September saw the return of the Bass Management Group (BMG), hosted by Defra and attended for recreational representation by Hannah Rudd on behalf of the Angling Trust and Grant Jones representing Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society.
After the usual summer break, there were several key topics to discuss following the release of the latest ICES advice for bass, ahead of the annual UK-EU annual fishing opportunities consultations which start in the autumn.
Changes to the group
The meeting started with an announcement by Defra, that David Curtis is no longer a member of the group. We understand this may cause concern fellow recreational anglers, as David, like us, was there to represent recreational angling interests, so we would like to briefly address it. Defra has shared its reasons with the group, and these will be recorded in the published minutes of the meeting, so we do not intend to repeat them here.
We agree with Defra that the group must be able to function, and make progress, finding common ground for the overall improvement of the fishery rather than continually covering the same ground.
We also recognise that David was invited into a system that is still adapting to having recreational fisheries as a stakeholder. Key processes from ICES stock assessments (which focus on spawning stock biomass and maximum sustainable yield rather than the size structure that matters to anglers) to Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) funding applications are built around the requirements of the commercial sector with angling as an afterthought.
David was a strong and dedicated voice in speaking up against these inequalities. He was invited as a representative angler, not as a diplomat.
It is critical that the BMG now moves forward and finds collaborative common ground ahead of the annual UK-EU annual fishing opportunities discussions, where the UK commercial and recreational sectors face shared risks and must work together.
We will, however, be asking Defra to review how the group supports its recreational members so that what matters to anglers is better understood by all and there is a clear plan to deliver it.
Defra has invited proposals for a new recreational member to join the group and we hope to confirm a candidate shortly.
Heading into the annual UK-EU fishing opportunities discussions
Some of what we work on in the BMG is ultimately decided in the annual UK-EU fishing opportunities discussions, in the hands of the UK and EU delegations. Last year the UK delegation successfully resisted EU, particularly French, calls for destructive commercial fishing gear types, such as pair trawling, to return, while catch limits were increased in line with ICES advice
Defra outlined that we could expect similar asks this year, along with challenges to the closed season.
It was reassuring that commercial and recreational representatives found common ground, agreeing that the closed season should for now be untouched pending further research into its effectiveness. There was also consensus that the UK delegation should firmly opposed any renewed efforts to reinstate pair trawling.
One area of debate that will continue at future meetings is the proposed removal of the bycatch regulation, which currently means bass can only legally be targeted by hook and line.
We support this principle, which favours a sustainable method of fishing while limiting the large scale impact of fixed and trawled nets. In practice, however, enforcement has been limited, and targeting with nets persists. Removing the regulation would give greater scope for technical measures in fixed net bass fisheries, but our preference remains to enforce the regulations we have, not changing them because of a lack of will to enforce them.
We expect final positions to be agreed at the next Bass Management Group, before the annual discussions are over for another year.
Closed season – is it working?
A fantastic report was presented to the group by researchers from the University of Essex following a robust study combining in decades of data with many recent otolith (a fish’s ear bone) samples.
The report looked at when bass spawn, there is regional variation, and how behaviour has changed over time. It is the most thorough evidence we have had on this topic since a closed season was introduced.
Further debate is needed on the findings, which showed a long spawning period nationally. The study suggested a two-month window would be more effective if shifted from the present period, and that lengthening the window to cover more of the spawning season could be more effective still.
The closed season was mainly designed to protect pre-spawning aggregations, and the report in its current form may not answer whether it is effective at doing this. The underlying data, may, however, provide more insight and the feedback given by the group was taken on board by the researchers who will be invited back at a later date with further analysis.
It is worth remembering, however, that the Fisheries Act 2020 calls for management based on the best available scientific advice, accepting that we will rarely have perfect data in such circumstances, and the researchers deserve congratulations on an excellent report that furthers our understanding of a complex fishery.
Full minutes of these meetings will be published by Defra in due course if you would like more detail on any of the above.
Grant Jones – B.A.S.S and Hannah Rudd, Angling Trust
