The ATr report:
Successive years of recruitment failure coupled with intense commercial fishing pressure have seen the Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB), or the weight of adult fish in the sea capable of spawning, decline to worryingly low levels. ICES, the body which provides scientific advice for Governments on fishing, has recommended a precautionary 20 per cent reduction in catches for 2014.
The Angling Trust was asked to contribute to the UK’s proposals which were sent to the EU Commission earlier this week. These focused on increasing the selectivity of fishing methods and reducing the commercial fishing ‘effort’.
The Angling Trust warned Defra in esponse that urgent measures to recover stocks are needed before longer term management plans should be introduced across Europe. Urgent measures should include a closure of the winter offshore fishery, the use of larger mesh sizes and square mesh panels to increase selectivity and reduce fishing mortality.
They also recommended avoidance measures for fishing in areas where catches represent a high proportion of fish from the last two years of successful recruitment (2005 and 2007).
If member states cannot reach an agreement on how to manage bass with ‘technical’ measures such as these, the Commission may be forced to introduce a total allowable catch (TAC) and quota for bass – something both UK recreational and commercial fishermen would oppose.
