Neues zur Treibnetzfisherei aus Irland
Verfasst: 21.02.2005, 21:55
Die Iren wollen weiterhin kraeftig Lachse mit den Netzen fangen, auf Kosten der Angler.
Quelle: http://www.stopnow.ie/2005tac.html
I have obtained a copy of a letter dated 16 February to the Chair of the National Salmon Commission, Joey Murrin, from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources about the 2005 Total Allowable Catch and related matters.
The Dept asks that the NSC should consider at its meeting on 22 February a set recommendations to the Minister from the National Fishery Management Executive (the CEOs of the Central Fishery Boards and the Regional Boards) in relation to fishing for salmon in 2005. The Minister wants a response to this complex and tendentious document to be given to him by the NSC at the meeting, which he will apparently attend.
Although it is (intentionally?) presented in a very confusing fashion the NFME document recommends that the aggregate national TAC for 2005 should be 173,854 salmon. The Standing Scientific Committee of the NSC (which is a statutory body charged with advising the NSC, unlike the NFME) had recommended that the TAC for 2005 should be 122,305 fish.
The NFME arrived at their number by taking the Standing Scientific Committee's precautionary catch advice for 2003 of 158,000 salmon and adding in a brand new component of 15,854 for hatchery fish. The Standing Scientific Committee had factored the 2004 actual catch (probably the lowest on record) into their 2005 calculations but this has been ignored by the NFME. Despite the fact that the Standing Scientific Committee had recommended the adoption of a 75% (as recommended by ICES and NASCO) probability of achieving the Conservation Limit in 2005 (as opposed to the earlier target of 50%) the NFME adopt the older standard.
The precautionary approach adopted by the scientists was based on the a target of having 236,000 salmon spawn in Irish rivers in 2005 - a target based on the Wetted Areas report (and a target which is regarded by many as being in itself far too low). The effect of adopting the NFME approach would be to reduce the number of spawners by approximately 52,000 salmon or by almost a quarter over the minimum recommended.
The NFME note that "the nature of the mixed stock fishery prevents" management of salmon on a single stock or catchment basis but the advice proposes no restrictions on drift netting other than that boats be precluded from leaving port before 0400 on Monday. On the contrary, they are recommending pilot projects involving "a short extension of the season" in the Bangor (draft) and Waterford (drift) districts. There is no reference whatsoever to the need for additional resources to be allocated to protection services.
With the objective of reducing the rod angling catch from 28,500 (the annual average for the period 2001/2003) to 27,500 the NMFE are recommending the following further restrictions on anglers:
1. A limit of 5 fish up to 1 June;
2. Anglers to get five tags on the purchase of their licence and after 1 June two further batches of 5 tags each "at the discretion of the CEO".
3. Reduction in the allowable angling catch from 20 to 15;
4. Compulsory catch and release in September;
5. Possible alignment of the closing date for trout fishing with that for salmon, ie 30 September.
The NFME is an extraordinarily ill informed and dangerous document to have emerged from those responsible for the management of our fisheries. Its adoption would be a major set back for attempts to get the management of our salmon fishery onto a sound scientific basis.
Niall Greene
Chair
Steering Committee
Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now
086 826 922
Quelle: http://www.stopnow.ie/2005tac.html
I have obtained a copy of a letter dated 16 February to the Chair of the National Salmon Commission, Joey Murrin, from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources about the 2005 Total Allowable Catch and related matters.
The Dept asks that the NSC should consider at its meeting on 22 February a set recommendations to the Minister from the National Fishery Management Executive (the CEOs of the Central Fishery Boards and the Regional Boards) in relation to fishing for salmon in 2005. The Minister wants a response to this complex and tendentious document to be given to him by the NSC at the meeting, which he will apparently attend.
Although it is (intentionally?) presented in a very confusing fashion the NFME document recommends that the aggregate national TAC for 2005 should be 173,854 salmon. The Standing Scientific Committee of the NSC (which is a statutory body charged with advising the NSC, unlike the NFME) had recommended that the TAC for 2005 should be 122,305 fish.
The NFME arrived at their number by taking the Standing Scientific Committee's precautionary catch advice for 2003 of 158,000 salmon and adding in a brand new component of 15,854 for hatchery fish. The Standing Scientific Committee had factored the 2004 actual catch (probably the lowest on record) into their 2005 calculations but this has been ignored by the NFME. Despite the fact that the Standing Scientific Committee had recommended the adoption of a 75% (as recommended by ICES and NASCO) probability of achieving the Conservation Limit in 2005 (as opposed to the earlier target of 50%) the NFME adopt the older standard.
The precautionary approach adopted by the scientists was based on the a target of having 236,000 salmon spawn in Irish rivers in 2005 - a target based on the Wetted Areas report (and a target which is regarded by many as being in itself far too low). The effect of adopting the NFME approach would be to reduce the number of spawners by approximately 52,000 salmon or by almost a quarter over the minimum recommended.
The NFME note that "the nature of the mixed stock fishery prevents" management of salmon on a single stock or catchment basis but the advice proposes no restrictions on drift netting other than that boats be precluded from leaving port before 0400 on Monday. On the contrary, they are recommending pilot projects involving "a short extension of the season" in the Bangor (draft) and Waterford (drift) districts. There is no reference whatsoever to the need for additional resources to be allocated to protection services.
With the objective of reducing the rod angling catch from 28,500 (the annual average for the period 2001/2003) to 27,500 the NMFE are recommending the following further restrictions on anglers:
1. A limit of 5 fish up to 1 June;
2. Anglers to get five tags on the purchase of their licence and after 1 June two further batches of 5 tags each "at the discretion of the CEO".
3. Reduction in the allowable angling catch from 20 to 15;
4. Compulsory catch and release in September;
5. Possible alignment of the closing date for trout fishing with that for salmon, ie 30 September.
The NFME is an extraordinarily ill informed and dangerous document to have emerged from those responsible for the management of our fisheries. Its adoption would be a major set back for attempts to get the management of our salmon fishery onto a sound scientific basis.
Niall Greene
Chair
Steering Committee
Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now
086 826 922