Poorly marked lobster pots - epetition

BruceK

BruceK

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If your area is also blighted with poorly marked lobster pots can you please sign the petition.

I'm not against lobster pots, it's any old floating object seems to be used in our area from 20l clear plastic water drums to unflagged orange floats the size of a grapefruit and often underwater during HW. It's become a menace now.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200001
 
BruceK said:
If your area is also blighted with poorly marked lobster pots can you please sign the petition.

I'm not against lobster pots, it's any old floating object seems to be used in our area from 20l clear plastic water drums to unflagged orange floats the size of a grapefruit and often underwater during HW. It's become a menace now.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200001
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If you watched the RNLI programme last night, it seems more of a menace to whales...
I have run over a few pots and got caught a few times..oddly once 20 miles south of Needles by pots linked with a floating ffs...
There are also areas with lots and some with none. Not so good if you don't know the area but your chartplotter shows depths and so gives clues.
Aspect of old eyes too..my nephew could see them about a mile away !,
 
gjgm said:
If you watched the RNLI programme last night, it seems more of a menace to whales...
I have run over a few pots and got caught a few times..oddly once 20 miles south of Needles by pots linked with a floating ffs...
There are also areas with lots and some with none. Not so good if you don't know the area but your chartplotter shows depths and so gives clues.
Aspect of old eyes too..my nephew could see them about a mile away !,
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funny you should be so specific - two weeks ago I snagged a long bouyed line having seen it just moments before running over it, but after having left the regular size pot marker and pick up line nicely to stbd... and this was exactly 20miles south (ok, maybe slightly SW) of the IOW... I cut the line to get shot of it & was left feeling pretty sure that this was a fisherman linking his pot together... I hope this doesn't become the norm!
I will go find that petition.
 
gjgm---i have often been derided on posts about lobster pots when i have said that somebody elses----"poorly marked lobster pot" ---was easily visable to me----when i was fishing i always had my head out of the wheelhouse to give my self the best unobstucted view---i have often wondered how much visability is lost when sailing behind plastic windscreens which seem so popular now------ps did you sign---pps whats a floating ffs----------------------------regards lenten
 
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lenten said:
gjgm---i have often been derided on posts about lobster pots when i have said that somebody elses----"poorly marked lobster pot" ---was easily visable to me----when i was fishing i always had my head out of the wheelhouse to give my self the best unobstucted view---i have often wondered how much visability is lost when sailing behind plastic windscreens which seem so popular now------ps did you sign---pps whats a floating ffs----------------------------regards lenten
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In my case I was up on the flybridge, so great visibility, pot marker and smaller float were very easy to see, good size, bright orange, but because the (nylon/poly?) line has neutral buoyancy it was virtually on the surface but hard to see until you're very close to it. Even in bad weather I helm from up top - probably from my sailing background, but I do feel rather too removed from the environment when driving from indoors.
 
lenten said:
gjgm---i have often been derided on posts about lobster pots when i have said that somebody elses----"poorly marked lobster pot" ---was easily visable to me----when i was fishing i always had my head out of the wheelhouse to give my self the best unobstucted view---i have often wondered how much visability is lost when sailing behind plastic windscreens which seem so popular now------ps did you sign---pps whats a floating ffs----------------------------regards lenten
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That should have read floating line...
No, I did not sign. I am not clear on the extent of the problem or the practicality of a new regulation. Keeping a very good look out seems a very good start.
Incidentally, one RNLI station told me going out to fishing boats fouled in their own gear was a regular call out !
 
gjgm said:
That should have read floating line...
No, I did not sign. I am not clear on the extent of the problem or the practicality of a new regulation. Keeping a very good look out seems a very good start.
Incidentally, one RNLI station told me going out to fishing boats fouled in their own gear was a regular call out !
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Good luck in spotting a semi-submerged line in anything above a flat calm.
 
gjgm said:
That should have read floating line...
I am not clear on the extent of the problem or the practicality of a new regulation.
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If your area isn't blighted with them fair enough. Here in North Wales every bay, anchorage and channel ! including the Menai is littered with them. The problem with keeping a lookout is the smaller unflagged buoys are dragged beneath the surface by tide height or tidal currents so you simply do not see them. Down Cardigan Bay way and south of that you can see the buoys from more than a half mile distant. Where I am even when they are not submerged it's 100 yards at best and more often 30 or 40. Get on the plane and you're playing a numbers game.
 
BruceK said:
If your area isn't blighted with them fair enough. Here in North Wales every bay, anchorage and channel ! including the Menai is littered with them. The problem with keeping a lookout is the smaller unflagged buoys are dragged beneath the surface by tide height or tidal currents so you simply do not see them. Down Cardigan Bay way and south of that you can see the buoys from more than a half mile distant. Where I am even when they are not submerged it's 100 yards at best and more often 30 or 40. Get on the plane and you're playing a numbers game.
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And that is sort of my point 're the petition...should every pot in UK waters have to be marked in a particular way..or should something be done specifically in,say, your area?
I do not know the finance of the pot fishing industry though it seems on the west French coast as an example most pots have more visible flags so they seem able to afford it !
One of the boating mags had an effort at improving pot marking a few years back.
 
I'd trust the e-petition. If it gets a low number of signatures then it would indicate that the problem is localised or marginal and should be dealt with locally where there is a problem. Where I live there is a lower income per household than in other areas. I'm not after curbing the right or ability to make a living from the sea for those that do pot, just that it is done in a responsible manner even when done on a subsistence level when in high traffic areas such as navigation channels
 
Signed.

There are lot around Torbay - some well marked others not. Earlier this year there were some in the entrance to Brixham Harbour and personally, I think that in addition to a legal standard on marking them, local HM's or MCA should have some powers to make areas prohibited and be able to enforce. They seem to be able to make no anchor zones, so tighter control on pots in channels etc would make absolute sense. We get everything here from bright orange floats to barely visible, half submerged plastic milk bottles! Most fishermen are very responsible, but there are clearly lots of isolated issues - probably from just a few routine offenders...
 
Signed. Fallen foul round south stack Anglesey luckily just south of the overalls. Appreciate someone is doing a tough job and making a living. Hence spent time unravelling the rope instead of cutting it free. Got a good wack on the ear so a bit foolhardy in hindsight.
 
I will sign this when I find it. My particular issue with badly marked pots is in dangerous places where you could lose your boat or your life by disabling your boat in the wrong conditions. Places like Bardsey Sound, Jack Sound, Carmel Head and Portland Bill to mention a few.
 
BruceK said:
If your area isn't blighted with them fair enough. Here in North Wales every bay, anchorage and channel ! including the Menai is littered with them. The problem with keeping a lookout is the smaller unflagged buoys are dragged beneath the surface by tide height or tidal currents so you simply do not see them. Down Cardigan Bay way and south of that you can see the buoys from more than a half mile distant. Where I am even when they are not submerged it's 100 yards at best and more often 30 or 40. Get on the plane and you're playing a numbers game.
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I agree; a few years ago I snagged a totally invisible submerged one and it's line at speed. It brought the pot ( and steel hawser up) which took the skeg off my outdrive and mangled the stainless duoprops. Result; a new lower unit and props ( cobered by insurance thankfully).
 
This topic has been on going for years and I have yet to hear an argument for allowing badly market pots but their existence causes thousands of pounds worth of damage to individual boat owners and endangers lives. Just how many lives have been lost we will never know.

When I cruised from Thailand to Singapore it was interesting that every pot was marked very well indeed. So the argument concerning cost doesn't hold water, those guys out there didn't have 2 pennies to rub together but they still marked them clearly. For one thing they couldn't afford to lose their equipment.

I carry a very sharp knife for entangled pots and would not waste time trying to save the fishing gear. Any rope to be kept on board and disposed of port side.

Henry
 
Bumping this up again as the Petition is somewhat short of the first 10,000 signatures, at 4002 now. Here is the petition:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200001

I was reminded of this on Tuesday whilst sailing towards Cawsand Bay from Plymouth. Just too many unmarked white 5 litre containers en route, ready to trap you! I'm rather surprised that the QHM doesn't take action to get these removed or marked.
 
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