The scientists have advised EU that the bass fishing mortality should be brought down by 80% next year for the stock to be fished sustainably.
The Commission has reacted by proposing a kind of short term emergency measures but included them the Regulation, which fixes for 2015 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks.
in which it is said that:
"In view of the worrying situation of this stock, which could be on the verge of collapse, fishing opportunities are proposed in the form of fishing effort and catch limits, which should target the main sources of fishing mortality, i.e. pelagic trawling and recreational fishing."
This wording is very strange to say the least. Recreational fishing is thought to be responsible for about 25 max. 30% based on vague figures and underestimated/unknown commercial catches. 40% of the total bass mortality happens in mixed fisheries, why is this not mentioned?
Recreational anglers and other recreational fishers will only be allowed to land one bass, per day, per person while far the most commercial fishermen - who are responsible for 70-75% of the bass fishing mortality - can continue to fish as they do today. Only a few trawlers in one specific small area (ICES area VIIe - see map below) will have their catches limited some or not at all. That is for the Member States to decide next month based on a proposal laid down in an 'Annex IIE' to the Regulation (pdf, page 45 onwards).
Various recreational fishing organisations are now lobbying that more reduction in bass fishing mortality should happen and the recreational sector should not be the main or only contributor to that reduction. Here some petitions you can sign to help increase the pressure on our decision makers to make them understand well and act accordingly, that:
-
The measures proposed by the Commission won't deliver much, if any, bass fishing mortality reduction from commercial fisheries.
- The one bass bag limit for recreational fishers is a disproportionate measure compared with the little contribution is sought from the commercial sector, and it will do serious harm to the recreational sector.
Some petitions to sign:
France:
"Non au quota pêche loisir de 1 bar (loup) par jour!" (by EAA member FNPPSF and four other French national orgs)
"Non au quota de 1 bar en pêche loisir par la commission euro"
(by divers). Check de video:
UK:
"Save our Sea Bass" (supported by UK BASS:)
Closed bass petition, which got 31,799 signatures:
"Tell the UK Government to Save the Sea Bass"
Netherlands:
- ”EU-ZEEBAARSMAATREGELEN: ONVOLDOENDE, ONEVENWICHTIG, ONACCEPTABEL” (by Bootvisvereniging Zuid-West Nederland)
- “EU PROPOSAL FOR RECOVERY OF SEA BASS STOCKS: UNTIMELY, UNBALANCED, UNACCEPTABLE”
- « MESURES EUROPEENNES SUR LE BAR: INSUFFISANTES, DESEQUILIBREES, INACCEPTABLES
The bag limit "one bass, per day, per person" proposed for the recreational sector concerns the blue and orange area. The commercial catches concerns only the orange area and only some of the trawlers in the area and only a short time of the year.