[Brian Baker]

Have recently seen a couple of nets being used and not sure of the regulations regarding these. Is anyone able to point me at a website where I could find out more?

They were both relatively close to where I live and have been fishing (which may partly explain the lack of fish on my lures). The first was at Elmer - there are a number of man-made rock islands there. I was walking along the shore at low tide, when the water has retreated to the other side of the islands, and saw someone gathering a net that had been placed across the gap between two islands. The second was today, I was out at dawn and about an hour later a small boat went down from a slipway nearby and laid a net about 80-100 metres out, parallel to the shore. It was pretty close to what would be low tide there. Wasn't quite in front of me but not far off.

 

[Gary Evans]

Get in touch with your local Sea Fisheries Officer ASAP as these nets could be illegal ,they will be able to tell you if they are set in a "Red Area" and they will investigate them.

what ever you do ...do not tamper with the nets yourself as you would be braking the law.

 

[kevin pugh]

i saw some guys when i fished the next bay round from bracelet bay the mumbles doing the same thing they came down to check there net they had left across the beach !!!

 

[Peter Smith]

Hi Brian, I have fished at Elmer, stunning place to look at.
the tide sure goes out forever and very fast.
I had to move my rod rest every 3 minutes, after a hour of this constant moving of the rod rest I was quarter of a mile away from the beach.
Swear blind I could hear people speaking French ;-)

I climbed on those big rocks to fish but only caught smooth hounds, that was in the old days before I used lures, trouble with Elmer is it's impossible to find somewhere to park.

also too many dog walkers.

 

[Gary N]

There is a recent thread on another forum about nets that were reported to be found at Aberthaw, near Cardiff, that had netted 2 Porpoises amongst other species. The nets were unattended and the Porpoises had already died. (Aberthaw is one of the restricted fishing bass nurseries). The thread reported that someone from the Fisheries Office had been to investigate.

However, the discussion reported that it was not illegal to use such a net, that the net did not have to be attended, that it could be used at a bass nursery and every though the person allegedly responsible for the net was named - that no law was being broken and nothing could be done about it! Apparently the porpoises had previously been seen swimming off Cardiff and Penarth.

If what has been reported is true and correct then this is a shocking situation and one where the law is not working. Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[Mike Hayes]

It would be best talking to those who deal with such incidents in relation to suggested illegal activity.

Sea fisheries

•Cornwall www.cornwall.gov.uk/seafisheries
•Cumbria www.cumbriasfc.org.uk/
•Devon www.devonseafisheriescommittee.co.uk
•Eastern www.esfjc.co.uk
•Isles of Scilly www.scilly.gov.uk/environment/fisheries/
•Kent and Essex www.kentandessex-sfc.co.uk
•North Eastern www.neseafish.gov.uk
•North Western and North Wales www.nwnwsfc.org
•Northumberland www.nsfc.org.uk/
•Southern www.southernsfc.org.uk
•South Wales www.swsfc.org.uk
•Sussex www.sussex-sfc.gov.uk

Or visit the environment agency site www.environment-agency.gov.uk or email them at [email protected]

They also have a 24hr Hotline which is 0800 807060.