NORTH WESTERN AND NORTH WALES SEA FISHERIES COMMITTEE
OFFICER’S REPORT
Defra and NAW consultations on the management and exploitation of Tope.
Report by the Chief Executive and Principal Fisheries Officer
Purpose of Report
To present a draft Committee response to the current consultations.
Recommendation
That the draft response to Defra and NAW (Annex B) be discussed.
That Officers note comments from the Committee, prepare and send a response urgently following the meeting.
1. Background
1.1 The details of the consultations were included in the papers for the Joint Committee on 8 September 2006. Members agreed that a response should be prepared based on the earlier expressed support for development of a bylaw to ban the landing of Tope.
1.2 The draft response to Defra and NAW is attached at Annex B.
2. A Byelaw to cover shore based fishing for Tope.
2.1 In the event that English and Welsh SI are introduced to prohibit the landing of Tope caught as a result of boat based fishing, the Committee would propose to develop a byelaw to control fishing for Tope from unregistered/unlicensed vessels and from the shore. A draft byelaw is proposed in Annex A.
3. The scale of Tope fishing in this district.
3.1 The consultation also asks commercial fishermen and anglers to answer a number of questions about the tope fishery. An NWNWSFC response to some of these questions would be helpful to Defra and NAW and is proposed as follows:
3.2 How much Tope is landed? Answer: Most are caught in the Anglesey and Cardigan Bay areas. Tope are not routinely landed.
3.3 How significant is Tope as a proportion of the total value of the catch? Answer: very low, less than 1% but it is an important sport fish bringing in significant income to the charter boat industry of West Wales
3.4 What are the proportions of tope landed and discarded? Answer: Almost 100% of tope are routinely discarded.
3.5 How much annual revenue would be lost if sale of tope were prohibited? Answer: the loss would be negligible but the value of the fish is as sport fish, not in the sale of the fish.
3.6 How many angling trips per year specifically for tope are operated within the NWNWSFC District? Answer: A high proportion of the charter boat trips in west Wales are targeting Tope in the absence of skate, rays and other traditional sport fish.
3.7 How many Tope are caught per trip? Answer: ??
3.8 Is catch release regularly practiced? Answer Yes, and it is promoted by charter angling boats. Some tagging has been done in the past. Some sport fishing would like to see the use of barbless hooks promoted.
STEPHEN ATKINS
Chief Executive
MARTYN BOYCE
Principal Fishery Officer
10 October 2006.
Annex A
(Draft) BYELAW 21
RESTRICTION ON FISHING FOR TOPE
No person shall remove or land from any fishery within the District, any Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) or parts thereof. Any such fish taken shall be returned immediately to the sea.
Explanatory Note: In order to conserve stocks, this Byelaw prohibits the retention on board or the bringing to shore of any Tope.
ANNEX B
NWNWSFC response to Defra and NAW consulations
on the management and exploitation of Tope.
Dear Mr Cotter (Defra)
Dear Mr Holbrook(NAW)
Consultation on the management and exploitation of Tope.
Thank you for the invitation to comment on this consultation.
The NWNWSFC has discussed the management of Tope at a number of recent meetings. At its May 2006 meeting, the Committee agreed to further consider developing a byelaw to prohibit the landing of tope by all (commercial and recreational) fishers. This byelaw would have been drafted for consideration at the December 2006 meeting. In the meantime, Defra and NAW have published this consultation and the NWNWSFC has therefore put its own policy initiative on hold pending the decision on national measures for England and Wales.
Members agree that there is no significant commercial fishing for tope within the NWNWSFC District and there is no likelihood that such a fishery would develop. Tope have very low commercial value but it is considered to be an important sport fish. Therefore, neither the commercial or recreational fishing interests on the Committee have a strong interest in landing tope.
Of the three options presented in the consultation, the majority of the Committee members support option 2; which is to prohibit the fishing for tope by all methods other than rod and line and to prohibit the transhipment, retention on board and landing of tope. The North West Association of Sea Angling Clubs has written to the Committee to declare firm support for this option.
A significant inequality would be created if recreational sea anglers fishing from boats and the shore are not covered by any new measure. The Committee understands that legal advice indicates that Government does not appear to be able to create an SI under the 1967 Sea Fish (Conversation) Act which includes non commercial fishing. It would be possible for SFC to create a byelaw which would cover non commercial fishing and a draft byelaw is attached for consideration.