Moan, moan, moan....

Brian_B

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I'm fast coming to the conclusion that flagless fishing gear has been abandoned by it's owner and should be removed.

I understand the need to keep a good lookout but why should we have to continually play dodgems with oil cans, milk containers or any other detritus ambivalent fisherman use to "mark" their gear.

Solution: cut it off and deliver the offending 'buoys" to the nearest Harbourmaster?

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I'd rather avoid it than risk fouling something by coming alongside. Given the poor financial returns from fishing and potting these days I think it's unrealistic to expect all fisherman to go to the expense of flagging their gear but the use of fluorescent bouys rather than black plastic oil cans should be made compulsory - if so, perhaps the Coastguard could be encouraged to police the bouyage of inshore gear????

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You then would use that arguement....

..for poverty stricken people driving around in uninsured, unlicenced cars with no MoT?

There can be NO excuse for endangering navigation IMO. If you can't afford to do it without risk to others, you can't afford to do it at all.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion
 
That's a little like saying, given the cost of sailing nowadays why should people replace nav light bulbs.
A flag is not going to break the bank and if he can't do it properly he shouldn't be doing it at all.
And on the subject of cost. How much is it to replace a bent prop shaft?

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There are huge differences in attitudes with potters. Over Pwllheli way, the pots are marked by nice clean white or flourescent bouys with fluttering red flags - no problem. Over toward Barmouth you get small black floats which you can't see until you are on top of them.

I say cut the offending ones off and take the bouy back to port and bin it.

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>
 
Quite right Dave. I've no problem sailing slalom like through a forest of flags!

Out of interest I've also mailed defra to see what their attitude is on unflagged oil cans.

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Cutting the buoy off means that the pot will continue to trap crustaceans until it eventually wears out decades later. Not a good idea! Pull the thing up and destroy it ! Of course if there are any crustaceans - you will throw them overboard /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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I have to say that after sailing the French north coast last year I was surprised how clearly the French fishermen mark their pots and nets....perhaps there are certain laws over in France. Either that or their fishermen are far better than ours!

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And you can't even dodge them at night.

I don't understand the mind of someone who puts a transparent bottle as the marker. I pesume they find them with a GPS.

I can't support your cutting them free because of the level of income of the guys involved but would like a system where the owner gets a warning from coastguard or RNLI or someone else and then loses the lot if a flag isn't provided within 24 hours.

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Well if a skip left on the road side has to by law have amber flashing warning lamps, then why can't there be a law for fishing markers to have some sort of low cost illumination?

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It would be nice.

On passing from France to Italian waters I saw my first pots with lights, like torches with D cells. I thought 'great'. This is the way to go. Well done Italy to bring in such legislation. But 'no'. They were the only ones I saw.

I have never seen pots with lights anywhere else.



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As I understand it there is usually a long string of pots attached to each marker. Sometimes a marker on each end of the string. Locals on the I.O.W. say there can be up to 80 pots. Could be a big job destroying that lot and releasing the crustaceans.

<hr width=100% size=1>Better to keep one's mouth shut and be considered a fool than open it and remove all possible doubt.
 
still better that just cutting the float off and condemning all those caught in the traps to starvation.

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I don't think they are discussing professionally laid strings here - more the odd pot. Few craft are equipped to haul a string - I doubt the anchor windlass of a 50ft craft would make any headway on them at all for example!

<hr width=100% size=1>madesco madidum ..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
Well I reckon that any Pot or net not properly marked should be free for all! In other words pull the bugger up and cook the contents!

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QHM Portsmouth appears to be doing his best:

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qhmportsmouth.com/index.php?subject=note&seld=1&art=118>http://www.qhmportsmouth.com/index.php?subject=note&seld=1&art=118</A>

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