The following consultation document, issued by BASS gives the background to the fishery and many important facts. The results of the promised scientific studies are eagerly awaited. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Room 425b. The attached consultation document seeks your views on proposals to restrict the landings of bass from any British fishing vessel to 5 tonnes per week. This, we believe, is a necessary response to early signs that the offshore fishery on pre-spawning and spawning bass may be having an adverse effect on the stock as a whole.
Further information is given in the consultation document.
In line with the Ministry's, policy of openness we intend to make publicly available at the end of the consultation period copies of comments we have received. An administrative charge to cover the cost of photocopying and postage will apply. We will assume that you have no objection to your response being made publicly available in this way unless you clearly indicate with your comments that you wish all or part of your reply to excluded from this arrangement. There is recent empirical and anecdotal evidence that the numbers of mature bass returning to UK coastal waters from the offshore spawning grounds to the west of Britain have declined considerably. This may be an indication that the offshore fishery on pre-spawning and spawning bass has been taking so many mature fish that it is damaging the spawning potential of the stock.