9/1/04
IPS PRESS RELEASE
STATEMENT
FROM IPS COMMITTEE
PIKE REVIEW
At long last we have the report of the review group into pike and pike angling.
Regular readers will recall that the Central Fisheries Board set up the review
in late 2002, largely in response to the decline in pike angling tourism and the
quality of pike angling available in Ireland. You may be aware that the process
that has led to this report was a lengthy one comprising of a request for written
submissions, a workshop of interested parties and an internal discussion process
within the fisheries service. IPS and PAC have been heavily involved with this
review process since the outset and have participated in good faith.
At the ending of the Workshop in June last
year, a meeting which we have reported on in Pikelines separately, we came to
a consensus position with the disparate groups present which were then to be taken
into consideration when the new pike policy was unveiled. This is what was broadly
agreed:
- Pike
are an important component of the national angling asset.
- The
perception abroad is that pike angling here is in decline.
- We
potentially have the best pike angling in the world.
- More
research is needed to establish the true biological and economic status of pike.
- Pike
marketing needs to be updated.
- Pike
angling groups need to achieve greater involvement in fisheries boards.
- The
existing pike bye-laws need to be altered from a weight basis to a length basis.
- Trout
will be preferentially managed in the so called trout loughs but in a way that
is sympathetic to the conservation, protection and marketing of large pike in
these waters.
All
this sounds fine and we awaited the publication of the recommendations with real
hope that a new era was upon us. And we waited, and we waited!! At long last the
report leaked into the public domain in mid- December albeit we are still awaiting
an official copy. The likely sequence of events is that these recommendations
go to the Minister for signing into law as official policy
On
the face of it the recommendations offer great changes. We have the recommendation
of an unequivocal statement of the value of pike in the freshwater environment
by the Fisheries Boards and that pike should be managed as a distinct fisheries
entity going forward. This if it happens would do away once and for all with the
oft used excuse we get here of pike being an introduced species!! Following such
a statement that excuse becomes obsolete!
We have the statement that large pike (80cms +) are a valuable
asset in designated trout fisheries and a suggestion of a postponement of the
use of gill nets for a five-year period (more of this in a moment!). This would
allow for the capture of smaller pike only by pike safe methods and ensure their
transfer to other waters which require replenishment.
We have the recommended and long called for changes to the pike
bye laws which would protect all specimen pike from slaughter by unscrupulous
anglers and we would have new fisheries officers recruited to specifically work
on the management, protection and conservation of pike stocks.
So far so good you might think? All these suggestions
are wrapped up in a document which outlines the Policy, Strategy and the planned
Implementation and which also points out areas for extra funding (tellingly the
authors recommend that the report should only be acted upon in its entirety. Whether
any extra money will be available in these times of fiscal rectitude remains to
be seen).
The potential
problems come in the detail, as always. Aspects of the document which give us
grave cause for concern are:
Gill
nets are only abandoned on 4 waters, Corrib, Conn, Cullen and Sheelin. It would
continue on Mask, Arrow, Ennel, Owel and Carra. Furthermore there is a clause
that gill nets would be used on all waters for scientific assessment of all fish
stocks and this could be a real showstopper. After all the Japanese still kill
whales under a “scientific” research programme and we all know where
the real motivation lies!
The representation for pike angling groups on the fisheries boards
is recommended but is also suggested that it is pursued through the recently initiated
“Review of Inland Fisheries Sector”. This may effectively kick the
issue to touch indefinitely!
The
report recommends that all stakeholders ‘fulfil their civic responsibilities
and portray a positive image of Irish recreational fisheries abroad.’ Well
you can all guess who this is aimed at.
People who highlight the abuse of pike here over recent years will
continue to do so until the climate changes for once and for all. There are too
many banana skins here to say that we are there yet.
So what next? Well, this coming week we meet with the IFPAC (Pike
Federation) with whom we produced a joint submission. If you want to read the
entire report then it can be seen on the Fed’s website at www.angling-in-ireland.com
. We will attempt to reach a consensus on the response to the document and then
take it back to the CFB. Sad to say our best guess is that we will not be able
to endorse the new policy. The area of gill netting has always been fundamental
and its continuing use in any form is anathema to us. We will need one hell of
a lot of convincing that this effort does not attempt to shaft us all once again.
We will keep you posted.
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NEWS