Illegal Bass Fishing

[Al and Jordan]

if the fines the court are gonna issue to the 2 fellas in question are gonna be insignificant, would it not be possible to name and shame them once the court has secured a conviction? by my understanding, once the court gives a conviction it's a matter of public record and can be openly discussed.
if i'm wrong, please correct me. but if not would this not be something that could be done so that everyone knows who is doing what.
just a thought.

[jd]

would it not be possible to name and shame them once the court has secured a conviction?

I think that's what I said

[kevin o connor]

Kevin o Connor u kinda sidesteped answering me...!!!! SO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?? F.ALL I BET.

No sidestepping, I have *modedit* and *modedit*. We hope to *modedit*.. Why the capital letters ? I am mainly a course angler and have not fished for Bass for the past couple of years, but that does not mean I have no interest in what is going on. This is what is wrong with anglers, when they don't think there is enough action being taken by I.F.I. and everyone else they turn on each other. One of my proposals was that *mod edit*to present a united front to the I.F.I. Small groups dotted around the country are too easy for them to ignore.

mod edit: Sorry guys, but some things that anglers get up to are best kept under the radar and left off public boards. Art, take it as read that kevin is active on the conservation front.

tanglerat

[RockHunter]

Here's a suggestion - one way of tackling criminals is to report them for tax evasion.
If a lot of us send letters to the Revenue Commisioners informing them that some fishermen operating out of Ballycotton (or wherever you suspect bass netter operate from) are making big profit out of illegal fishing (and presumably not declaring it for tax) then the tax inspectors might decide to pay them a visit!!
A hefty bill for back taxes, interest and penalties might be better deterrant than a small court fine.

[beachbuddy]

Donny,
the boat ain't from kerry and it does'nt steam up from kerry.

[Donnyboy1]

Donny,
the boat ain't from kerry and it does'nt steam up from kerry.

*Mod edit: bit close to the line there donny. Not over it, but better safe than sorry. Tanglerat*

Edit:
I got an PM with a little more info there a while back... I know I can't say anything outside of a court ruling etc. and don't want to jeporadise this website...

But I was in the actual company premesis 2 weeks ago asking where the salmon and other fish etc. was from and I got a reply for every fish... but they had mullet on display and I eat the odd one myself (gorgeous fish) and when I asked she said she didnt know............

I didn't think much off it at the time but its pretty clear now where their "mullet" bycatch comes from!!!!

Fairly annoyed now... as I like giving my business to local producers even if it costs a little more... but not if the theiving scum are damaging my ocean and poaching my pastime!!


You wouldn't mind but my friend already reported that premesis to IFI inthe past about selling bass!!! Obviously... fines are far lesser than potential profits!

[hugo]

Here's a suggestion - one way of tackling criminals is to report them for tax evasion.
If a lot of us send letters to the Revenue Commisioners informing them that some fishermen operating out of Ballycotton (or wherever you suspect Bass netter operate from) are making big profit out of illegal fishing (and presumably not declaring it for tax) then the tax inspectors might decide to pay them a visit!!
A hefty bill for back taxes, interest and penalties might be better deterrant than a small court fine.

Now that's a simple but brilliant ploy - minimum effort for maximum impact. Wasnt it the taxman who finally got Al Capone after years of failure by the FBI?

[razor2]

There has been lots said on this debate and if you live east or west of the above area mentioned. When the bass have all been taken and when there is no more money to be made in the area they will move on to waterford kerry.It is in everyone intrest to take some kind of action NOW, to take a stand against these boys they are not small players this is a production line money machine.They will wipe the south coast out of bass and other fish for greed and a BIG FYOU to all of us. While they just laugh at us, laws everything else that comes with it.

[cortaz]

The 2 guys that are due in court, what are they charged with,????, think the only law they broke is the 2 fish/24hrs...min fine. 150........cant think/c were they broke anyother laws????.
I have said it repeatedly on here and elsewere that its the buyers that shoud be targeted by the I.F.I.... theres only a few in the south, maybe as few as 5/6.... take them out= no sale/no nettin..............it is/would be an awful lot easyer than to tryin to watch/catch guys out in boats..................
Also wher the guys reported for workin and signing on the dole?????????? the i.f.i shoud say this in court...

[kevin o connor]

There are some very good ideas coming out now. I.E. the taxman, the dole office. If you know that the people who are poaching on a commercial scale are signing for jobseekers allowance, why not report them yourself to the local office. If they are not signing on, maybe a call to the local tax office might yield results. I know it goes against the grain for most people to make these calls, but if things are going to improve, we must take drastic action.

[flyno]

Well folks, havn't been on the site in a while and already my blood is boiling. Its the same ole thing, netting netting and more netting. As i already said a few months ago, there is netting going on on a massive scale in various parts of the country. Everyone knows who is doing what in most of the areas, fisheries have been given names, addresses and vehicles being used, the guards have been told and apart from us on the site here, i really cant find anyone else who gives a toss. The fisheries will tell ye we have no man power on one breath and wheres your licence with the other. My usual bass stomping ground has been totally decimated this year by one group of thugs. 17 nets found in dunany point (only the ones that were found), a 1200ft net found in ballagan point in carlingford lough, fishery officials watched them set it up and only removed it when the thugs had left because as one lad said, they did not want to confront them because there was a good few lads setting the net and only 2 fishery officials. The same thing will happen next year and the year after. We abide by all the rules but the ones that dont get away with everything. Its a joke. I will be refusing to renew my license next year because there is hardly a fecking fish left were i usually go.

[hugo]

I despair. I really dont think the authorities listen to sea anglers complaints because we're availing of a free facility for leisure purposes, so our loss doesnt matter in their eyes. Money talks, and I'm surprised the tourist sector in Wexford, Waterford, Cork East/West arent up in arms about the hit to their income. Do they know what's going on? Is there any way to alert them and get them to take up the fight? Varadkar might then put pressure on Coveney to do something about it.

[kevin o connor]

One of the problems is that the hotel and b+b industry simply does not recoginize bass fishing as a potential market. Take a trip to Ballina and see what they think of the Salmon ! Ask in any hotel in Mayo about Salmon fishing and the hotel will have all the info you need. Ask in a hotel in the South-East about Bass fishing and they will look at you as if you had two heads. You might be lucky and be told something like,"I often see people fishing from the bridge in Wexford." I have never seen Bass fishing being pushed as a way of attracting tourists to the area. Pick up any tourism leaflet and see for yourself. Bass fishing on the South East coast should be sold at the same level as Salmon fishing is in Mayo. If we were to make Ireland the Mecca of European Bass angling, we would stand some chance of protecting it.

[JimH]

This is very close to home for me in so many ways.

Don't be under any illusion that people in the tourism promotion industry beat a path to my door on a regular basis inquiring as to how the BASS business might be doing, or offering a voice of concern or even God forbid the possibility of actually recognising that it might be an example of a working model (of sorts) and how best can we work to promote it more......

At times you might wonder about so many things in bass fishing promotion that it can take you on the wrong path -

Don't get me wrong this doesn't mean that I consider guiding as the only 'revenue stream' from bass angling of course its not - but for all the Irish customers I've had for workshops over the years, who now fish for themselves successfully in various parts of the country, all the people from around the world who came to Wexford to fish for bass who trusted me and the service, who tell others about the fishing, and who in their turn now continue to book days into 2012 and beyond. All the people who return again and again - this investment in travel, in B+B's, in themselves in this country in respect of bass fishing is largely not recognised and yet it continues to grow.

Anybody who has read the simple articles in Irish Angler magazine and said I'd like to do that, anybody who has read articles printed in many European magazines about Wexford, anybody who visits the site and is in some way inspired to try this bass fishing or anyone who even decides to visit the SE and fish there based on what is seen contributes to the fishery in many many ways - it has both socio and economic value.

Much is made in the last few years of 'expertise' that is attached purely to tackle and hence magazine sales, too much at times I think. I've had the luck to work with people who genuinely promote the many different 'on the ground' industries that also benefit, to write about their experiences and the fish, to put the environment and the fishing before themselves. They come, they do their job well and they go. Article appears in Sweden.

And that's it then, its seen as job done - but there's no measure, no plan, no strategy. No engagement! No genuine effort made in recognising the REAL ongoing value.

The economic investment in a 'free facility' for leisure is a huge one - the social impact of 'well being' can probably be never measured.

[kevin o connor]

Jim I totally understand where you are coming from, however I still stand over what I said in my post. Go into any of the main hotels in Wexford and ask at reception about Bass fishing. The replies will vary from blank stares to general , anywhere is good type of answers. Ask about Salmon in Mayo and you will get a full list of hotspots, contacts for guides, tackle suppliers etc. I assume you have spoken to the chamber of commerce, they have a vested interest in promoting the area.

[JimH]

Kev

The very people who are taking workshops and guided days with me for example ARE the people who buy meals, presents, drink, snacks, fishing gear, B+B's, Hotel rooms etc in Wexford.

One local B+B 200 metres from me benefited to 65 bed nights this season for example

[hugo]

We all know that bass angling tourism exists. The question is: does the tourism industry formally recognise it, and is it prepared to defend it? The answer from what Kev says is no, and what you're saying Jim actully backs that up. I think...

So there we have it - nothing to be done on the tourism front. Any more suggestions?

[Donnyboy1]

We all know that Bass angling tourism exists. The question is: does the tourism industry formally recognise it, and is it prepared to defend it? The answer from what Kev says is no, and what you're saying Jim actully backs that up. I think...

So there we have it - nothing to be done on the tourism front. Any more suggestions?

One of my friends suggest *oh-oh, let's not go down that road, eh?* boats?

just a suggestion like

mod edit by tanglerat

[Donnyboy1]

We all know that Bass angling tourism exists. The question is: does the tourism industry formally recognise it, and is it prepared to defend it? The answer from what Kev says is no, and what you're saying Jim actully backs that up. I think...

So there we have it - nothing to be done on the tourism front. Any more suggestions?

One of my friends suggest *oh-oh, let's not go down that road, eh?* boats?

just a suggestion like

mod edit by tanglerat

I half expected that

[cortaz]

"You must be the change you want to see in the world" Mahatma Gandhi.
"We must be the change we want to see in fishing" Anon.

"GANGHI LIVES"...............o yeah.....