UK Fish Fight Campaign

[Scubapro67]

Also have this post in the Virginia Angler forum - repeated here as it's a more logical place.

The issue of commercial fishermen throwing back by-catch and over-quota fish has been all over this site and in the news regularly - regrettably not in the public's face enough. This seems to be a universal problem - destroying a valuable resource because the law says you can't land it. Additionally, commercial trawler captains regularly re-grade their catch by discarding the less profitable catch and making room for high value fish.

A campaign in the UK has just started, and seems to be exploding with public support. One key theme they are trying to overcome is the wanton waste of good fish by throwing them overboard just because a quota has been reached.

I encourage you to take a good look at the following web site and the YouTube videos:

http://www.fishfight.net/

Not looking for you to sign-up, but it's a very slick campaign and has many relevant issues to what we see this side of the Atlantic.

Duncan.

[Southern Grin]

Maybe they need to change the law in regards to landing the fish. It is a shame to throw fish overboard because "fishery managers" say it is a law. It should be sold at the dock, not thrown overboard. That is a wasted resource !

[Scubapro67]

If you land all you catch, you then have the potential to overfish........ maybe we should legislate that trawlermen catch a certain total mixed fish weight within a certain time scale and then they're done. Maybe we should only do hook and line - although even there any catch and release can still kill the fish from swim bladder over-inflation and/ or the stress of fighting the hook?? :o)