North East Worst Cod Season To Date

[Leginfisher]

It’s not just cod getting scarce though is it! A charter from Brighton this weekend saw about 10 pollack caught for the whole crew of 10, with 1 or 2 touching double figures. Facebook reports from 2 Eastbourne boats seemed to suggest the same results this weekend. Most fish sizes are drastically down. Yes there are more strap congers and dogs, probably due to limited commercial value, and Bass due to restrictions but other fish with commercial value are much scarcer and smaller. Anyone who has been fishing over 10+ years will have seen and can relate to this. I don’t like fishing for rays or straps really but this year if I want to catch something of a decent size that will bend the rod then I might have to start targeting them.

Can’t quite bring myself to LRF but can see why a lot are doing it now.

 

[Mr Fish]

Had a single 2lb fish from the Bristol Channel back in September, and 10 from chesil in the 4 to 6lb class. It was the Minehead cod festival this weekend, if I've heard rightly? There were only 2 cod landed for all those boats. Overfishing is 100% to blame, the collapse in cod stocks is absolutely staggering! Not long ago 5 x 3lb codling a session was nothing special, now you won't see or hear of 5 x 3lb codling all winter.

Few low doubles caught around Christmas? I did wonder how the boats got on, but it’s been poor for a few years in that comp hasn’t it?

 

[Timmy H]

This is what's happened to the mackerel, they've moved. I still reckon other species are doing the same.

The mackerel is the single most important fish to the British fishing fleet worth around 500 million pounds to the British economy and employing some 2,000 people. The stocks of previous British staples, cod and herring are down, their prices up. The tasty flesh rich in life enhancing properties, along with eulogising by trendy TV chefs have made the mackerel popular as never before. Surely overfishing would be to blame again? This feeling was only enhanced when I discovered that fishing pressure had dramatically increased since 2008 roughly coinciding with my own perceptions of their fall. Following the collapse of their Blue Whiting stocks, Iceland and the Faroe Isles turned their attention to mackerel that were new arrivals to their waters. Catches by Iceland alone soared from 2,000 tons in the mid-2000’s to 130,000 tons in 2010. Now catches in this area constitute half of the total reported landings. Meanwhile the mackerel continue to extend their range northwards and Greenland is the latest country to join the mackerel party. Once Iceland and the Faroe Isles had started to fish, squabbles with Europe and Norway began over quotas. Thankfully these have been sorted out and quota’s that in theory are sustainable have been agreed.

 

[squidword]

Few low doubles caught around Christmas? I did wonder how the boats got on, but it’s been poor for a few years in that comp hasn’t it?

Yes I did see a few low doubles, some caught up channel, some lower down. But we did have some good tides, ideal conditions and lots of anglers out due to time off over Christmas. You can't even blame the sprats, reports from up channel of very few. Yes I think the boat comp has been very poor. It's never really been a numbers game this end of the channel but traditionaly it's the time when the big girls will be about, the 20 to 30lb class of fish. As I understand it, they've been gone for about 5 years or so now.........

 

[Mr Fish]

Yes I did see a few low doubles, some caught up channel, some lower down. But we did have some good tides, ideal conditions and lots of anglers out due to time off over Christmas. You can't even blame the sprats, reports from up channel of very few. Yes I think the boat comp has been very poor. It's never really been a numbers game this end of the channel but traditionaly it's the time when the big girls will be about, the 20 to 30lb class of fish. As I understand it, they've been gone for about 5 years or so now.........

Yep tbf, it wasn’t as if I was seeing cod everywhere, though the local hype made it sound like that

As you say, right conditions, longer Christmas holiday and loads of people out I suppose?

Never really sure why they didn’t have the boat comp early December but then never fished it, charters are too expensive these days…

 

[Beach]

Yep tbf, it wasn’t as if I was seeing cod everywhere, though the local hype made it sound like that

As you say, right conditions, longer Christmas holiday and loads of people out I suppose?

Never really sure why they didn’t have the boat comp early December but then never fished it, charters are too expensive these days…

What about the Large trawlers scooping up everything?

 

[Timmy H]

What about the Large trawlers scooping up everything?

But are they really? If stocks of fish are that low they won't be having much luck either.
I still reckon our normal species are moving north to get away from warming seas. The example of the mackerel in my previous post are proof that something is happening, we can't blame everything on commercials even though its convenient.

 

[Beach]

But are they really? If stocks of fish are that low they won't be having much luck either.
I still reckon our normal species are moving north to get away from warming seas. The example of the mackerel in my previous post are proof that something is happening, we can't blame everything on commercials even though its convenient.

Maybe because with their echo sounders (3D) they can scoop the whole shoal up, hence the lack of fish around.

 

[squidword]

The year after the Irish sea was opened up for trawling, the BC lost its cod. A coincidence? I think not.....

 

[Mr Fish]

What about the Large trawlers scooping up everything?

Them too but traditionally and indeed this year, minehead area sees a few better cod and more codling in the run up to Christmas/end December.

Obviously not a patch on what it was but by mid January the numbers start to dwindle anyway.
As Squiddy says, it is or was more the odd big lump this time of year.

 

[Timmy H]

Maybe because with their echo sounders (3D) they can scoop the whole shoal up, hence the lack of fish around.

If they find a shoal, yes.
Ok, can you explain why Icelands mackerel catch has gone from 2000 tons to 130,000 tons in their waters?
How come Greenland is now getting huge shoals? Norway cod stocks are down, is that overfishing or because the baitfish have gone north?
Krill and plankton thrive in cold waters, that is a prime food source for many species so if the food moves then so do the fish.
There's multiple reasons why stocks are down, not just one.
For me, the changes are partly down to warming seas and no one can deny that is happening.

 

[Where’s Wally]

But are they really? If stocks of fish are that low they won't be having much luck either.
I still reckon our normal species are moving north to get away from warming seas. The example of the mackerel in my previous post are proof that something is happening, we can't blame everything on commercials even though it’s convenient.

Over 90% of the oceans biomass has already been removed by man’s greed. Yes there are other factors for the movement of species in a northerly direction, but this has happened before many times. Nature abhors a vacuum and the prevalence of undesirable (commercially speaking) species taking over is a sign of overfishing, not warming seas, otherwise they too would have moved.

 

[Timmy H]

Over 90% of the oceans biomass has already been removed by man’s greed. Yes there are other factors for the movement of species in a northerly direction, but this has happened before many times. Nature abhors a vacuum and the prevalence of undesirable (commercially speaking) species taking over is a sign of overfishing, not warming seas, otherwise they too would have moved.

The species left are more tolerant of unfavourable conditions, omnivorous scavengers, thats all.
A bit like magpies and other corvids on land, they survive by not being specialists, they eat anything and everything and in doing so they reduce more delicate species like songbirds who rely on specific seeds or insects.
Even if all commercial fishing ceased I don't believe the old stocks of fish would return simply because the conditions aren't there. In a few years I reckon the water around the UK will be like the Med, just warm water species. No cod, no herring, no mackerel, no pollack. We will see the warmer water species though, we're even seeing bass caught inshore throughout the year, who would have thought that 40 years ago?

 

[Timmy H]

Worth a read.

Climate change: Sudden heat increase in seas around UK and Ireland

Scientists say water temperatures are as much as 3 to 4C above the average for this time of year in some areas.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Where’s Wally]

The species left are more tolerant of unfavourable conditions, omnivorous scavengers, thats all.
A bit like magpies and other corvids on land, they survive by not being specialists, they eat anything and everything and in doing so they reduce more delicate species like songbirds who rely on specific seeds or insects.
Even if all commercial fishing ceased I don't believe the old stocks of fish would return simply because the conditions aren't there. In a few years I reckon the water around the UK will be like the Med, just warm water species. No cod, no herring, no mackerel, no pollack. We will see the warmer water species though, we're even seeing bass caught inshore throughout the year, who would have thought that 40 years ago?

But that doesn’t take into account the 90% already gone. I might have sympathy with your point about the warming of our seas, but with less than 10% of the biomass left, it’s rather an inferior aspect to compare a half degree warming when compared with the rape of our environment surely

 

[Timmy H]

But that doesn’t take into account the 90% already gone. I might have sympathy with your point about the warming of our seas, but with less than 10% of the biomass left, it’s rather an inferior aspect to compare a half degree warming when compared with the rape of our environment surely

Half a degree? Try 3 or 4 degrees. I don't deny commercials are a problem but even they can't catch what isn't there can they?
We can talk about 90% biomass removed, the last few years we even blamed the commercials for the lack of mackerel, well ok but where were those mackerel caught? The majority weren't in our waters, they'd already gone to Iceland, Norway and Greenland.
It's not just us, every marine environment is suffering, look at reef systems throughout the world, lionfish surviving and thriving in the Med, warm water species heading here in increasing numbers.
There isn't an answer but I believe we all have to take some blame for the situation we're in.

 

[Where’s Wally]

Half a degree? Try 3 or 4 degrees. I don't deny commercials are a problem but even they can't catch what isn't there can they?
We can talk about 90% biomass removed, the last few years we even blamed the commercials for the lack of mackerel, well ok but where were those mackerel caught? The majority weren't in our waters, they'd already gone to Iceland, Norway and Greenland.
It's not just us, every marine environment is suffering, look at reef systems throughout the world, lionfish surviving and thriving in the Med, warm water species heading here in increasing numbers.
There isn't an answer but I believe we all have to take some blame for the situation we're in.

You’re cherry picking. Half a degree on average.
As for the geography lesson, mackerel have always used the same route, from arctic or near arctic seas to migrate to warmer waters, it’s just that the super trawlers intercept them further north and earlier in the year. They never get chance to visit our waters.

 

[Timmy H]

You’re cherry picking. Half a degree on average.
As for the geography lesson, mackerel have always used the same route, from arctic or near arctic seas to migrate to warmer waters, it’s just that the super trawlers intercept them further north and earlier in the year. They never get chance to visit our waters.

There will never be an answer or understanding until people see all sides of the problem, not just the one that best fits their agenda.

 

[Where’s Wally]

There will never be an answer or understanding until people see all sides of the problem, not just the one that best fits their agenda.

Funny, that’s what I was thinking too

 

[Where’s Wally]

There will never be an answer or understanding until people see all sides of the problem, not just the one that best fits their agenda.

Lion fish have been spread around the Red Sea and Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean by mankind in bilge water, thrown out or lost by careless aquarium owners. Few natural predators are known and they’re a bloody nightmare. Nothing to do with warming up of the oceans, but it doesn’t help in the fight against them.