It looks like it could be the End for another British Tradition.
I feel sorry for the man who's family has been doing it for Years.
MickT
I feel sorry for the man who's family has been doing it for Years.
MickT
Eel Fishing Ban
- Thread starter bothyman
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Its very sad when such people who still use traditional methods. It a shame that legislation doesnt look further into the praticallities. Eels arnt what they used to be the massice demand by the japs for elvers means they reach a premium price and have been taken from the Severn in such numbers using nets that adult eels are considerably harder to find nowaday. You just cant take that amount of the young for so long with out it having an effect. It would be a crying shame to loss yet anough tradtion method to beucracy though as the numbers doing it and yeild taken are far smaller.
Not really, might be my poor command of the English language; something needs to be done to let numebers recover i dont think a ban is the way to go and believe tradition catching methods can be accomodated.
Its the amout they take each year using drag nets thats the problem. Couldnt find a picture of it for you properly as its illegal and there clamping down (rightly so). Using the traditional wicker type traps catch relatively few in comparisum to the other methods and having a small quota would allow the traditional catching continue whilst letting the population recover. Eels arnt suffering due to habbit but having the vast majority of there young taken to be eaten as a dalicay in Japan a balance can surely be met with them elevated in status and a small quota using traditional methods tokeep the skill alive. If you go from taken say 80% of the young to 10% it bound to make a massive differnce. They need to catch more of the poaching using drag nets else it will make no differnece anyway.
I wish i could show you a pic its unreal but my google fu is poor. Ive not seen it for about 8 years now as i havent been around at the right time but the whole river (Severn) would bubble to the tiny elvers swimming around its a sight worth seeing if indeed you still can
elvers is what they are catching Firecrest.I think what will is trying to get across is ,if you stop completely the commercial and poaching methods and just allow the traditional methods (one man with an small net on a pole) then the traditional methods will survive and keep the traditionalists in a job and a living wage,whilst allowing the stocks to recover.After all the traditional methods have been around for thousands of years but it's only since the rise of commerial methods that the eels have declined.
Here'sa short history of the life cycle of the eel.
They are born in the sargasso sea and take about a year to reach our rivers,then they live in our waterways for upto 10-15 years ( some longer) they then swim all the way back to breed,lay eggs and die.
If 1,000,000 start out from the sargasso and then 25% make it to our waters,where, 80% are caught and eaten this leaves very few to return to the sargasso to breed.It's an ever decreasing circle.Soon there'll be none left.
They are born in the sargasso sea and take about a year to reach our rivers,then they live in our waterways for upto 10-15 years ( some longer) they then swim all the way back to breed,lay eggs and die.
If 1,000,000 start out from the sargasso and then 25% make it to our waters,where, 80% are caught and eaten this leaves very few to return to the sargasso to breed.It's an ever decreasing circle.Soon there'll be none left.
I work for Waitrose and they have some traditional basket traps on the River Test in Hampshire which they use to catch stock for the shops. I'll keep an eye out to see if there's any news comes through.
BCUK is an International Forum, it may be appreciated if you did not refer to the members and readers in Japan as "japs"!
Maybe your should allow the moderators to mod! Im sorry if that term offends any Japeneese person but you dont apear to be from Japan. i do not believe it to be offensive as i was using it the same as Brits being short for British
. As said sorry if it has offended any person originating from Japan.
Hi there.
the article does say that a large reason for the decline in numbers is a swim bladder parasite, so it would perhaps be prudent to have a general ban after all to allow the population to recover enough to allow a full study.
perhaps a good way forward would be to enforce the ban but make exceptions for a few traditional craftsmen/ women to keep the craft alive. then when a recovery is seen more licences could gradually be granted.
Rob
the article does say that a large reason for the decline in numbers is a swim bladder parasite, so it would perhaps be prudent to have a general ban after all to allow the population to recover enough to allow a full study.
perhaps a good way forward would be to enforce the ban but make exceptions for a few traditional craftsmen/ women to keep the craft alive. then when a recovery is seen more licences could gradually be granted.
Rob
I live in Ely and have seen the 'eel man' about his work. As far as I know he is the only one catching eels on the whole stretch of our river. There is no drag netting, and probably little poaching. So if we need to put a seasonal ban on catching until stocks increase......so be it. He won't be the eel man for long if there are no eels left.
I can fully appreciate why this action is being taken, as I'm sure most people can. However the preservation of an ancient skill/right/way of life should also be considered, bearing in mind this particular gent is the last remaining practitioner (if I read it correctly) and as such would have a greater insight into the eel populus/condition and the state of the river that probably anyone else, considering they will need to be constantly monitoring the ongoing status...........
I would have thought that it would make good sense to get this person involved in the process and employ him to continue doing what he does.....ie pay him to carry out scientific catches for monitoring processes with a view to lifting the ban when stock levels help have increased sufficiently to allow the traditional method to recomence without detremental effect.
Doing it this way would mean if he is getting paid, he would not wish to end that relationship prematurely to return to profit driven fishing and would therefore more likely support the conservation work. He could also be employed as river monitor to enforce the ban.
Of course I doubt the power that be would have even considered anything along these lines, they would more than likely spend a fortune on reaserchers who have no local/intimate knowledge of the river or the eel!
Smoggy
I would have thought that it would make good sense to get this person involved in the process and employ him to continue doing what he does.....ie pay him to carry out scientific catches for monitoring processes with a view to lifting the ban when stock levels help have increased sufficiently to allow the traditional method to recomence without detremental effect.
Doing it this way would mean if he is getting paid, he would not wish to end that relationship prematurely to return to profit driven fishing and would therefore more likely support the conservation work. He could also be employed as river monitor to enforce the ban.
Of course I doubt the power that be would have even considered anything along these lines, they would more than likely spend a fortune on reaserchers who have no local/intimate knowledge of the river or the eel!
Smoggy
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