Shocking!

[Helen F H]

Having seen the dead seals washed up on the beach which have been shot by "no-one" for the past 16 years it does happen that people will not grass on the offenders. We know that there is no justification for it, but they do not. Unfortunatley not everyone thinks the same way as we do.

[onthetrain]

Originally Posted by tom

Careful now.. we've been here before.
Yes, this is a pretty appalling incident.

It is also likely to be the work of a very small number of individuals. Let's not tar all fishermen with the same brush; I'm sure most people would NOT do something like this.

Tom, fair point. It's not all commercial fishermen who behave in this way. My issue is not with folk trying to earn a living. It's the practices employed. Long lines, paired drift nets etc. which wipe out everything in the path of the boat.

It soon wont matter what methods they employ as there will be nothing left to catch!!

[NotDeadYet]

What it does show is just how frustrated and desperate the fishing community has become. Poor management and unfair legislation, and probably a fair bit of profiteering, has pushed a hell of a lot of inshore fishermen to the wall.

Fishermen have become demonised along with farmers in recent years, our culture has turned what had been a fairly sustainable living into a cut-throat business that's eroding the resources it relies on. Events like these show just how desperate fishermen are becoming to stay afloat (no pun intended).

[londonsean69]

IF it is true, then it is very bad indeed. However, aren't these the same porpoises, from the same area as the alleged mako shark attacks on them??

Will try to find the link.

[Dr Stevil]

It's nothing to do with management or legislation, there just aren't the fish left out there to be caught by modern commercial methods, killing all the other natural elements of the marine ecosytem won't increase what isn't there in the first place.

Besides which, this is a criminal offence and should be discussed as such, this is not something to brush under the carpet.

Helen, I know you live in a village in the middle of nowhere but that "grassing up" mentality doesn't cut any ice in the real world, these offenders might think they're being quite clever in the short term, but it'll bite them back when they want support from the wider public.

[Dr Stevil]

Originally Posted by londonsean69

IF it is true, then it is very bad indeed. However, aren't these the same porpoises, from the same area as the alleged mako shark attacks on them??

Will try to find the link.

Roughly the same area yes, but the only link you'll find there is a Sunday Sport "Geordie Jaws hunts porpoises with SA80" type story

[Dr Stevil]

No doubt certain posters will complain about a lack of support for the "plight" of the fishermen. Well if you want to save your industry it has to be done the right way. Here's a bit of history for younger YDers.

Times change, whatever happened to all the men who worked down the mines of Northern England, East Midlands and Wales? No they didn't starve to death in the streets or any other such hyperbolae that was bandied about at the time. Scargill did more harm than good with his undemocratic, excessively aggressive and politically inept approach. All it did was earn big wage packets for the riot police and allow more politically adept people to get their way ( where are all the mines now?).

Most people can expect to have to retrain for other jobs throughout their lifetimes in this day and age, the engineering trade had their time (I know, I was one), the miners had their time, and all the evidence suggest it's now time for commercial fishermen too.

[NotDeadYet]

Originally Posted by Steve W

It's nothing to do with management or legislation, there just aren't the fish left out there to be caught by modern commercial methods, killing all the other natural elements of the marine ecosytem won't increase what isn't there in the first place.

Er... how do you think the fish stocks got that way? Poor management domestically, poor legislation internationally? Or maybe there was some monster predator out there having evolved in the last 20 years?

Mining is considerably different, coal is not a sustainable resource no matter how you manage it. Nor is it's continued use, Victorian technology in the late 20th century. It had an allotted time to run when the first steam engine was lit.

And I never said culling dolphins would alleviate anything. It's an expression of anger, a last ditch strike at something, anything.

[Dr Stevil]

Modern commercial/industrial fishing methods are non-sustainable too, and that's that's not just my opinion, there's mountains of evidence. "Management" tactics are a futile smokescreen

The only ones who choose not to listen are the big fleets with pound/dollar signs where their minds should be, because the guys behind those businesses will simply move on an exploit something else.

Let's be candid, these are not "the little guys" from Seahouses or Craster or suchlike, this is big, faceless Industry that has done the damage. The little guys and the environment have been stuffed by masses of exploitative technology.

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by Steve W

Modern commercial/industrial fishing methods are non-sustainable too, and that's that's not just my opinion, there's mountains of evidence. "Management" tactics are a futile smokescreen

The only ones who choose not to listen are the big fleets with pound/dollar signs where their minds should be, because the guys behind those businesses will simply move on an exploit something else.

Let's be candid, these are not "the little guys" from Seahouses or Craster or suchlike, this is big, faceless Industry that has done the damage. The little guys and the environment have been stuffed by masses of exploitative technology.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Steve, but is it not so that much of the UK fishing flight is owned by multinationals like Unilever, who literally own hundreds of trawlers?