[Dicky Smith]

After the quite frankly absurd amount of bass netted from Alderney waters in the last few months it looks like all concerned parties have a chance to air their opinions to the States (thats the local government to non C.I. people).

They are asking for discussion items to be submitted to a meeting between all 'stakeholders', i.e. anglers, guest house owners, tackle shop owners, pubs, restaurants, commercial fishermen etc.

Public opinion, even with non anglers, is that the carnage of this last winter is immoral, unethical, unecological and unsustainable.

This is a golden opportunity to actually make a difference, I hope!

We'll see.

 

[Ben Field]

Good luck with it Dicky! Hopefully a few will turn up. Silence would do it no good whatsoever. When they're gone, they're gone - and we'll have nothing to talk about.

 

[Dicky Smith]

At the moment, Ben, its a write in question format.

Hopefully there will be plenty of people responding, then attending the meeting.

But it's a small community with the possibility of victimisation etc for anyone sticking their necks out.

 

[Carl B]

good luck mate

 

[Steve Lewis]

Good luck Dicky and I hope something good comes from it, when you talk about being in a small community and individuals being victimised it is understandable why people won't speak out. Shame that because if you can stop the netters it will benefit the Majority and not the Minority !

 

[Simon Clapham]

Best of luck with this one Dicky, we need to all get somewhere with regard to the commercials. Can you keep us posted on the event please

 

[kevin white]

dicky, can people only from the bailiwick of guernsey have a say or is it any channel island ?

kev

 

[Ben Field]

But it's a small community with the possibility of victimisation etc for anyone sticking their necks out.

Shame the World often ends up like that isn't it really. Bullying is just the same once you grow up and leave school, the format just changes. Can people ask to remain anonymous?

 

[Dicky Smith]

Thanks for the support Guys.

Kev, this is the notice in the Press.

'Fisheries Management Consultation Meeting'.

It says
' The States of Alderney General Services Committee wishes to seek the views of stakeholders on matters relating to sea fisheries. Stakeholders are likely to include businesses or persons involved or with an interest in commercial fishing, recreational sea anglers, pubs and restaurants, tourist accommodation and tackle and marine traders etc.

Accordingly stakeholders representatives will be invited to attend a meeting in order to discuss issues which may affect them.

Initially stakeholders representatives are invited to express the nature of their interest including items which they would wish to be included as a discussion item on an agenda. These should be submitted by no later than Fri 9th April 2010 and addressed to: The Harbour Master, Harbour Office, Braye Harbour, Alderney, GY9 3XX.

At this stage no date has been set for a meeting'

I reckon anyone with an interest in coming here and fishing has a right to reply.

 

[bob jameson]

Best of luck on this one Dicky , lets hope they dont do what guernseys done by turning a blind eye to the over fishing on their patch ... Soon be no more Bass up that end of the channel , they dont know good they have it with all the recreational anglers visiting your Island for the fishing !!!
To late when the fish have gone ........

 

[Gary A]

Good luck Dicky. I doubt the states would ever truely understand the potential of angling in your wonderful island.

Gary

 

[steve mullins]

A letter sent to alderney a couple of weeks ago.

I am writing on behalf of sinkers sea fishing club from Jersey.The club has over 100 members,around 50 of them have travelled to Alderney on fishing trips.Some won't be visiting you again.
The reason we are writing is to express our deep concern of the amount of inshore gillnetting that has gone on in the last few years.We have all seen our catches drop especially Bass in the bays, also Mullet which is a by catch when netting for Bass.The sad thing is Mullet is normally used as lobster bait or dumped as it has next to no commercial value,yet the Mullet you have on your island is one of the biggest attractions to visiting anglers.You also have some rare inshore species that are trying to establish themselves, Couches bream are non exsistant in most of the UK but you have them, also the White bream have turned up which is possibly one of rarest fish in northen europe.If inshore gill netting isn't stopped you could be wiping out these species in your waters.
We're sure you realise that angling tourism brings a lot of revenue to Alderney, if looked after & promoted it could bring a lot more in the future,unlike the gillnets,once the've wiped out your inshore stocks there will be no 10s of thousands of pounds in income tax from the couple of fisherman doing the damage, there will also be no 100s of thousands of pounds from angling tourism.

Yours sincerly Steve Mullins (S.S.F.C)

Anyone can write to them with your concerns. It may help the cause a lot to get some more UK letters in.
I will find the relevent e-mail addresses & post them here.

 

[Steve Lewis]

Steve,

If you post up the contact details I will send a letter and I am sure many others will as well !

 

[steve mullins]

These are the people to send your concerns to about the Alderney gill nets.

Joanna Parmentier Tourism/Marketing Manager [email protected]

Bill Walden States Member for Fisheries [email protected]

John Beaman States Member for Tourism [email protected]

Andrew Eggleston President of the Chamber of Commerce [email protected]


Or send a letter to the address on Dickys post or both.

 

[Dicky Smith]

Guys, your support in this is greatly appreciated.

THANKS!!!!

 

[Mick Ward]

I will send emails to all of them, it is such a shame how so many visiting anglers are struggling these days in Alderney and many of them just will not return, I am sure we were such a bonus to their economy. It would be intersting to know how much money Alderney could potentially make from visiting anglers if they had a fishery like they had 20 years ago. I personally went to fish in Alderney once or twice a year for about 7 years, but it just got harder and harder and in the end you just wonder why you bother going. Such a shame, it was a mecca for specimen fish not that long ago.

 

[Mike Hayes]

I will also email those addresses, certainly hope any extra help to protect the fishing in Alderney will make a difference.

 

[trev richardson]

Guys,
As an aside to this why don't you point out the questionaire we all filled in for our Irish friends which helps people understand the full economic picture. It wouldn't be a bad step to push them onto using this as I would guess as in the case for Ireland the true value of Bass to the tourism industry may not be fully appreciated.

Good Luck Dicky.. and all involved.

 

[zirg]

Having kept a record of how much the Alderney Festival cost me each year over the past 20 or so years which includes everthing from cash for the pub to new tackkle,bait,accommadation,laundry etc.

The total is now close on a £1000 for the ten days which is a lot of money, you can travel to the sun for a fortnight with that amount, but Alderney still has that something which keeps me coming back year after year for how muck longer I d'ont know, yes the fishing has declined over the years and the way thing are going will not improve unless there is some sort of controll

good luck to you Dick I will send e mails to your States

 

[Dr.Thomas k]

thats exactly what we "tourists" can do for them. Write down what we are not going to leave on that island without bass to catch.

E-Mails will go out this weekend
Thomas