Worrying?

Stores

Stores

Well-known member
Morning everyone. Sorry I've been a bit quiet lately but this redundancy malarkey takes some getting your head round. Oh - sorry - looks like I'll be a part timer from September - they've offered me a package that I don't believe will come around again so I've jumped ship. Might even get to go fishing a bit more unless......................

The purpose of the thread is just to highlight the work being done at the minute by the Marine Conservation Society and to point you to two things - firstly the thread currently active on WSF:

fifeness proposed protection zone and associated NTZ,s - World Sea Fishing Forums

And secondly to one of the areas they propose to close to everyone (except divers) that is perhaps closer to our hearts:

MCS Your Seas Your Voice : Vote for a site

Reading their "detailed" information on St Abbs...............

"Site protection CAN create valuable........."
"SOME believe this COULD be remedied.............."
"FULL protection ............COULD help unlock underwater secrets........"

All rather wishy washy political speak, I believe, but it may mean no fishing from Pettico Wick to the Cannons. You can register your support (or otherwise) on the website. I've already done so - and for Fife etc.
 
Thanks very much for keeping us informed David. I have completed my questionaire and added my own comments. I for one don't want to be excluded from fishing that area.

Marty
 
Cheers for the info David, I've filled the questionaire in too mate. It would be such a shame to lose that area for fishing for future generations, I am sure it would also damage the local economy that depend on fishermen staying in the area for a part of their income.

Jim.
 
Would the proposed areas be closed forever? Are will they be re-opened after a period of whatever time, the powers to be decide with requlation as to what can and can not be done within the boundaries.
 
big sid said:
Would the proposed areas be closed forever?. yes .Are will they be re-opened after a period of whatever time, ..no.. the powers to be decide with requlation as to what can and can not be done within the boundaries. yes...[/ there you goQU OTE]
Click to expand...
 
Wonder how their planning to police the shore line preventing anglers from wetting a line ? If such policing is a 100% preventing anglers, the bonus will be some really clean unspoilt stretches of coastline free from all the anglers crap,now that is a bonus.
 
What worries me is the relationship between the areas designated and the areas already hot spots for divers and whether the areas are being spoilt by either shore or boat fishermen, or creel boats. Conservation areas, to me, are areas where juvenile species are allowed to develop to adulthood and therefore improve the life chances of the species. I'm not convinced that anglers or creel fishermen have altered the balance significantly around St Abbs and Coldingham and trawling is not the issue it used to be (ask the old timers still living in St Abbs and they will tell of gill netters working all around White Heugh). It is, however, a conflict area between anglers and divers, both on the shore and over the wrecks.
I hope my argument here is not too unbalanced. If they pronounced the area as a No Take Zone I could live with that but to try and ban fishing altogether seems to be promoting a one sided argument. I suppose that constant harassment from divers can alter the patterns of behaviour of underwater species, in a similar, albeit drier, way that we can see in the Masai Mara Game Reserve and other Kenyan venues.

The policing of it is another thing but if they can use photos of your car parked illegally then I suspect they won't have to clamber over the rocks to prove you're fishing.
 
Yes me too, and they asked for three quid tohelp them to stop me fishing up there. In the comments box i explained that i have been supporting the local hostelry,shops, and cafes for years,but i dont think they are bothered about the local jobs as long as they get their way. :(
 
Just a quick reply to your point about divers. having dived in NE for many years I am not aware of any conflict between divers/anglers. Certainly in the diving clubs I have been a member, angling has never been discussed as a problem to divers. There is a lot of fish at St Abbs one being a very friendly (well fed by divers) wolf fish which would be shame to lose but thats the luck of the game, sea angling cannot affect fish stocks that much at least not to the extent that part time gill netters do. Diving around St Marys I often come across anglers baits and its interesting to see how different rigs present the bait to the fish, it is always amazing how fish can find a small bait amongst rocks etc.
Anyway if there is a move to ban sea angling from these areas it is not divers doing the agitating, anglers do not have any effect on divers. I am more concerned about being caught in a discarded gill net which are difficult to see under water and are becoming more common.
 
Hello and thanks for the info David....yes it is worrying. I also got stupid bloody emails back asking if i'd like to join/subscribe.
Regards Ian.
 

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