European Union Consultation – Including ban on use of projectiles .

[scottwilson]

Mr X ever thought of a job with defra, you seem to have your head screwed on properly. GOOD EFFORT

[dave]

Originally Posted by Mr. X

First MEP response, Roger Knapman, UKIP (good to see at least UKIP are on their toes). Looks very positive:

I got exactly the same response. I have an sneaking suspision it may be the standard UKIP response to any question involving Europe

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by scottwilson

Mr X ever thought of a job with defra...

Heck no! Can you imagine having to implement every daft whim of the minister against your own judgement? On the other hand, I'm sure some of them are contributing significantly to the discussions. It would be interesting to know who came up with this proposal (minister/civil servant/advisor/commercial fishing/S. Wales fishery/foreign govt./pressure group/PETA/...). There'd be no spearing or fox hunting ban though.

Originally Posted by dave

I got exactly the same response. I have an sneaking suspicion it may be the standard UKIP response to any question involving Europe

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

It looks to me like there are at least two standard replies, vague support (Yes) and no committment (No).
i.e. UKIP's response and Labour's response (who are probably responsible for the proposed change).

Still no Conservative response. I wonder what's going on there?

[Kinky]

Dear mates,

I live in Italy therefore i've no problem with this stupid law at the moment. But I support your fight. In the future they will try to do the same in the Med area.

Go on for all of us

[SurfnSpear]

Originally Posted by dave

I got exactly the same response. I have an sneaking suspision it may be the standard UKIP response to any question involving Europe

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

And my brother and I.....

[Morgan33]

Isn't this legislation already inplace in the baltic sea? see http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...01:0023:EN:PDF

Spearfishing still continues in the Baltic. I would suggest that destructive fishing and the term projectile is not meant to encompass spearfishing.

[Huan]

As with so many things in the EU legislation in one country can be interpreted as many ways as you want.
Unfortunately with the regimes in place in the UK and Ireland the likely way that bailiffs and fishery officers will interpret the law is to the letter, ie if you are found spearfishing or indeed with a speargun and a fish then you will be done.
In France, Spain and Portugal the large numbers of Spearos and the lack of relative enforcement this will probably not be an issue of this magnitude and indeed when the authorities look at the proposed bill they will very likely make the correct judgement that this does not apply to their recreational spearos.
However this will probably not be the case with Ireland and the UK which already suffer from (over)zealous enforcement compared with other EU states.
I actually work in this area, not legislation but the commercial application of technical conservation measures and I have already made a submission to the SFPA/DAFF via my line manager who assures me he will raise this issue in our submission.
I have also made a submission via contacts in the SFPA and they will also make this point in their submission.
I would urge you to add your voice to the debate by either contacting your MEP, signing the petition or otherwise contacting your local agency, in the UK DEFRA Ireland would be the SFPA and the Dept of Agriculture Food and fisheries.
To ignore this may be to sign the death knell of spearing.

regards

Huan

[Wanny]

Just heard about this, thought it was a joke at first. Will be signing the petition and seeing what else can be done. Not sure to what extent this would directly affect the Channel Islands but either way I am sure we would just bring our legislation into line.

On the tv chef point, Rick Stein has a (delicous) skate recipe in his food heroes book which he talks about local spearfishermen in their 50s going out to fish for skate - so he must have a soft spot for it!

I am sure the equipment manufacturers must be aware of all this as well.

Terrifying.

[SurfnSpear]

The MEP's are on the case...(letter from an MEP to the Commissioner)

Commissioner Joe Borg
European Commission
B-1049 BRUSSELS
BELGIUM

Dear Commissioner Borg,

I am writing in relation to the Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the conservation of fisheries through technical measures. I have concerns about an aspect of this proposal, namely Article 12, on Destructive Fishing Practices.

The Article in question reads, “The catching, retention on board, the transhipment, storage, landing, sale, display or offer for sale of marine organisms caught using methods incorporating the use of explosives, poisonous or stupefying substances, electric current or any kind of projectile shall be prohibited.”

This Article is updated from Article 31 of Council Regulation No 850/98, of 30 March 1998, which prohibited the use of explosives, poison and electrocution for the catching or sale of fish, but which merely prohibited the sale of fish caught by the use of projectiles.

I am in full support of the spirit of the Article, and I deplore the damage done to marine ecosystems by explosives and poisonous substances by fisherman in other parts of the world. However I am concerned that the phrasing ‘any kind of projectile’ could be taken to include the practice of spearfishing, a non-destructive and environmentally-friendly popular recreational pastime that involves the use of spears to catch single fish.

Because of the nature of the activity, spearfishing cannot be used to catch or kill large numbers of fish; it is also incapable of causing environmental damage, and should not therefore be grouped with poisoning, electrocution, or explosives as a destructive fishing practice.

I am sure that it is not the Commission’s intention to inadvertently outlaw spearfishing. I seek assurances that there will be legal clarification in the final document that the phrase ‘any kind of projectile’ will be clarified to exempt the practice of spearfishing.

Thank you for attending to this matter.

Yours Sincerely,




Sharon Bowles MEP
Member of the European Parliament for South East England

[scottwilson]

Now thats a step in the right direction.

[KWM]

Dear all, re proposed banning of the use of projectiles.
There has been a great effort so far from people here on Deeper Blue but can I ask that everyone ( if you have not already done so) to submit an objection to

Tech.Conservation@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

Please copy in and objections to

britishspearfishingassociation@googlemail.com

(if you have already sent in an objection can you forward a copy or just an email to say that one has gone in. I am going to ask surfnspear to monitor the numbers with me.

So that I can let people know how many objections have gone in.

Please state clearly that you object or else it may not be counted.

You don’t have to say much but it helps if you state why.
For instance you may which to say that spearfishing does no harm to the marine environment, does not produce any by catch , and is sustainable.

We need to get as many in by the 25th July.

People are already writing to MEPs and MPs and I have been in contact with the fisheries committee at the European parliament.

I am also in contact with a number of other spearfishing federations in Europe who will also be affected by the Ban. That said we still need to fight our own corner, or you never know the UK might go it alone with a ban.

Thanks for all your help Kev.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Huan

As with so many things in the EU legislation in one country can be interpreted as many ways as you want...

Hi Huan, glad to see you involved. Is it possible that the proposal could be contrued to include fishing will rods (if you cast a 6oz weight into a crowd I am sure the law would consider it to be a projectile), or is angling specifically excluded elsewhere?

How appropriate that the EU comissioner is Borg (...you will be assimilated).

[huntfish]

jimdoe2u what a pecker, stay out of this discussion as u clearly dont know what u are on about, go and eat a burger or something or go and watch that sharkwater film about all us "Europeans" killing the world im sure its packed with facts about us!!

[Mr. X]

jimdoe2u is an old friend, comedian, spear fisher and spearing equipment supplier in Florida, USA. He was clowning around.

[huntfish]

Sorry for the out burst if that is the case. I have just got back from holiday to find the proposed ban , after reading the posts i was just a bit annoyed so reacted. I apologise if i offended anyone i just hate to think we are seen like that across the pond. Thanks for letting me know. Apologies to jimdoe2u