EU threat to the future of fishing

Today it is the most popular sport in Britain, with an estimated 1.4 million people a year dropping a line to try their luck.

But new rules proposed by bureaucrats in Brussels pose a major threat to the future of fishing – and the livelihoods of charter skippers across the county.

Under the proposed scheme, thousands of oceangoing cruisers, yachts, private motor boats and even canoes would have to become registered fishing vessels if, even once a year, someone puts a line over the side of the vessel to catch their supper.

And it would not stop there. Jo Borg, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, wants every fish to be counted as part of the quota British commercial trawlers can land.

Once the quota for a particular species, such as cod, is reached each year, recreational anglers would also be banned from keeping their fish.

Even anglers on beaches and piers would have to admit their catches and risk being told to pack up their rods if the EU thought they might be depleting fish stocks.

The draconian regulations, known as Article 47, would not only be an inconvenience – it could spell the end for charter fishing, according to skippers contacted by the Daily Echo this week.

Dave Stephenson, from the West Wight Charter Skippers’ Association, represents 14 skippers who depart from Lymington, in the New Forest, and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.

Mr Stephenson, who skippers Baby M, said the measures would be an unmitigated disaster for the Hampshire charter fishing industry and he was in no doubt some businesses would go bust.

Matt Horne, whose Optimist Fishing Charter departs from Gosport, is one skipper already fearing the future.

He said many charters already encouraged catch and release, but imposing a limit would put off most potential customers.

“If we were stopped from catching cod because the quota had been reached we would be absolutely stuffed,” he said.

“What else could we fish for? It’s all we can catch in the winter and there would be no point in fishing.

“As it is a lot of skippers were going out of business with the rising diesel prices last year and less people are prepared to spend money on charters because of the credit crunch.”

A seven or eight hour charter departing Gosport, Lymington or Hamble costs in the region of £35 to £40, but the added benefit to the region’s economy is believed to be far greater.

Mr Horne added: “A lot of the people I take out on my boat have never caught a good fish before and I enjoy watching someone catch the fish of a lifetime.

“It’s in everyone’s interest to conserve fish stocks. Many of the charter skippers, myself included, promote catch and release.

“Targeting eight guys fishing off the back of a boat with rods and lines isn’t going to make the slightest bit of difference to fish stocks.”

Anglers today received support from an unlikely corner, from those whose job it is to conserve sea life.

Marine Conservation Society fisheries officer Sam Wilding told the Daily Echo he agreed that the impact of hobby anglers on Britain’s fish stocks was a “drop in the ocean”.

“In the grand scheme of things the number of fish they are taking out of the water is just a drop in the ocean compared to commercial trawlers,” he said.

“The EU is maybe trying to come up with ways it can plug any gaps in its legislation, but I don’t think it would have any major positive benefits in conservation. It’s more likely to just upset a lot of people.”

Mr Wilding said the bureaucrats should instead set their sights on targeting the commercial industry which, every year, dumps thousands of tonnes of dead fish back into the ocean to avoid going over their quota.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust marine conservation manager Jolyon Chesworth said: “Recording recreational anglers’ catches is potentially a good idea, as it would give us an idea of where our fish are. That information would be very useful for research scientists.

“But I would not suggest for one moment that recreational anglers should be forced to contribute to our national quota, because there is no comparison with how much they catch with commercial fishermen.”

Earlier this month, anglers united under one body, known as the Angling Trust, in an attempt to use their combined clout. Given the huge popularity of fishing, British politicians have been quick to jump to their defence.

South East MEP Richard Ashworth said this week he would “fight tooth and nail” to block the proposals, to be voted on in April.

“Recreational fishing is a simple pleasure that would become a bureaucratic nightmare if these plans become law,” he said.

“This kind of draconian approach would do very little to assist in the recovery of fish stocks, yet it will cause a great deal of damage to tourism and the whole fishing sport.”

The Tories will be submitting amendments to remove recreational fishing from the regulations.

Daily Echo fishing correspondent and former World Shore Angling Champion Chris Clark said a lot of people would simply give up fishing rather than go through the hassle of registering their catch.

“I really don’t think it is workable. It’s just going to add an awful lot of bureaucracy and not make one iota of difference to the fish stocks,” he said.

“A lot of people only go fishing once or twice a year on a charter boat and I don’t think they would bother anymore.

“It would be really damaging for charter skippers.”

For part-time anglers such as John Fell, chairman of Southampton Sea Angling Club, Brussels is simply adding a lot of confusion to a simple, ancient sport.