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 It won’t happen any time soon, as quota will have to be withdrawn from commercial fleets to assign to us, and that will be fiercely resisted by them.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
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