catch and release

[malvizzu]

I had never actually practiced the catch & release. I have been fishing from shore using telescopic rods and floats since childhood. And I must say that I never had anything to shout for. It's always the same story. The only catches I make are some griewel, sparli and gharusa usually in the 15cm range. Most of the time I go from 7am to 5pm straight. Never had the satisfaction of landing a big fish. The only fish I release are sargi and the occasional cerna. I fish in St Paul's Bay and from shore it's completely dead. And what angers me most are the so-called professional fisherman with big kajjikki lowering their nets (pariti) near the rocks. So what do I expect to catch other than these small fish. If I had the luxury of catching big fish as Shanook's story, than I would gladly release all the small ones. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe I have the wrong mentality, but the 15cm size are the only catches I make. Even with my old frejgatina, the only decent fish caught was by my father, a 30cm lampuka and a 45cm tumbrell in about 7 years. OK we do catch some kahli and sawrell but always in the 20cm range and more often than not, I release all the Kahli. To be totally honest I envy all you guys who catch big fish but that's life. At least I can see them in the gallery and keep dreaming that maybe one day I might do some decent catches. So keep posting pictures

[robby017]

http://maltafishingforum.com/talk/index.php/topic,1752.0.html

attached to skip's post...... attached please find the guidlines.....

[blueskip]

Blimey only 25cm for bass! (spnotta) I thought the EU mls was 36cm? & some of those bream sizes are tiny as well. little wonder there are so many small fish on sale in m'lock!

[robby017]

one must also note that those are 'guidelines' for recreational fishing

[floody]

very nice story....the fact that not everyone practices catch and release is a problem, BUT i think overfishing is an even bigger problem! Sometimes we catch much more then what we need.....and sadly the pictures in this forum show it.

[The_Gaffer]

The pictures here may be decieving.  You need to realise that some ppl here are Part Time Fishermen (MFB registration), and share their catch with other forum members by posting in the photo gallery!

[EmicMalta]

very nice story....the fact that not everyone practices catch and release is a problem, BUT i think overfishing is an even bigger problem! Sometimes we catch much more then what we need.....and sadly the pictures in this forum show it.

hi sorry but I don t agree with you. What did you find wrong in the pics? Pls calculate the dates one went fishing and the types of fish one caught. I agree with the catch and release on the size and the situation. For ezample I don t like the catch and release on tuna cos lot of times it comes up dead and you have to trow it back.

[floody]

its ok if you all do not agress with me, after all its a matter of opinion.
gaffer - you are right abt the part time fishermen, btu still, sadly we maltese have the mentallity that nothing is ever enough. and its a gd thing you edited your post.

emic, date of pictures noted.

sorry refering to you both by ur nickname. but dont knmow your names.

[shanook]

floddy the problem is not that the Maltese had a wrong mentality........its a matter of the government not setting laws and reinforcing them. Example: I dont know ur age but when I was younger we went around the roundabout according to who got there first and how daring u were..now we have rules and they are mostly obeyed by Maltese drivers.
Same with fishing, Gov knows about the depletion of fish and what does he do.....practically nothing.........apart from stopping certain type of useless fishing like parit near the coasts, it would be beneficial if coastline were improved artificially for fish to breed in.......
I agree that catch and release is not much practiced here but if we keep insisting and teaching younger generations than it will get better. A lot of people here on the forum practice catch and release but that doesnt mean that whatever you catch u release either. A lot of members actually give part of the catch to relatives as well as people in need.

[EmicMalta]

it s ok don t worry

For me as a spearo I can t practice that in a way, we just select the size of fish we want to spear and stop when we see that it s enough. If I want to go for the catch and release I go scuba diving and stay down there relax for an hour, seeing without tuching. Yes like that I can resist, but cannot go spearfishing and loosing my chance by saying catch and release even if it was "possible".
Having a limit would be another thing and I agree with it. I never over fish the area for lots of reasons, but if i'm not fishing under the rocks i don t see anything wrong with that. Yes it s true that with a good technick and a speargun one can do good catch but check all the pics in the forum and try to count how many fish a spearo can catch. Remember we are dealing by fishing in apnea and our body has a limit too. Spear-fishing seabream, ajs, groupers for us means that you catch 1 from the other 10+ you see.

[floody]

guys, i agree with you, especially about what shanook said re goverment doing nothing.
the catch and release concept is vital so that future generation can enjoy the little we still have.
BUT i think OVERFISHING is a bigger problem.... we risk killing adult fish that not enough remain to breed and replenish the population.

[bigboy]

Freedive it is not our fault that we catch baby swordfish !!!! Many a time the small swordfish come up dead so they cannot be released. We fish using large hooks but still they manage to get caught. It is not like recreational fishing where you have the option to release the fish as it comes to the boat alive. Nearly all the small swords come dead with longlines!!!!

[caldaland]

how can a poor husband "catch and release" when his wife eats only fish!

[shanook]

that isnt catch and release its catch and waste.......if the fish is dead its better to bring it in just the same.
If authorities really want to do something about over fishing there are ways they can do it but they dont want to lose votes...... although I would prefare that I pay extra taxes, to be given directly to full time fisherman as a payment for not going out to sea..............A few years and the fish population will flourish

[caldaland]

agrees with shanook