Guys, I've no wish to restart the tuna debate and stir things up, but I've been sitting on an email received from DEFRA.
I think it is only fair to post the email so db members can make-up their own minds about it.
First let me go back a bit, two days before the F.O.M. poll was due to open, the question was raised directly ' is Brett's tuna legal or not'.
As the mod' responsible for F.O.M. it fell to me to try and find out.
DEFRA were not clear-cut about it, but they were not happy and would have liked for us to remove the tuna from the forum.
They also said a press-release was imminent and that would clarify the situation.
A call to the southern fisheries board was more straight forward, yes the fish was legal, however, they also were not happy and wanted db to post a policy statement asking members not to target blue fins.
So that was the situation, one body saying legal, one not being able to say illegal.
If it's legal, then it's in, and of course it won, probably the best fish ever entered into F.O.M. and yes I was the first person to vote for it.
Two hours after the poll opened, I got an email from DEFRA, this was their definitive statement on the matter.
The email was not passed on because I did not want the poll prejudiced in any way, as far as we could make out the fish was legal and that's that's.
I still don't think this is relevant to Brett's fish, which was a first and therefore can only set a precedent.
(By the way, I have much better things to do with my time than deal with all this rigmarole, so was definitely not trying to stir things.)
Here is the email word for word-
From the IUU officer,
Council reg 302/2009 covers authorisation for recreational fishing for BFT under article 12.
Since we do not issue such authorisations it is prohibited.
It is therefore irrelevant whether a vessel is used or what recreational method is employed.
Let me make this clear- there is no targeted commercial or recreational fishery allowed at all.
Commercial by-catches may be landed under strict conditions, by-catches in a recreational fishery may not be retained.
However, a spearfisherman might conceivably mistake a blue fin for an albacore, the key here is to make sure people know how to tell the difference.
So that's what came, if you think It should have been posted sooner, then I apologise, it was my decision to delay.
If you think the matter should never have been looked into in the first place, then again, I apologise, also my decision.
There we go, wheels within wheels, right, I'm off to makes Brett's Trophy, probably the most deserved one ever, but please guys, don't shoot any more, the hassle is enormous and they are very, very rare, not our fault I know, but every little helps.
I think it is only fair to post the email so db members can make-up their own minds about it.
First let me go back a bit, two days before the F.O.M. poll was due to open, the question was raised directly ' is Brett's tuna legal or not'.
As the mod' responsible for F.O.M. it fell to me to try and find out.
DEFRA were not clear-cut about it, but they were not happy and would have liked for us to remove the tuna from the forum.
They also said a press-release was imminent and that would clarify the situation.
A call to the southern fisheries board was more straight forward, yes the fish was legal, however, they also were not happy and wanted db to post a policy statement asking members not to target blue fins.
So that was the situation, one body saying legal, one not being able to say illegal.
If it's legal, then it's in, and of course it won, probably the best fish ever entered into F.O.M. and yes I was the first person to vote for it.
Two hours after the poll opened, I got an email from DEFRA, this was their definitive statement on the matter.
The email was not passed on because I did not want the poll prejudiced in any way, as far as we could make out the fish was legal and that's that's.
I still don't think this is relevant to Brett's fish, which was a first and therefore can only set a precedent.
(By the way, I have much better things to do with my time than deal with all this rigmarole, so was definitely not trying to stir things.)
Here is the email word for word-
From the IUU officer,
Council reg 302/2009 covers authorisation for recreational fishing for BFT under article 12.
Since we do not issue such authorisations it is prohibited.
It is therefore irrelevant whether a vessel is used or what recreational method is employed.
Let me make this clear- there is no targeted commercial or recreational fishery allowed at all.
Commercial by-catches may be landed under strict conditions, by-catches in a recreational fishery may not be retained.
However, a spearfisherman might conceivably mistake a blue fin for an albacore, the key here is to make sure people know how to tell the difference.
So that's what came, if you think It should have been posted sooner, then I apologise, it was my decision to delay.
If you think the matter should never have been looked into in the first place, then again, I apologise, also my decision.
There we go, wheels within wheels, right, I'm off to makes Brett's Trophy, probably the most deserved one ever, but please guys, don't shoot any more, the hassle is enormous and they are very, very rare, not our fault I know, but every little helps.
