

yes in the last 3 years i've seen a definate decrese in fish size and amount of them.
especially pollock and tope.

TacT

I've been spearfishing for nearly 10yrs and France being the main place I used to practise it during the summer months I've noticed fish are becoming more and more fewer and far between. I know a good deal of local fishermen who have also noticed it.

I blame ignorance as one of the most destroying factors. For example, one evening when setting up on the rocks (usual spot) I noticed a couple of happy parisien kids with a bucket full of water and they had caught some "fish" and they're happy mother was walking them back home when they stopped in front of me curious as to what I was doing.
I asked the kid holding the bucket to see what they had caught and he hands me the bucket with a proud little grin. I look in and they have an odd 10 sea-bass all approx 6cm-20cm max. My face dropped and I asked the mother to return them to the sea. She looked at me like any angry mother would.
I proceeded to explain to her that unfortunately the legal size you are allowed to catch bass at is from 32cms upward on this part of the coastline. She gave me a sourpuss and asked me if I was trying to break 4 kids hearts and make her life more difficult. I informed her I was only trying to preserve the environment which had provided me with so much entertainment and pleasure for years and I would hope that others after me could do the same, at which point she told the kids to ignore me and hurry along home.
She took off with them and a fair share of the population of one of the tastiest fish you are ever likely to eat. Needless to say she broke my heart, broke the law and helped a lot more ignorant people to destroy one of the worlds most valuable resources, which provides us with more than we can imagine.

ps. I know this is only a small part in the bigger picture

Main things that kill fish stocks

Oil Spills (was a big one on the coast in France where I go few years back but it's been cleaned up well and there wasn't as much damage as expected thankfully)
Waste
Over fishing
Big trawlers catch undersize fish, unfortunately the fish are already dead due to the nets so anything undersize that gets caught is thrown back in dead or alive (dead 99% of the time unfortunately) because they are not allowed to sell it on the market.
Entangled nets - Fishermens nets often get tangled and become useless after so much use and it's so much hassle to bring it back that most of them just ditch it like waste and it floats around the ocean killing off whatever it catches.
Six Packs well the plastic holding your beers is formed perfectly to catch medium to large fish/smaller ones too, seagulls and other animals. It gets caught around the neck or body of the creature and as it grows and the plastic doesn't then eventually after years/weeks/months of torturous pain it chokes the animal/fish to death and severs it's body so badly it can't move anymore and becomes crab food.

Hell there's so much to this, you just got me started and I won't go on ranting anymore because it gets to me tbh

jd

Originally posted by tactical anni
She gave me a sourpuss and asked me if I was trying to break 4 kids hearts and make her life more difficult. I informed her I was only trying to preserve the environment which had provided me with so much entertainment and pleasure for years and I would hope that others after me could do the same, at which point she told the kids to ignore me and hurry along home.

Yeah, I've pointed out the bass regulations to people, and have been told where to go...(or rather where I'll be put..)
In future I'm just going to call the cops quietly on the mobile.. (and take a note of the car reg if possible..)

Pepe LeFrits

when i was 10 i caught a fish in the shannon. it was the happiest day of my life.

Littletinyman

You can get fish in cans in Super Valu, I think

Pepe LeFrits

ya i like buyin cans of tuna in the supermarket, bending out the ring on the top of them and then throwing them into a pond, the hook on my rod fits nicely into the ring and then i can say i got some!!!!!