I have just come of the phone to the trawler skipper that landed the tope
The fish was weighed at Whitehaven fish market at 110 pounds
He actually recieved £4.50 for the fish but it cost him three pounds to have it delivered to the fish market. So the biggest tope ever seen in European waters died for £1.50
He is sending me a camera photo and the receipt.
It was alive and healthy in the trawl and in his own words, would have put it back if he had known how little it was worth. Ironically it is the first tope he has caught in his trawl
This fish will rewrite the text books as the ceiling on tope was thought to be around 100 pounds. This fish may have been gravid but only in the early stages as they don\'t lay their young till early spring, so this fish could have weighted in excess of 140 pounds in full pup.
I am not putting blame on the trawler owner as his job is to catch fish and sell them, but pressure must be put on the SFC to try and get the byelaw pushed through.
Please write/email to
North Western & North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee,
University of Lancaster,
Lancaster,
Lancashire.
LA1 4YY
Tel: 01524 68745. Fax: 01524 844980
E-mail:
[email protected]
Chief Executive
Dr. Stephen Atkins BSc
Principal Fishery Officer
Mr. Martyn Boyce MA MIMgt