Post by SHARK on Apr 21, 2009 21:58:31 GMT 1
Minister's Parliamentary answers duck the issue.
BASS, the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society, has rounded upon the answers given in Parliament by the Fisheries Minister, Jonathan Shaw, to Bill Wiggins the Conservative Shadow Fisheries Minister, seeking information about recent scientific evidence pointing to a recruitment failure in the UK bass stock.
In a statement issued in response to the Minister's replies (see below), John Leballeur, chairman of the Bass Restoration Team says "The public and anglers are increasingly fed up with the same old rhetoric from the stuck gramophone record of DEFRA, that the fishery is being fished sustainably, when mounting evidence shows that this is not the case and that there is a real cause for concern".
The following are the questions and answers givern:
Question 1.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(1) what estimate he has made of bass stocks in
(a) the Tamar,
(b) the Solent,
(c) the Thames and
(d) nationwide in each year since 1977; and if he will make a statement;
Bass are highly mobile and migratory fish and the exact identity of stocks is not well understood. Around the UK bass stocks are generally assessed in four units, namely the North sea, the eastern English channel, the western English channel and the UK west coast and not in terms of specific estuaries. However pre-recruit surveys (i.e. surveys of juvenile fish before they recruit to the fishery) have been carried out in the Tamar, Solent and Thames.
(i) Pre-recruit surveys available for the Tamar since 1984 suggest that year-classes in the mid 1980s were weak, while through the 1990s there were some strong year-classes and some weak year-classes. The 2002 year-class appeared strong in this area, and 2004 was above average as age 0 fish, but since then the indices in this area are low.
(ii) Pre-recruit indices in the Solent are available since 1977 and show a similar pattern of weak year-classes in the mid 1980s, several strong year-classes interspersed with weaker ones through the 1990s and a decline to more average levels since 2000.
(iii) Pre-recruit indices in the Thames estuary are only available since the mid 1990s. They indicate relatively strong year-classes in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Provisional estimates for 2006 and 2007 suggest these year-classes may also be strong.
(iv) Bass stocks around the UK were analytically assessed by ICES in 2004 and more recently by CEFAS. They indicated that spawning stock biomass had increased substantially following a number of strong recruitments in the 1990s, and that biomass levels in all areas were currently close to the series maxima (on the basis of data from 1985 onwards).
Question 2.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(1) when he plans to introduce measures to conserve bass stocks for anglers; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what his policy is on the designation of bass as a wholly recreational stock; and if he will make a statement.
There are a number of measures in place to conserve bass stocks for all those with an interest in the stock. These include a minimum landing size of 36 cm, a prohibition on the use of enmeshing nets with a mesh size of between 65 and 89 mm, and a ban on fishing from boats for bass in 37 areas around the coast of England and Wales where undersized fish are particularly vulnerable to capture, known as bass nursery areas.
Bass is a particularly important stock for the inshore fishing fleet. Given the current pressures faced by this fleet and the relatively healthy state of the stock at present, I could not justify designating bass as a wholly recreational stock. However, I have announced a package of new measures that will provide benefits for stocks of bass and more widely for anglers. This includes a review of bass nursery areas and inshore netting restrictions and for consultation on the designation and design of new areas. We are also funding research exploring the use of restricted areas to benefit recreational anglers.
Question 3.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total bass biomass in UK waters in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.
Bass stocks around the UK were last assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in 2004 and more recently by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) in 2006 and 2008. The latest assessments suggest that since 1997 the biomass of bass in UK waters has continued to increase in all areas.
Question 4.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what bass sampling his Department undertakes; and if he will make a statement.
The Marine and Fisheries Agency samples commercial landings of bass in accordance with the European Commission data collection regulation. Samples of scales and length information are processed by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) to provide information on population length and age structure. In recent years, CEFAS has processed around 2,000 scale samples and 4,000 length measurements per year.
CEFAS also carries out pre-recruit surveys (i.e. surveys of juvenile fish before they recruit to the fishery) in the Thames and Solent and commissions a pre-recruit survey in the Tamar. As part of a new R and D programme, CEFAS will also be investigating the utility of data from power station intake screens to provide new recruitment indices.
Statement from the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society (BASS) regarding answers to recent parliamentary questions regarding failing recruitment to UK bass stocks.
On Tuesday 3rd June the Fisheries Minister, Jonathan Shaw, provided answers to a series of questions asked by Bill Wiggins, the Conservative Shadow Fisheries Minister, relating to recent scientific evidence warning of a recruitment collapse in the UK bass fishery in years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
The Minister's replies side-step the main issue with an apparent smoke-screen constructed to play down the alarming evidence of the possibility of an imminent collapse in the fishery, and to maintain the false impression that there is little need for concern.
In the answers provided he did however acknowledge a similar pattern of pre-recruitment indices for the Solent to that of the Tamar since records commenced in 1997.
CEFAS, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science at Lowestoft, is the authority who's Marine Biologists have the responsibility of conducting and collating of bass pre-recruitment survey results from the Thames, Solent and the Tamar.
These surveys indicate the spawning success of the bass breeding stock during the winter months, and it is the juvenile '0' Group bass which in five year's time, enter the fish stocks around our coasts.
The scientific evidence which John Leballeur, Chairman of the Bass Restoration Team, is questioning the Minister, is in respect of CEFAS's survey results against the sampling he himself conducts on the Tamar, which clearly shows a pre-recruitment collapse.
B.A.S.S's own records (commencing in 1977) and that of CEFAS (Solent data), also clearly show that the pre-recruitment stock has actually halved in size since the good year classes of the 90's.
It is the breeding stock in the Western Approaches and English Channel from which juvenile '0' group year classes derive to populate the estuaries along the southern part of the United Kingdom, including the Tamar and Solent estuaries, and it is this fishery which has seen over-fishing of the breeding stock in recent years.
Anglers have witnessed the year on year decline of size and quantity of bass.
In the coming next two years, we will begin to see an even further decline when there will be no replacement year classes to enter the fishery.
The public and anglers are increasingly fed up with the same old rhetoric from the stuck gramophone record of DEFRA, that the fishery is being fished sustainably, when mounting evidence shows that this is not the case and that there is a real cause for concern.
BASS, the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society, has rounded upon the answers given in Parliament by the Fisheries Minister, Jonathan Shaw, to Bill Wiggins the Conservative Shadow Fisheries Minister, seeking information about recent scientific evidence pointing to a recruitment failure in the UK bass stock.
In a statement issued in response to the Minister's replies (see below), John Leballeur, chairman of the Bass Restoration Team says "The public and anglers are increasingly fed up with the same old rhetoric from the stuck gramophone record of DEFRA, that the fishery is being fished sustainably, when mounting evidence shows that this is not the case and that there is a real cause for concern".
The following are the questions and answers givern:
Question 1.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(1) what estimate he has made of bass stocks in
(a) the Tamar,
(b) the Solent,
(c) the Thames and
(d) nationwide in each year since 1977; and if he will make a statement;
Bass are highly mobile and migratory fish and the exact identity of stocks is not well understood. Around the UK bass stocks are generally assessed in four units, namely the North sea, the eastern English channel, the western English channel and the UK west coast and not in terms of specific estuaries. However pre-recruit surveys (i.e. surveys of juvenile fish before they recruit to the fishery) have been carried out in the Tamar, Solent and Thames.
(i) Pre-recruit surveys available for the Tamar since 1984 suggest that year-classes in the mid 1980s were weak, while through the 1990s there were some strong year-classes and some weak year-classes. The 2002 year-class appeared strong in this area, and 2004 was above average as age 0 fish, but since then the indices in this area are low.
(ii) Pre-recruit indices in the Solent are available since 1977 and show a similar pattern of weak year-classes in the mid 1980s, several strong year-classes interspersed with weaker ones through the 1990s and a decline to more average levels since 2000.
(iii) Pre-recruit indices in the Thames estuary are only available since the mid 1990s. They indicate relatively strong year-classes in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Provisional estimates for 2006 and 2007 suggest these year-classes may also be strong.
(iv) Bass stocks around the UK were analytically assessed by ICES in 2004 and more recently by CEFAS. They indicated that spawning stock biomass had increased substantially following a number of strong recruitments in the 1990s, and that biomass levels in all areas were currently close to the series maxima (on the basis of data from 1985 onwards).
Question 2.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(1) when he plans to introduce measures to conserve bass stocks for anglers; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what his policy is on the designation of bass as a wholly recreational stock; and if he will make a statement.
There are a number of measures in place to conserve bass stocks for all those with an interest in the stock. These include a minimum landing size of 36 cm, a prohibition on the use of enmeshing nets with a mesh size of between 65 and 89 mm, and a ban on fishing from boats for bass in 37 areas around the coast of England and Wales where undersized fish are particularly vulnerable to capture, known as bass nursery areas.
Bass is a particularly important stock for the inshore fishing fleet. Given the current pressures faced by this fleet and the relatively healthy state of the stock at present, I could not justify designating bass as a wholly recreational stock. However, I have announced a package of new measures that will provide benefits for stocks of bass and more widely for anglers. This includes a review of bass nursery areas and inshore netting restrictions and for consultation on the designation and design of new areas. We are also funding research exploring the use of restricted areas to benefit recreational anglers.
Question 3.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total bass biomass in UK waters in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.
Bass stocks around the UK were last assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in 2004 and more recently by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) in 2006 and 2008. The latest assessments suggest that since 1997 the biomass of bass in UK waters has continued to increase in all areas.
Question 4.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what bass sampling his Department undertakes; and if he will make a statement.
The Marine and Fisheries Agency samples commercial landings of bass in accordance with the European Commission data collection regulation. Samples of scales and length information are processed by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) to provide information on population length and age structure. In recent years, CEFAS has processed around 2,000 scale samples and 4,000 length measurements per year.
CEFAS also carries out pre-recruit surveys (i.e. surveys of juvenile fish before they recruit to the fishery) in the Thames and Solent and commissions a pre-recruit survey in the Tamar. As part of a new R and D programme, CEFAS will also be investigating the utility of data from power station intake screens to provide new recruitment indices.
Statement from the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society (BASS) regarding answers to recent parliamentary questions regarding failing recruitment to UK bass stocks.
On Tuesday 3rd June the Fisheries Minister, Jonathan Shaw, provided answers to a series of questions asked by Bill Wiggins, the Conservative Shadow Fisheries Minister, relating to recent scientific evidence warning of a recruitment collapse in the UK bass fishery in years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
The Minister's replies side-step the main issue with an apparent smoke-screen constructed to play down the alarming evidence of the possibility of an imminent collapse in the fishery, and to maintain the false impression that there is little need for concern.
In the answers provided he did however acknowledge a similar pattern of pre-recruitment indices for the Solent to that of the Tamar since records commenced in 1997.
CEFAS, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science at Lowestoft, is the authority who's Marine Biologists have the responsibility of conducting and collating of bass pre-recruitment survey results from the Thames, Solent and the Tamar.
These surveys indicate the spawning success of the bass breeding stock during the winter months, and it is the juvenile '0' Group bass which in five year's time, enter the fish stocks around our coasts.
The scientific evidence which John Leballeur, Chairman of the Bass Restoration Team, is questioning the Minister, is in respect of CEFAS's survey results against the sampling he himself conducts on the Tamar, which clearly shows a pre-recruitment collapse.
B.A.S.S's own records (commencing in 1977) and that of CEFAS (Solent data), also clearly show that the pre-recruitment stock has actually halved in size since the good year classes of the 90's.
It is the breeding stock in the Western Approaches and English Channel from which juvenile '0' group year classes derive to populate the estuaries along the southern part of the United Kingdom, including the Tamar and Solent estuaries, and it is this fishery which has seen over-fishing of the breeding stock in recent years.
Anglers have witnessed the year on year decline of size and quantity of bass.
In the coming next two years, we will begin to see an even further decline when there will be no replacement year classes to enter the fishery.
The public and anglers are increasingly fed up with the same old rhetoric from the stuck gramophone record of DEFRA, that the fishery is being fished sustainably, when mounting evidence shows that this is not the case and that there is a real cause for concern.