Mullet - Cork Harbour

[hugo]

We'll be sitting around a long time waiting for a "rationally run society" on this planet, there's never been one and never will be. It's all about persuasion, PR and deals. Of course the commercial sector are going to circle the wagons round their "territory", thats the way monkeys behave, but those with the powerful pens need to hear an alternative narrative on behalf of the marine environment and the fish, and public sentiment usually wins the day when it's whipped up.

[shortcircuit]

Another depressing point is what other fish will have been caught by these tows as bycatch

[Bolger]

I have being fishing mullet in the river liffey for over 30 years and in that time i have recorded a good few speciem fish. last year there was no mullet in the liffey, at first i thought it might have being the new bridges being built the river and that the fish would not pass a construcation site but this year is the same no mullet, not even one fish.
I work out in howth, over the last 10 years i would have noticed a good few small thick lip mullet in the harbour,but not this year, in the last week i seen a small shoal of fish in the harbour, there was about 5 fish in the harbour. other years there was about 30 - 40 fish
The mullet are being killed off all over the country, we need to do some thing about ?

[JimH]

Maybe it’s time to step out of the box a little bit in relation to the normal authorities and organisations which anglers appeal to or indeed liaise with in relation to the activity and environmental or natural heritage concerns.

Some organisations I think who would develop relationships with anglers both from a concern and a contributory point of view might be

Ecofact
Ecology Ireland
Irish wildlife trust
Countryside alliance
Leave no trace
Environmental pillar
Coastwatch

[hugo]

It's an iconic fish to most coastal visitors because its readily visible to them in summer, so the non-angling public might feel a bit of "ownership" in regard to them. That might make it easier to stir up a wider public campaign than it is with a more out-of-sight species such as bass.

[salar]

At this point in time we can decide as citizens to safeguard mullet - as a valuable resource - or we can do what we have always done (with the honourable exception of Bass) given our fisheries away for free without any return to the state or the population of Ireland..

[hugo]

If only it were that simple. The citizens are 4.5m diverse minds that need to be persuaded this is worth doing. Time for a practical strategy.

[mackerel01]

Well if we cud get enough ppl ta talk about it put sheets in tackle shops and get people ta sign dem and put dat in front of the minister we mite get results.the netting of mullet down west cork nd other species n d nets is getting very bad

[salar]

So far this year I have caught a tiny number mullet. Even more worrying I have SEEN very few Mullet in my usual spots. The apparent scarcity is either related to the crappy weather or their overall numbers are suddenly reducing even more rapidly than we first suspected.

[JimH]

http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Press-re ... gramme.htm

[JimH]

What are the socio economic benefits of an empty and fish less coastline?

[salar]

There are none.
However, the political model that we have adopted will have been able to do what it has always done and run with the hare and hunt with the hounds - whilst the environment goes to hell in a hand cart.

[JimH]

http://www.probassfisher.ie/2012/03/con ... n.html?m=1

Are we researching our fish into oblivion, the above happened two years ago, do we need another programme to tell us what we already know?

[JimH]

This is the corrected link from 2012 - http://www.probassfisher.ie/2012/03/con ... known.html

Inland Fisheries Ireland(IFI) has appointed Tourism Development International (TDI) to undertake a Socio-Economic Survey of Recreational Angling in Ireland. The overall objective of the survey is to establish the current volume and value of domestic and overseas recreational angling in Ireland. It will run over the course of 2012.
Pike, coarse fish, bass, salmon, sea trout, brown trout and sea anglers will all be invited to participate in Irelands most comprehensive angling survey undertaken in decades.

[patk]

Nearly October now and i haven't seen a single mullet in the North Channel this summer/autumn. Shocking to see how quickly they are gone

[salar]

Shocking to see how quickly they are gone

They disappear very quickly and it takes almost decades for them to reappear again.
As far as getting legal protection is concerned (and the wheels of government turn extremely slowly), I fear that after only two or three seasons of exploitation by some nets it is already too late to see viable mullet numbers return to some places for the foreseeable future.

[coamlaja]

wont say where but after a very quiet summer/early autumn mullet appeared everywhere even at night under street lamps in apart of cork harbour last 2 weeks of October so don't give up hope yet

[patk]

Of course there are mullet around and shoals that have survived. I have seen those too. The point is though that the stocks have been decimated. Its not about giving up hope its a reality.

[salar]

Coming into the new year - a strategy with regards mullet.

Ask our current highly regarded Minister for Fisheries - Simon Coveney - that given that compensation might be an issue - to ENQUIRE as to how many commercial fisherman can produce a receipt for a commercially sold mullet - and therefore base a DECISION to preserve mullet as an extremely valuable resource for the nation on the basis that there there is NO cost involved.

My bet is that the possibility of COMPENSATION regarding an infringement on livelihood is almost certainly non existent with regards the catching of mullet and therefore it is just a matter of doing the right thing.

Would it be done - even though it is just a matter of a stroke of a pen?

Unfortunately, our history regarding routinely looking after valuable national resources like fisheries is not encouraging.

[Determined Dan]

My self and another angler have noticed a massive decline in mullet. This year the many bays and estuary s were empty . No mullet to be seen. These areas in my opinion where safe areas or breeding / nursery and for some reason the mullet didn't come to these areas. Could they have been caught out in deeper water? Or do they stay in shore all the time but maybe move to different areas due to the wind and rain ?