Large fishing fleet in the Solent last week.

Poignard

Poignard

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I went out for a couple of days sailing in the Solent on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Very pleasant and almost had the place to myself except for an unusually large number of fishing boats stern-trawling, especially on Ryde Middle and Spit Sand. I've never seen this before. Is it an annual ritual and what species were they after?
 
I saw them as well. All scouring the sandbanks. I assume it must be the beginning of the season for something or other. It struck me that the seabed must be absolutely cleared of anything alive after such a concentrated effort. As we left Portsmouth harbour the IOW ferry had a bit of a barny with one of the trawlers. Those ferries are very manouvreable as he nearly clipped the trawler who refused to change course. Quite entertaining really. Makes a change from agro between ferry and yacht!!!
 
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Eating oysters from the Solent!

Brave, or ignorant?

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No problem from the approved fisheries, they are regularly tested and they are put through a cleansing process or fishing prohibited if they don't meet the required standards - it is the largest Native Oyster fishery in the UK.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Eating oysters from the Solent!

Brave, or ignorant?



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Now you've got me worried! What is wrong with Solent Oysters? This year's catch I mean, not historically. I know they once did for the Dean of Winchester[?] but that was rather a long time ago.
 
"Handsup all those Solent sailors without holding tanks. "

Me for one.

I have been eating mackerel I've caught in the Solent for years with no ill effects, and there's nothing a mackerel likes better than a sewage outfall or the heads discharge from a ship! Also we apply manure to fields and no-one seems to worry about it..

But you haven't answered my question. What is actually wrong with this year's catch? Are they unsafe? Are Solent fishermen are being allowed to sell something that isn't fit to eat? Are they as bad as a Turkey Twizzle?
 
I don't know about the Solent, but the Mersea Oyster people put their oysters through a recirculating filtered seawater tank with powerful UV lamps killing the bacteria in the water for about 40 hours before offering them for sale. I wouldn't fancy eating an oyster straight from the Solent. Fish are different - you remove the guts that contain any faecal bacteria before eating them. At least I do. Except whitebait - where the cooking kills the bacteria in the gut.
 
They were trawling for Oysters in Portsmouth Harbour yesterday, right through the Gosport Boatyard moorings and within 10 feet of MY BOAT!!

Quite apart from the risk of a scrape or two - none seen to be fair - whilst I'm happy to eat fish from the Solent, I'm not too sure about Pompey waters. Hmmm...
Although we have seen a seal a couple of times this season in the harbour, which is a first for us in 40 years - perhaps it isn't that bad?

Cheers
 
And kids swim off the Hardway Sailing Club pontoon. As far as I know they aren't any less healthy than those who spend their days lolling in front of the telly or riding round in Mom Trucks.

Years ago, when we still had a Royal Navy, Portsmouth harbour often had a couple of aircraft carriers [2,500 men each], cruisers [800 men each], destroyers, frigates etc all discharging raw sewage into the harbour. The only restriction was when divers were down, when the heads on that side of the ship were locked! Not very pleasant, I grant you, but it didn't seem to raise much public concern. The Solent tides are very strong and there is a tremendous scouring action twice a day.

Nowadays there are hardly any ships, and most of them presumably have treatment plants. The main source of sewage probably is from yachts but is it really a major health risk? Without delving too deeply into people's lavatorial habits, how many yachties actually have a tom-tit on board, whilst in the Solent? Many are day-sailing and most go into a marina at nights. Who would wish to crouch in some cramped, badly-lit plywood box, with notices telling him to "Eat it first", when he could enjoy the luxurious facilities at somewhere like East Cowes marina. Personally, if I can possibly "go" ashore, I do so. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
And I dinghy sail in the harbour right through the summer, involving too may capsizes where I drink half the harbour - still alive so perhaps I worry too much. As I say, having seals around must mean it's cleaner than it was.

I seem to remember too many days when fuel or oil floats across the harbour leaving scum around the waterline.

I've never tried an Oyster - never plucked up the courage!

Cheers
 
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