Marine conservation areas

SPNOTTA · July 07, 2008, 21:17:56 CET

Way to go Baghira....very good...you are the man.
Prosit xbin

Can you provide the respective citations for the following please:
"No spearfishing shall be c/o around Filfla."

"Note also that it is illegal to sell fish that have been caught by means of spearfishing."

With your permission I would like to amend my article with the add-ons performed by yourself.

Regarding your previous post, I agree with you 100%. We all know the regulations and directives (thanks to you for providing a more complete picture )so yes these signs should not be hindering you guys from having fun spearfishing.

Also, look at it from another perspective...those signs may serve to deter those egoistic idiots who are spearfishing in conjunction with scuba and torches at night. Most of our (spearo) bad reputation is attributed to the aforementioned individuals.

Yesterday my father-in-law told me that a person came up to him and was bragging on the amount of fish he catches making use of his boat to transport him to offshore reefs in conjunction with the use of scuba and torch at night. In my opinion there is nothing to brag about...for a little more the guy could have used explosives.

SPNOTTA · July 07, 2008, 21:26:52 CET

baghira also note that the EC regulation regarding
Mullus spp. Red mullets 11 cm
superceeds the local law...thanks for your time and sharing.

Alot of people just talk and talk but only a few take the burden in checking how things really are.

Guys...respect for Silvio...for I am sure he dedicated alot of his time in providing you all this data...and believe me it takes time. This person is a valuable asset to this forum and almost the only reason why I am writing here. Thanks again Silvio for your time and work.

blueskip · July 07, 2008, 21:52:11 CET

Wow, as a new member I was just going through the posts, & noticed the MLS of your species, they are very small, for example the MLS for Dicentrarchus labrax in our part of the UK is 40cm, bream species are 30cm, we dont see most of the others, although a Golden Striped Bream (suape), weighing just under 2kg was caught on calimari strip in Swansea Bay last week, a first for the area, must be global warming.
blueskip

SPNOTTA · July 08, 2008, 09:18:31 CET

Actually the MLS were taken from COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1967/2006 our local laws dating from the 30's were much worse.

baghira · July 08, 2008, 12:22:00 CET

Thanks spnotta.
Well done also to yourself because as i said, you did a lot of it. As regards any updates, you may go ahead.

As regards: No spearfishing around filfla. This is a marine protected area by mepa, and as such no spear fihing is to be c/o. I also have a leaflet which will try to scan and post, but for sure it is also illegal to anchor, to dive or stop by filfla without prior permission.

As regards: the fact that fish caught by spearo's cannot be sold.......I read it into one of those same regulations, but I cannot trace it back. I will indeed insert it if I happen to find it. Unfortunately I am a bit busy at the moment.

I would also like to insert a list of protected fish species in malta. I myself was not aware that 'ckalu' is a protected species, unitl Simon G informed me. Does anyone know where can these be found?

SPNOTTA · July 08, 2008, 13:16:53 CET

Baghira I have the red list book if you want for the protected species.

skip · July 08, 2008, 13:21:39 CET

Spnotta, can you send me over that red list book as well, would be good to feature as a downloadable on the forum portal.

SPNOTTA · July 08, 2008, 15:10:13 CET

Actually what I have is a hard copy and I was to scan parts of it if anyone is interested...but it wouldn't look very nice on the forum.

Skip have you considered to put what baghira has compiled into a direct link on the forum front page titled something like "local spearfishing regulations" or something of the sort?

Still in my opinion one is infringing copyright laws if the content of the respective book is juiced out onto the forum. Citated extracts should OK.

In my humble opinion, baghira could provide the few missing citations and it would be a very valuable asset to this forum.

baghira · July 09, 2008, 14:17:10 CET

baghira · July 09, 2008, 14:18:57 CET

baghira · July 09, 2008, 14:21:43 CET

I beleive that scans of this redlist book are a must, and have to be added somehow.

SPNOTTA · July 09, 2008, 16:00:06 CET

Hi baghira....you have a slight typo in your post regarding..Fishing implements carried on boats: (reg. 13. S.L.425.01 Fishery Regulations) should read (reg. 13. S.L.10.12 Fishery Regulations)

I am afraid it's pretty ambigous but yes IMO it means what you stated...by the way speargun sounds better than harpoon

SPNOTTA · July 09, 2008, 16:24:50 CET

CHAPTER 323 FILFLA NATURE RESERVE ACT To provide for the establishment of the Filfla Natural Reserve only states and enforces the protection of the land flora and fauna.

Originally the 1988 reserve act prohibited vessel navigation, berthing, swimming or diving one nautical mile radius of filfla but in 1990 the goverment uplifted the regulation and permitted fishing within the nautical mile radius. Government notce 173 (1990)

skip · July 09, 2008, 17:44:13 CET

Interesting, so we can fish within 1nm of Filfla? Charts still show it as restricted navigation?

baghira · July 09, 2008, 22:26:25 CET

I exactly do not know how things work out in this island, but for sure the area of ras ir raheb, and filfla are considered as marine protected areas by Mepa. I was told this from Mepa, and also received these leaflets.
So do they have to go throu any process to become resticted, or just Mepa declares as such and that is it.??
And spnott, do any corrections you deem necessary, I told you, your english is much better than mine sweety..