It’s that time of the year again, where we look back over the Season Past and look forward to another year on the “Bounding Main”. It was a season that did most of us few favours on the weather front, in the latter half of the year especially. Here’s hoping we have a calm and sunny season coming, with ample bookings, and sufficiently big catches every day this coming year !


Much of the work of the ICSA was done this last year through members working on behalf of the ICSA on the various Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums (RIFFS). ICSA members were asked to join the RIFF on the basis of their membership of an association representing the Charter Skippers of Ireland, and from there, some were asked to join the Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), which oversees the disbursement of EMFF funding, to those who apply for it. These are vital areas to have first hand representation for Skippers .

Among the important issues addressed, objections were lodged to efforts to seek a commercial take of Bass, a case was put forward for a scientific Blue Fin Tuna catch and release quota for Charter Boats, and we were part of the consensus to try to reserve inshore waters (within 6 miles of the coast) for sub 12 meters small craft, to the exclusion of the Big Boats.

Members are strongly encouraged to renew their membership for this coming year. The fee is small, and it is important to be part of a National Organisation capable of representing our interests on the National Stage, especially as we are now subject the Common Fisheries Policy.

The best of luck to you all, and best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2018!

Donal Kennedy
​
Chairman
The Irish Charter Skippers Association

We received the following email from one of our members:

Hi all, I'm just writing a note to any skippers in Ireland to warn of a very convincing Swiss conman who had booked some angling trips with me this week. Hi name is Dieter Reusser and owns the website which runs guided fishing holidays to Ireland http://www.begleitete-fischerferien.ch

It looks very legit and he even has a facebook page with c.1300 followers. He said he had paid me a deposit for three trips of e1200, but when the money didn't arrive in my account I began to get worried. He delayed and timed deposit arrival for this so it was close to his arrival date. He did two days fishing here and didnt pay me but insisted money had gone into my account. He then agreed to pay me the balance but failed to turn up to the meeting point or answer the phone, texts, notes sent to his hotel room or emails after that. After confirming with the bank, I discovered the proof of deposit payment he had sent me was fake.
I called a friend of mine in the guards who checked with the hotel he was staying in to see if payment had gone through there. They checked and the card number was rejected as he had given them a card number with nothing on it or was already maxxed out. He owed the hotel e2600 for the entire group, and even booked the hire cars in one of his guests names on the guests own credit card as he said he forgot his card at the airport (all guests had paid him in full for entire trip months previous). He was ready to do a runner tonight.

I ended up having sit outside the hotel for the whole day to catch him when he came back to get his stuff from his room before getting the guards, who took his passport before he agreed to pay. He had no money or cards with him, so had no intention of paying, and ended up having to ring someone in Switzerland to get their card number, and the hotel kindly processed theirs, and my payment through their card reader for me. 

The reason I am sending this is as I know he has a total of three other trips for sea fishing and sharking booked to Ireland this year, all in July, and one of his guests told me he knows people on the trips so these are full also, so he will be looking for a boat for these dates.

I nearly got caught and would hate to see it happen someone else, just beware of this conman. Please circulate this to any skippers or angling guides you know who may get caught with this chancer.

Thanks,
Daryl

Also about Dieter Reusser:
www.fischerforum.ch (in German)

Minutes of the AGM 2016 are now online!

Please click HERE to access the AGM page in the Member Area of the Irish Charter Skippers Association.

Happy Easter All,
The ICSA AGM has been re scheduled for Tuesday 05th of April next, at 11:00, in the Clayton Hotel, near Dublin Airport (formerly the Bewleys Airport Hotel)
We have booked the same room as before, and if a quorum won’t be reached (a simple majority of 4 of the 7 districts), we need 5 days notice to cancel the meeting, or we have to pay the Hotel again.
Can you let me know as soon as possible whether at least one of the 2 delegates for each District will or will not be able to attend?
Agenda for 2016 AGM

1. Chairman’s Address.
2. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising
3. Financial report.
4. RIFF and NIFF – our role in them
5. National Angling Development Strategy(photocopy of reply to Campion for all?)
6. Set fee for next year?
7. Quota for angling Boats update – any news of catch/landing sampling plan?
8. Any other business

Joe Lynch
Secretary

Notice Of 2016 AGM of the Irish Charter Skippers Association
 
The results of this Ballot will be Notified at our AGM on Saturday 20th of February 2016 (timing will be notified later)at the Clayton Hotel . (Note : This is the day of the annual Specimen Fish Awards, in The Clayton Hotel Swords, this year)
 
The AGM Agenda will be circulated in advance of the Meeting.

If there is a matter you want put on the Agenda, submit it to The Secretary : Joe Lynch, 89 East Ave. Parkgate Frankfield Cork, (preferably by email to : joelynch@iol.ie )
 
It is hoped that every member will attend this meeting, where matters vital to the future of Charter Sea Angling in Ireland will be discussed.
 
 
Joe Lynch
Secretary
Irish Charter Skippers Association
​

​From Joe Lynch, Secretary of the ICSA
89 East Ave. Parkgate,
Frankfield
Cork
Co. Cork
 
To All members of the ICSA
 
Call for nominations for election to the Board of the ICSA for 2016-2017
 
You are requested to indicate to Joe Lynch, 89 East Avenue Parkgate, Frankfield, Cork, (preferably by email to: joelynch@iol.ie ), by the 8th of February 2016, if you wish to go forward as a candidate for election to the Board of the Irish Charter Skippers Association.
 
There will be 2 members elected for each of the 7 Fisheries District Areas. From these 14 members will be selected the Board Officers for the next Year (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer Etc.) prior to the AGM
 
The existing 14 Board members for the 7 Fisheries areas are as follows :
 
East : Kit Dunne, Eamonn Hayes        
South : Walter Foley, John O’Conner           
South West : Joe Lynch (Secretary), Butch Roberts            
Shannon : Luke Aston, Nealie Lyne         
West : John Brittain,            
North West : Mary Gavin Hughes (Treasurer), Donal Kennedy (Chairman)     
North :  Patrick Doherty, John McLaughlin (Vice Chairman)
 
 
They will also be candidates for this forthcoming election, and all except one are willing to continue to serve on the steering committee. (The exception is Shane Bisgood (West), who has nominated John Fleming (West) to replace him)
 
As soon as the list of all candidates is finalized, ballot papers will be circulated to all members in each area. In the event that no new candidates come forward, the existing board members for that Area will be deemed re-elected at the AGM. If there is no other candidate for the vacancy in the West, John Fleming will be deemed elected for the West.
 
 

From: Joe Lynch
To: ICSA Committee
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2016 12:00 AM

​Hello All,

Please see the correspondence below from Billi Grabher. We will put these on our facebook page and website as she suggested.
 
There are several issues to note, which Donal Kennedy and I have initially discussed. On the petition issue, there is actually nothing we can do to stop supertrawlers for as long as what they do is legal. Nevertheless, politically, it is best if the ICSA is seen to strongly oppose this over-exploitation of inshore waters. Don’t expect a response though.
 
On the survey – quota issue, the bottom line is we are already subject to the Common Fisheries Policy, and if the EU wants us to be subject to quota, then like it or not, we will be. It won’t happen any time soon, as quota will have to be withdrawn from commercial fleets to assign to us, and that will be fiercely resisted by them.
 
On the EU survey issue, which will be used to determine what quota will be assigned to recreational fishing, the survey is already legally mandated, unfortunately, with a heavy emphasis on charter boat operators. They believe they have us over a barrel.
 
If you follow the various links here, you will see what’s been proposed:  
http://www.eaa-europe.org/news/7845/recreational-sea-fishing-future-data-collection-in-eu.html
 
I believe the position we should take on a mandatory survey is that no Skipper can be held responsible for any wrongdoing by a fare paying passenger. If an anglers survey sheet is incomplete at boarding / checking time, that must be a matter between the angler and the authorities. I believe we should issue the forms to anglers, provide a box to post the completed survey forms, and advise/assist any angler who needs help to complete it – and that’s it!
 
We should never accept that Skippers be legally liable to record anglers catches. In that respect we are totally different to a trawler skipper, who employs his crew to manage the vessels catch, and is responsible for their actions. On a ferry, if drugs are discovered on a passenger, the passenger is in trouble, if found on a crewmember, the Captain is accountable along with the crewman.
 
Remember, the penalties for breaches of fisheries law in Ireland are eyewatering!
 
Any opinions on these matters ?
 
Joe Lynch
  
----- Original Message -----
From: Billi Grabher
To: Kennedy, Donal
Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2016 3:06 AM
Subject: Facebook

Hi Donal,
 
Happy New Year with hopefully much better weather and a good and safe angling season!

While browsing the internet I came across two things which I think could be shared on the ICSA Facebook page, but I want to check with you first, if this is ok.

One is about the supertrawlers fishing near the Irish coast. More signatures are needed in the campaign to ban supertrawlers from Irish seas. https://uplift.ie/supertrawlers/

Can I sign the campaign in the name of the ICSA and publish it on the Facebook page, so other can join in?

The other is about the EU and future data collection and monitoring recreational sea angling.
http://www.eaa-europe.org/news/7845/recreational-sea-fishing-future-data-collection-in-eu.html

In my opinion, the quota-thing is hidden in this one, they want figures and then they put quotas on recreational sea angling businesses.

What do you think about those two issues? Any thoughts I can add to the posts?

Best wishes,

Billi

It has been an Annus Horribilus this past year for Charter Boat Operators. Severe windy weather, lack of sun, a lot of rain, the depressed state of the economy generally, and a big reduction in overseas visitors, led to a very poor season for most Skippers. The sole consolation was falling fuel prices.
 
Due to committee members illness, time pressure due to bad weather as we tried to prepare our Boats for the Season, and other constraints, we were unable to hold our AGM in Spring this year. We will hold our 2016 AGM as previously, on the same WE as the Specimen Awards, when many Skippers will be in Dublin already.
 
After discussion, it has been decided that that the Renewal Sub for 2015 will be zero – We have some cash in the Bank, and few outgoings at present, so bearing in mind the current poor economic climate, and financial hardship being experienced by many Skippers, we do not urgently need to collect subscriptions. All existing Members will be sent their annual membership window stickers shortly. Any Skippers who have already paid their Sub will be refunded. In the event of an unforeseen problem arising that requires money, or a general improvement in the Charter Business, we will restart an annual Subscription.
 
A query was raised during the year on recreational Angling for Blue Fin Tuna – please click  HERE  to see the Parliamentary Question put to Mr Coveney and his reply on the matter, which outlines some of the complexities involved.
 
This year, several members of the ICSA were asked to join their local Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum (RIFF) as Marine Leisure Reps, and our Vice President, John McLoughlin, is a member of the National body, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF). This development gives Charter Skippers a voice in the utilization of our Inshore Fisheries. Although heavily outnumbered by commercial interests, it nevertheless gives us Charter Skippers a voice on the National Stage, some input into how the inshore Fishery resource is to be exploited on a fair and sustainable basis by all, and a say on how any new funding sources are allocated to the Sector. An announcement on new Funding will be made during the coming year.
 
Among other matters discussed at the RIFFs this year, of particular interest to charter skippers were a commercial quota for Bass (strongly resisted), restrictions on ‘Recreational’ potting, the conflict between vessels of different sizes in inshore waters, (which could lead to something like the “Golden Mile” concept, pushing the larger vessels out to deeper waters), and implications of Special Areas of Conservation, ( it looks like SAC’s will have no severe effects on Angling operations at present.)
 
The ICSA members involved in the NIFF and RIFF are :
 
National Inshore Fisheries Forum
John McLoughlin - Vice President of ICSA             email malininfo@inishowenmotors.ie
 
North Western Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum
Mary Gavin Hughes – Treasurer of ICSA                email clewbayangling@gmail.com
 
Western Regional Fisheries Forum
Luke Aston                                                           email lukeaston@eircom.net
 
Southwestern Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum
Joe Lynch – Secretary of ICSA                             email joelynch@iol.ie
 
If you have a view on how the Inshore Fishery is to develop, please contact your local RIFF representative at the above email address.
​
Chairman’s Annual Christmas Greeting
​It’s been a tough year for Skippers, but 2016 will be a better year for us. The weather can only improve, and so too will our business.
 
Happy Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year to all members of the Irish Charter Skippers Association !
 
From Donal Kennedy, and all the Committee of the ICSA