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South Devon 2014

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
I'm all for the cause....
However, personally feel it's best not to rattle cages. As said, our pastime is fairly 'low key' and the BSA promoting spearfishing, I feel, will inadvertently create more restrictions on us and even possibly 'tarnish' our pastime.

For me spearfishing is about hunting and gathering, a sustainable way of putting food on the table. That I am sure can easily be accepted by Joe public. The BSA promote the competition aspect abd thus spearfishing can be labeled as a 'sport' the general public could see this as a man's desire to shoot fish, big or small just for the trophy.

I say keep spearfishing a sustainable fun pastime...don't get involved.
 
It is apparent that some consider the catches you post to be more than a "bit of foraging " and I am sure you , and most others would not wish too see a catch limit ( as in Eire ) imposed , but this byelaw could be the start of such restrictions .
 
"Some consider the catches you post more than a bit of foraging"

Exactly my point.........
 
We have a similar situation here in Guernsey, our government has put forward suggestions for what is a total re thing of the present laws & restrictions.
No decisions have been made as yet but it is inevitable that changes are coming!

Considering the state of our inshore fishing compared to only a few years back ... I would say something needs to be done pretty soon.
There has been a lot of discussion about restricting the number of shell fish & round fish that can be taken in one day......
Unfortunately "apparently" there is nothing that can be done to stop the huge English trawlers filling their holds with our fish, within sight of our coast!!!!!!
 
Reactions: Rockie
Per head of population , Guernsey has a lot of spearos in comparison to England , in fact it must be the main / only sport . If anglers are included as well then a lot of people are taking fish . Are there trawlers based in Guernsey ?
 
Well actually we have all the common sports in abundance including motor sport but yes fishing is as popular as any!
Our fishing fleet is quite small, I think there are only two small inshore trawlers, we do have a very intensive potting industry though.
Basically we had a 12 mile limit surrounding our island but about 6-7 years ago (?) Jersey took us to court & that resulted in us losing the 12 mile limit & in response the huge UK trawlers took advantage!
The result has been dramatic to say the least.....
 
It was quite a complex situation that has become a very controversial subject involving some possible cloak & dagger action!!
Lee, it is so, so disappointing to see such a rapid decline in fish stocks, for every Guernsey person who cares, including all the wet fish fishing fleet, the anglers, the spear fishermen & the associated businesses including tourism.
 
Absolutely gutting I've never personal noticed a decline on the mainland......every year differs. I used to be an avid rod n line fisher and TBH never really had any 'epic' catches and thus acommpanied by many stories of 'what it was like 30 years ago' became disheartened and turned my focus onto full time spearfishing.
Since losing my highly paid job and very lengthy court hearings 3 years ago....I pretty much lost everything Appart from my family and just about kept our house; thanks to the royal naval belevinent fund .

Spearfishing for me became pretty much my only source of putting food on the table alongside my useless ferret and my modest vegetable garden .

Feeding 5 is not an easy feat! And to see my way of life wiped out by fleets of trawlers would be devastating.

2 bass a day limit wouldn't really effect me. ..that's 14 a week if I get in every day; on avarage that's what I catch when I go twice a week...just means upping my carbon footprint due to my very nomadic way of hunting and gathering.
 
So. ..to conclude after consideration, I'm actually all for this possible legislation....
 
One of the many problems with the proposed permit system is that it would impose catch restrictions on recreational fishers, whilst leaving commercial operations with no restrictions at all on how much they can catch. If catch limits are needed they should be based on science and applied across all sectors fairly.
 
Yes...fair point.
So looks like another case of greed...not so 'stealth' tax with no thought into the real environmental issues.
 
Let's be honest guys is this really going to be enforced?. Or is it just like other rules where rod and line fisherman completely disregard!
 
Hi people,

I've been mega busy of late and didn't manage to get in the water for quite a while. Is it generally game over now? I've not been watching the weather/conditions but I just imagine it getting rougher and rougher.

Is there much about?

Hope you're all well, it's got a tad quiet on here lately
 
Excellent lets all vote for catch restrictions and let the trawlers carry on, gotta love the EU!........yet, still a massive task to enforce!
 
Reactions: foxfish
Viz report from yesterday. 1m close to shore, and 2m about a mile out. There is lots of ripped up weed washed up on the beaches, so maybe good for same late season bug hunting.
There were reports of 15m viz out by Hands Deep reef and the Eddystone lighthouse last week.
 
Any viz updates please. Teignmouth and Lyme bay looking bleak. Web cams for south hams look ok. Cheers
 
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