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Polish fisherman

I must be living in another world since despite fishing since the 80s I've yet to see an otter or a Polish person whilst on the banks. While I accept that both are present I don't think either has been around longer enough, in numbers, to destroy fishing in the UK. Think there are more pressing factors at work such as extraction, lack of weed, the EA ripping out all bankside trees, etc that destroy spawing grounds.
 
You may want to read that carefully. It is the Daily Mail after all.:)
Salmon figures have dropped by half in the last two years. They have dropped by far, far more than that in the last ten years. Not to do with poaching by Poles.

The organised illegal netting, long lining and snatching on the Wye is carried out by all sorts of folks and has been going on a long time. If local hotels are buying illegally caught Salmon as implied in the article this can be dealt with as it is else where. All legally caught salmon are chipped and health inspectors are supposed to check regullalry any hotel or restaurants to prevent illegal fish being sold. Scotland has refused to chip fish and it is now thought that many English salmon are illegally sold to Scottish restaurants. No legally rod caught salmon may be sold and only 17 licenses for legal catching commercial fish exist at present on the Wye at one historic putcher site, all other netting a putcher operations have been brought out or have been voluntarily suspended. All salmon caught by rod on the Wye are now catch and release. The salmon problems on the Wye are serious, long standing and rather more complex than being caused by poaching alone, although poaching is still a big problem as it always has been.

This quote
The average weight of salmon has also decreased by over 20 per cent from 34lbs in 2008 to 27lbs in 2010 - indicating the fish is being caught and killed before it reaches maturity.
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rather indicates that the problem may lay at sea rather than in the river.
​


This is being linked with illegal fishing by Poles, of Barbel and other fish by the Mail there is no claim this has resulted in a reduction of stocks by half. Indeed, from my personal experience of the Wye, present Barbel stocks are at an all time high. It is the easiest river I know of to make multiple Barbel catches these days, much to the annoyance of many salmon anglers. It reminds me in many places of the middle Severn in the eighties.

The river Wye is not stocked with Salmon by the EA.

Salmon stocking programmes have been carried out on other rivers, such as the Teme, by the EA acting for the SRT (this comes to an end this year), with EU funding. The Wye and Usk Trust has not carried out a stocking programme because up to recently they have believed the reduction in Salmon stocks has other root causes. They have concentrated on buying out the netting and putcher operations and habitat renewal.

Barbel have not been stocked in the Wye, although they found their way into the Wye after stocking in Wye tributaries (and some illegal stocking).
 
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Wayne Glossop said:
Eastern European poachers causing fish stocks to drop by more than half in the River Wye | Mail Online

That says enough about the shocking behavior of the EE's. Can someone tell me who actually stocks the rivers? If I'm not mistaken I'm sure the EA stock rivers?
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No Wayne...the Wye is a natural River system that was is / was a major Salmon fishery, the Barbel are relative newcomers, and with the decline of the Salmon many landowners have shared their 'beats' over to the coarse Angler.
It is a wonderful River that holds huge shoals of Barbel and is now mostly controlled by the Wye and Usk Foundation that limit the amount of 'rods' for both Coarse and Game.
However the Wye also runs through Agricultural land that employ large numbers of migrant workers.
Chris Ponsford is an EA official, an angler and also a member on here, he is quoted in the article in the Mail. I would beyond most others listen to what he has to say about the situation.
 
Neil Smart said:
No Wayne...the Wye is a natural River system that was is / was a major Salmon fishery,
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Was, I am afraid Neil...you have a better chance on the Severn these days.

Do you think this idea that the EA stock all our rivers comes from people fishing in commercial ponds?

Rivers, on the whole, should have sustainable and natural populations of fish and not require stocking if they were in good condition.

Stocking is done, with a license from the EA, by some clubs, with trout on certain places although this is in decline these days for various reasons and wild fish are preferred by most trout anglers.

Course fish are stocked following pollution incidents and the like to replenish breeding stocks killed in such incidents.
Hatchery breed salmon have been re stocked into certain rivers, by the EA, but funded by EU migratory fish grants.

Eels are stocked into estuary and Irish lochs by commercial fishermen under the sustainable Eel project.

Fish are not generally stocked into our rivers by the EA for anglers.
 
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Neil Smart said:
Hi Pete
I agree with you, except you have replied to me as to the comments that Wayne posted:)
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actually it was because you gave a sensible answer to Waynes question and I asked you
Do you think this idea that the EA stock all our rivers comes from people fishing in commercial ponds?
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There must be a reason why so many people seem to think that rivers are stocked in the same way as ponds as I have seen postings here and elsewhere going on about EA stocking fish and being responsible for stocking rivers.:)

The BB format doesn't really do three part conversations does it?;)
 
Tony Rocca said:
Neil, No need, its not complicated.
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I am not so sure you are right about that Tony. For instance, your previous post might very well be interpreted as meaning that people can automatically be classified as being brainless.....unless they agree with your opinions on this issue.

Surely that can't be what you meant....can it?

:p

Cheers, Dave.
 
Deal with them properly... Roll of duct tape, big box, one way ticket back where the came from with DHL ;):D:D
 
Dave Gaskell said:
Jim,

I find it difficult to respond as once again you have gone off at a tangent from my original post.

I being a member of the working class will leave you to it.

Remember when I responded to your post I was talking about the human race and I am sure that the natural world will find a way of controlling our population. With a bit of luck it will be long after I am dead and my ashes have been scattered.

Regards,

Dave
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Hi Dave, I agree I had transgressed. I'll make one last comment on EEs. The successful educated ones do well in their own country or have well paid jobs in other countries. The ones who have little to offer will eek out a living wherever they can and by whatever means. Hence, generally, on the river bank you will meet the latter group. I doubt very much whether you will meet an EE professional person, doctor, lawyer etc on our rivers but you will meet a considerable number of UK professionals. Generally, most of the UK barbel fishing fraternity are skilled in one form or another. I suspect that the EEs who poach fish are grubbing around to survive, it's not really their fault but probably out of desparation. Life for these people must clearly be marginally better in the UK than in their homeland. Good old Britain's open door policy should result in us embracing the Romanians in the not too distant future with yet more enrichment to our society.
 
Jim Foxall said:
Hi Dave, I agree I had transgressed. I'll make one last comment on EEs. The successful educated ones do well in their own country or have well paid jobs in other countries. The ones who have little to offer will eek out a living wherever they can and by whatever means. Hence, generally, on the river bank you will meet the latter group. I doubt very much whether you will meet an EE professional person, doctor, lawyer etc on our rivers but you will meet a considerable number of UK professionals. Generally, most of the UK barbel fishing fraternity are skilled in one form or another. I suspect that the EEs who poach fish are grubbing around to survive, it's not really their fault but probably out of desparation. Life for these people must clearly be marginally better in the UK than in their homeland. Good old Britain's open door policy should result in us embracing the Romanians in the not too distant future with yet more enrichment to our society.
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poor chaps just surviving aint they...:eek:
Squatters said I was dead as they drank my wine | News
 
David Hall said:
poor chaps just surviving aint they...:eek:
Squatters said I was dead as they drank my wine | News
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I'm not condoning the EEs behaviour, providing an explanation and in response to Wayne's comment on a Civil War mmm. When you have a country with so many disparate "tribes", Somalis, Pakistanis, Indians, Poles, Afro Carribeans etc. etc. then there is no national identity. This stuff from the politicians about a mixing pot is utter tosh, the groups seldom mix. And a I mentioned in a previous post the migrants that come to this country, in general, are the professionals for rich pickings - for example we have the highest paid doctors in the World and the down and outs who are looking for a better standard of living compared to what is available in their country of birth.
 
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