Sea fishing Forums

Settle Simon wrote:I think the confirmation of the ban should be prominent on the front page, along with contact details of the fishery officers to contact if breaches of the ban are observed or even heard about.

We're on with it now Simon

i do think the chaps from the ifca mean well and they are nice chaps we have met , but there will be no arrests or fines or tackle taken as there never has and never will be,
i am 50 year old and have fished here all my life since i could stand up and never has anyone said or done anything to stop this problem, this is why it has come to a head with a ban,
all i will say is the police can't stop bank jobs and the two ifca chaps in yellow coats won't stop fishing for undersize bass, these people are criminals under the law but the law can't stop it

Alisdair, What is the actual punishment for being caught fishing in the nursery area??

PAUL YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT, IF THE PUNISHMENT IS HANGING IT STILL WILL NOT STOP, THE PRISONS ARE FULL OF CRIMINALS THAT KNOW THE RISK

Aaaah right I see, now you have put it in capitals I have a much better grasp of your opinion

No offence Chris, but from what you are saying they might as well admit defeat now and re-open the nursery area....

Personally I see the new bylaw as the first step in the right direction. No, you won't stop all people fishing the area, but you will put a lot of people off fishing there if there is a £5000 fine, and well publicised prosecutions.

I think that is the important thing now ...
Catch them and make an example of them , I think that it would be a more Positive way to show what will happen to anyone fishing the area and no exception's ...
(Put the sign's up and make it from immediate effect if the sign's are there and the idiot's choose to ignore them tough a massive fine and instant confiscation of all fishing equipment )...

Put it this way if i went there and Didn't know about the Ban and saw the sign's then i would'nt be happy but i would go and fish somewhere else...
Any descent angler would understand that i would think.

Let's hope the stock's rise and the bigger fish move out into other area's. But i would think that will take a couple of year's ...But whatever happen's it can't do any harm as it is at the moment.

I also agree with '' Lee '' 2 fishing venues lost in less than 6 month's is not a good way foreward as they might start to do it else where .....But the Basin was closed for different reason's (a club took over it for pike fishing).

Sorry but those comments make my blood boil, so what are you saying chris leave it as it is now? no ban allow anglers to wonder down willy nilly and take fish? its no longer a case where its no ones sea so I can take what I like, if stocks continue we will have destroyed the sea of its very exsistance, at least something is being done and as the fisheries have said at first its about educating and making those aware that fishing in the area is not acceptable at a guess there next process will be repeat offenders will be prosecuted to the letter of the law, as its a new ban not everyone is aware and trying to convict someone first time caught would be a political nightmare.

I personally believe we are heading in the right direction but us as anglers we must act and help ourselfs and help educate those need/can be educated and those who cannot let the law educate them.

NO ,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO, I have not put my point across properly , i didn't put it in capitals for any reason paul so don't think i have, also i don't think they should get away with it at all i think they should be shot at dawn for what they are doing , but i don't think it will happen it never has, but i agree they should make examples of a few and make the point stick, if it is now a law they should enforce it not educate , you don't get educated for speeding you get fined, JOHN PIE WAS SPOT ON

I think the problem in the past was actually catching an individual with an undersize fish. It was too easy to lob it back into the sea when the fisheries patrol were spotted in the distance.
Also there was no power to stop the wholesale slaughter of just insize fish. People were walking off there quite legally with hundreds of just insize fish, so these weren't pleasure anglers, they were taking these fish to sell on.
At least now this will stop. It will be a lot easier for the fishery patrols to see if a person is fishing and give them fair warning in the first instance. Of course the odd person will still be seen trying it on and pleading ignorance when caught, but let's give the fishery guys a bit of leeway before we poo poo the ban, it's only been in force a couple of weeks!

The crux of it will be the action taken-or not-against the people who are caught fishing there. As opinion has shown the vast majority of anglers were in favour of the closure long before it happened so itll be a thumb in the eye if a firm message isn't sent out.
Responsible anglers have happily and without resistance given up a superb fishing venue (if a little bit like shooting fish in a barrel) due to our disgust at the behaviour of those who would call themselves anglers and most will hope for maximum enforcement of the law. The fisheries have an opportunity to gain favour and support from those anglers here but if they choose to allow persistent offenders to get away without prosecution in the first instance it will qualify all the negative views this has already thrown up.

Though it's always seen as somehow unfair these days when a law is enforced from day 1 I think this is such a long term problem with over 30 years of abuse of the fish stocks there that the fisheries will have seriously missed an opportunity if they choose not to prosecute from the off. Right now a handful of heavy fines laid on those who choose to ignore the law will pay dividends I think,far far more than hundreds of 'little chats' warning folk not to fish there. If it's clearly signed on the access road and at the mark then nobody has an excuse for being caught fishing there,a wave of reports of sizeable fines slapped on offenders will get around and educate others WAY more than warnings and slapped wrists.Would YOU risk it knowing that if an officer turned up you would DEFINITELY face a £500 fine? It'd make it an expensive trip,even the pot hunters would have to have a lot of good sessions to cover that eventuality. It'd just not be worth taking the chance.

Fingers crossed the fisheries choose the right path,the people theyre dealing with need to see firm enforcement now,if the early opportunity to send out a zero tolerance message is missed then ground will be lost and itll be an ongoing problem,law or no law.

At this stage of the game some reactive enforcement would go a long way too,my own experience of calling the office was 'We police the area on a routine basis,unfortunately we are not equipped to act on reports' So Alasdair's comments about welcoming reports will hopefully show a change to this.Decent anglers can be a great resource to the IFCA but they need to see their input is being used and making a difference.

Lets give them chance to do what they do,I'm sure they know eyes are on them and they will be expected to show results,it definitely needs to remain at the front of our minds and itll be watched with great interest by all.