Dumping of fish

[PJ of Hildisvik]

If the fishermen are truly as distressed as the rest of us, and we all agree that the quota system etc is diabolical, and there is little chance of the goverment doing anything sensible, then the fishermen must get together and once and for all do something that stops this Dumping fiasco. It can't go on, their reputation in the eyes of the wider world will go down hill very fast indeed. If it means taking action of some sort, so be it.

Treating highly pressured fish stocks like this is an enviromental disgrace, and in the long run , it will be the fishermen who are remembered for the collapse of the white fish and not the goverments, whether thats the fishermens fault or not doesn't really matter. The goverment will just pass the buck, take no blame and leave the UK fishing fleet in ruin, and looking enviously towards Norway and Iceland.

[Njugle]

As is so often the case it is not a black and white issue. The white fish issue is in many ways different to the pelagic one and the severity of dumping is particular to boats, skippers and crew too.

 

The white-fishermen hate it, the scientists hate it, the public would hate it if they fully realised. The politicians...well, they are a mixed bunch.

 

The Scottish Government are seeking scientific solutions to alleviate the problem within the CFP regulations. There are investigative partnerships in operation between industry and scientists. Answers are sought. It was suggested on a number of occasions recently that the Scottish Government was seeking a means to leave the CFP and self-regulate, but last i heard the idea had been discarded. It's a carrot and stick arrangement, the regulations are the stick, the market must be the carrot. It would take a radical change and much upheaval to replace that carrot, i speculate, to enable the desired exit from the CFP.

[sheepshagger]

one of the few things the yanks do better than most is regulate their fisheries I guess most of you have seen the deadliest catch where skippers have to call in their catc every haul and once a certain amount has been taken the fishery is closed. dumping undersized dead fish is not going to make you any more money because while you were dumping other boats are not and you would find the fishery closed before you even sorted your catch.

 

Square mesh should be compulsory to allow more of the small fish to escape the European fleets should be smashed to pieces (and recycled to keep AT happy) local boats burning less fuel going after the fish and being responsible for their own waters.

The Spanish and French have desroyed every fishery they have ever been involved in and still they are allowed to rape the seas at will.

[petergear]

Until a law is passed that says "You catch it, you keep it" the sea will run rotten with dumped fish. As it has for long.

 

Hear, hear. The present laws surrounding fisheries are insanity. It beggars belief that there isn't a better system in place.

[Freyr]

I see there are plenty of people here with more knowledge on this topic than me. I also see it stirs up some emotions, which I guess is a good thing. I just want to point out that this particular example does not have anything to do with bycatch. The boat threw out 78% of its catch. It has to do with getting the most cash for your catch. It has less to do with the rules. One might even think these guys would have dumped in a system with no quota just because it makes them more money towards the transport.

 

When it comes to nationality russian and spanish ships don't have a great reputation here either. But in this case a shetlan boat caught fish in Norway, transported it to UK and dumped almost all of it... They think its fine to extract the resources in the Norwegian sector, but don't want to follow the rules those who belong there follow.

 

It is my impression that shetlan fishermen have a positive reputation in Norway, but that could change.

[Njugle]

There is nothing new here Freyr. All Shetland fishermen will not be considered the same. There is a long track record of this behaviour from individuals too. It was because of sector hopping like this that boats became required to carry transponders revealing their identity. Transponders that would 'malfunction' regularly.

 

The Faroese sector has had it's share of pillaging too, boats with lights off nipping in at night, but it was, i think, the pelagic fishing sector hopping that was the biggest problem.

 

But to re-address the law point. Going back to the times where quotas were much more generous than now, the less scrupulous scottish & shetland fishermen would rig their nets in such a way that nothing could escape from them, and then select out the best fish for value.

 

And as to the spanish........i don't have the time or the patience to even start on that subject for now.

The CFP? A system of rules that favours the rule breakers.

 

If you want to seek an exit point from responsible fishing locally it is either the introduction of the rock-hopper trawl or the practice of staying out all night.

With seine-nets and day fishing the fishery was unaltered by fishing activity.

 

As i say, catch it, keep it, law.

[Fjool]

As i say, catch it, keep it, law.

Word. This broad concept should apply to lots of other aspects of industry too.

[Heimdal]

 

If you want to seek an exit point from responsible fishing locally it is either the introduction of the rock-hopper trawl

 

As i say, catch it, keep it, law.

 

And the rock-hopper was invented by... a Shetlander living sooth

[Muppet]

I see this story has finally made the UK press.

 

There's a link at the bottom to an article in the Guardian.

 

http://www.shetlandmarine.com/2008/02%20Fishing/fishermen_angry_over_dumping_footage.htm

[man of kent]

I remember back in the early 70's seeing many fishing boats in Lerwick harbour from all over Scandanavia and Scotland, plus we had a fishing fleet of our own in Shetland, from Burra and Whalsay mainly it seemed to me. But when I worked on a ship up North of Shetland looking for oil I saw the Russian fishing fleet at night with all lights all over the horizon, we also passed Blackpool one night (much later) going down the Irish Sea and it reminded me of the Russian Fleet, but I think Blackpool were a bit short on lights so it gives you some sort of picture how vast one Russian Fleet was.

I was in the Royal Navy when Iceland put in place a 50 mile limit, I had to go up there to help protect the fishing fleet from Grimsby and Hull in the main. My personal opinion was different from the official British Government, I understood why Iceland had done this. I cant understand how European Law allows fishing boats to catch as much as they like but can only land a quota. Where's the sense in that, all that dead fish being dumped and to make matters worse its a boat from my homeland. I dont know what the answer is, but it cant be this?

I have friends who used to own fishing boats, but have given them up because they cannot make a living out of it. What has the world come to? Do the Russians and Spanish (it appears today) comply with EU Rules? Or is it just the UK and Norway?

[Spinner72]

I see the ignorance didna take long to surface : Call this fishing? Letter to Shetland News

 

All i can say after reading that is god help da dolphins if thats the intelligence lookin after them.

 

It always stuns me to see people insinuating fishermen are anti-conservation, when in truth, they are the ones with everything to lose and the best understanding of the need for and value of conservation of all.

 

Edit - by the way, whats the poll supposed to mean? I don't support the dumping of fish, but i wholeheartedly support the fishermen who are forced to do so..

[Evil Inky]

It always stuns me to see people insinuating fishermen are anti-conservation, when in truth, they are the ones with everything to lose and the best understanding of the need for and value of conservation of all.

If this was the case, we wouldn't have a problem with over-fishing and declining fish stocks in the first place. Left to their own devices, fishermen seem quite happy to catch fish until there aren't any left - the closure of the Grand Banks cod fishery is but one example.

[Freyr]

I read in the article that the fishermen blame the low quotas, "the man" or anybody else. "The quotas are so low that we have to dump fish"... It does not sound to me like a statement made by someone who can be trusted to manage any resource.

[crofter]

"The quotas are so low that we have to dump fish"

 

The quote is true. Fisheries management must be international, because the fish do not know which sector of the ocean they are in, but the EU quota system is not working for the fishermen or for the conservation of stocks. Norway is quite right to highlight this, but it is happening day and night all around Shetland and beyond and has been for years. Somebody should work out how many tonnes of fish the Shetland fleet dumps every year, I expect it will be in the thousands of tonnes, not hundreds. The boats are (usually!) acting quite legally trying to maximise their income and will continue to do so until a better system of management is introduced. Fishermen are quite right to blame the EU.

[paulb]

i thought the charitable trust had bought extra quota. if not why not then the shetland boats could borrow or hire buy it if they overfish