As usual on a Sunday I like to go to Bugibba pier,mainly to see the launching and retrieval of boats which is a spectacle in itself. I also like to take a stroll along the pier and as everyone knows this time of the year we start to see imsell near the end of the pier. A quy was fishing for vopi but a spectator showed him how to fish for them.....so he started and he was catching these imsell about 12cm long and about 5mm in diameter. If he was trying to catch some to use as bait for fishing it wouldnt have mattered but he was asking how to cook them..........unbelievable........he was told to tie them and boil them and eat the whole thing.........when are we going to learn to catch and release the fish that are too small to be of any use for human consumption.... i have seen bucketfull of vopi thrown at cats........
Fishing is a relaxing hobby where one spends sometime in the open air with the thrill of seeing his rod bending with a fish on the other end.......If its small release it..if u are not going to consume it then release it.....it might give u another trill another time u come back fishing.........
There is only one problem with this post ..........All MFF members, at least I hope, release fish that are not keepers........how can we educate, teach the fisherman or make the authorities realize that something has to be done with all the pariti near the shore and the catching, by individual anglers, of small fish.
I am writing because same place but different date, there was this kid with a triple hook trying to catch the fish by dropping crumbs of bread a then jerking the rod to hit the fish with the treble hook.....there were cawl mostly BUT there was a fellus ta cerna with them.......I tried to explain that the greenish one with rounded fins will grow to be very big and I spread out my arms........I dont think he believed me, most probably thought I was some crazy old man...
All true Shanook but lets be frank. When we were beginners we all used to be very happy with the smallest fish we catch and would never pass from out minds to throw it back. As we get more experience we try to target bigger fish and do release back the small fish.
The real problem for fish are the nets of all types and not the rod and hook.
The first few fish are the hardest. In summer my only obsession is fishing for leerfish with spinning surface lures. I'm absolutely addicted to it. I've had some very reasonable fish by maltese standards for this species. The average nice specimen is in the 3-4kg range. I catch loads of little ones the size of a 300g sawrella, they all go back to swim. The larger ones i only keep maybe one of every three fish I catch. That means that in a whole summer i might keep only 2 fish. however, I have grown a huge respect for this fish and most of the time i look at the fish on the Kitchen sink and say to myself ... I should have let it go too.
Sometimes seeing such a fish swim away after a big successful fight, gives a bigger sense of satisfaction than seeing it in the oven cooking off with potatoes and onions. You learn to have respect for such a beautiful creatures.
Quote from: FREEDIVE on September 06, 2010, 07:44:46 CETThose around me thought I was foreign and you should have heard the crude comments when I kept throwing back all the AJs.
It is this sort of Mentality that must change in this country. I beleive that as a forum with over 1600 subscribers we can make a change towards the awareness of conserving our marine friends. What amazes me is that large renowned local companies who sell fishing tackle targeted to sport fishermen, do not emphasise catch and release, or at least the legal size limit of fish.
I think we should push forward and propse that the Ministry responsible should issue a informative leaflet on the legal fish sizes and C&R. Maybe even produce a small educative campaign, like they do with healthy food. ONLY THEN, can we have a case in forcing the government to issue laws that control the fishing with nets along the immediate shoreline.
Let's not shoot ourselves in the feet.
Its true, when i started i used to keep the fish and i agree with all that has been said above. Also re the treble hook, when i had done that as i kid, the hasla i got at home from my father who doesn't even fish, was phenomanal and never left my head.
Spearfishing thought me how to be selective, and to just enjoy the time away from everyday hassle. Fishing has thought me how to soak in and enjoy the little things like being with friends on a beach and dreaming about the big catch or remembering past catches. Then i must say spinning has thought me how to not give up. Coupled all together I must admit that releasing a fish, or letting one go has become a great sensation which gives an amazing feeling of satisfaction. Dont get me wrong, I would like to take a fish home here and there, but going back home knowing that I had some time for me is worth more than any fish in the world. So I am happy with that. I also can really understand Clutch_kick when he talks about respect for the prey (although my few catches really don't compare to any of you guys contributing to this thread)
I think here in Malta, apart from the ignorance (in the sense of not having a clue of marine life and/or conservation), it's the mentality that screws everything over. The mentality that if I spend 1 euro on tackle I have to minimum catch 2 euro worth of fish – even if just to throw it to the cats. That kind of expression which in maltese states 'biex taqwista!' Not to simply have fun, relax and enjoy some time outdoors!
Don't know if what I am writing makes sense to you guys, but it's the way I feel about the matter. Also, a good thread on how to handle the fish when practicing C&R would be great (tipo at the beginning of the forum), as I always get doubts about it. Re talking to government and all, I agree in full, but I think that especially the tackle shops should really play a big role in this!
The problem in Malta is selfishness.
Those who know me know how fond I am of diving and I think all of you are hearing about the conservation effort going on at Cirkewwa.
Ironically the laws exist but enforcement?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Last week I dived on the bottom external reef and it is full of old and new nets, nassi, long lines, squid jigs etc. The problem is that nets remain active and cause loads of damage to the small grouper popuolation present.
I believe that it is the only place in Malta were groupers are abundant and can be aproached easilly and as such they grow big have babies and restore the population.
Interestingly enough on Discovery World the programm called Big Fish during August (Shark Month) said that we should relase the big mums and keep the males as the big mums are healthy enough to produce loads of eggs and keep the population stable. BUT how are we going to explain that............... we do not even manage to release a 5cm cernetta let alone a 5 ft one.
Education is key but please be careful as I do not want to finish like the hunters with loads of restrictions and loads of enemies.
care and attention when discussing catch and release .... the last time we were discussing this issue it ended up with inspectors from environmental division saying we can not even keep small fish in keep nets!
most probably shore fisherman will be the first to pay the price as goverment has no money to invest in offshore patrols ....
As i always say nets and illegal fishing is done in very early and late hours when most of us are sleeping ... so who is going to patrol such irregularities!
.... but most of the comments are very valid! i always insist on catch and release but we have to be very careful as we are a very easy target!
i really think there is nothing to discuss. whoever wants to release fine,whoever does not is equally fine. this is just an individuals preferance. so for gods sake,please,lets stop this silly crusade against those who likes to keep fish to eat like myself! rest assured,im not going to eat the ocean out of its fish!
Catch and release is fine but so is eating freshly caught fish! Of course one has to be reasonable and at least as a beginning one should strictly respect the legal minimum sizes.
But for those who are avid fish eaters like myself it really makes no sense to throw back freshly caught fish and then to go to the fishmonger and buy fish which is much less fresh at an expensive price. I eat fish almost daily so any decent fish caught are a very welcome alternative to frozen or canned stuff!
Of course it does not mean taking more than one can eat (never the case with me since catches are always very modest) or making a massacre out of baby fish. However eating the fish I catch is an integral part of the whole fishing experience. In fact you will never find me fishing in places like ras hanzir where fish caught cannot be eaten. I do release many small fish, even those not covered by legislation but if the fish are of decent size, I much prefer catch and eat to catch and release!
right!
Its worth reading up on what fish can be safely caught & released, with any chance of surviving the experience, it appears that once handled, mackerel species will develpop "burns" on their body & die within days unless they are "shaken" off the hook without any human contact.
There are other species that we get over here (whiting & pouting) that suffer much the same fate, & we have for years been slapping ourselves on the back for being "environmentally friendly" by practicing C&R, when in fact we have been doing more harm than good! :o
We are having to look closely at what we do nowadays, because many "green groups" are proposing NTZs around the coast of the UK, where ALL fishing is going to be prohibited because they see C&R as a practice that is not acceptable in terms of conservation. Just a bit of a "heads up" in case you start using C&R as an argument, which can be pulled from under your feet! ;)
Yes I agree. It is a personal decision, and it should not be imposed either. However, most of the anglers i talk to are not aware what the legal sizes of the fish are. I am pretty sure that it is more satisfying to keep a 300g Sargu rather than a bucketful of 80g sargi. I love keeping Barracudas because they are just too good grilled on the BBQ, but i only keep the ones larger than 800g. Basically if they are as long as my rod's handle they are pretty much over that weight.
It is all down to some common sense and respect towards our sea. My worry is that we might soon end up like our cousins the hunters, because as somebody else mentioned, WE are the easy targets here, not the large fishing companies.
lizzijiet personalment ma nafx kif qed ssemu catch and release ghalihom, il bahar mifquh minnhom u qed jaghmlu l hsara ukoll fuq speci indigeni tal mediterran, l m gahndhomx s sahha ta barracuda. barracuda tatakka spnotta u marspann rajta. u s sikek ta barra mimlija cudas
peronally i wouldntcatch andrelease barracudas, as the sea is full of them andthey cause havoc with local species. the outsidereefs are full of cudas
Is-sikek ta barra ma tistax tilhaqhom mill-art. Nisgurak li l-erbgha hutiet li jintelqu min xi spissjat bhali mhux se jghamlu differenza kontra il-mijjiet l-ohra li jinqabdu :) imma il-kuxjenza teighi hekk tghidli. Il-lizz hija speci prolifika hafna, u sabet kundizzjonijiet tajba hafna fill-mediterran dawn l-ahhar snin kemm ila li sahnet it-temperatura medja tall-bahar. Izda xorta hija huta endemika tall-mediterran.
the outside reefs cannot be reached from land. I assure you that the released fish by some fanatic will notmake a difference compared with the thousands that are kept.but thats what my conscience tells me to do. the cudas is a prolific species and it found ideal conditions here, especially since the water temp has gone up. But tis still an endemic species in the med.
translate last 2 please.
I think that C & R is a matter of common sense,which everyone you meet will profess to have,however im slowly becoming of the opinion that the Oxford English dictionary seriously should re-define this word or change it to 'rare sense',especially in ref. to where some of the fishing in this country is concerned...as 99.9% of people who keep a seriously undersized fish will give you a quick demo of their 'common sense' with pearls of wisdom like "if i let it go,someone else will catch it,so why bother?/jekk nitiltu jiena biex jaqbdu hadd iehor.." ::) ::) ::) ::)
Don't get me wrong i don't judge people who keep fish to eat as id be a total hypocrite,i like fresh fish just as much as anyone,but there is a difference between keeping a few barracuda's and keeping a 10cm grouper or dentex to feed the 'cats' >:(
This is one of the reasons i gave up shore angling from certain spots as this kind of thing makes my blood BOIL!! & just try "educating" some these people who frequent certain places if you ever feel like wasting some of your precious time and just see how far you get!!..and whilst im sure there are people who don't know all the exact minimum sizes of frequently caught species (ill include myself here,i don't),im sure that there are many who do and just don't care!..i mean for gods sake do you really need to be told that a 10cm grouper is undersized?!!!!!
So im all for minimum sizes,at least the ones that make sense..(a minimum size for bogue???!! eh? ::)) im just not so sure as to how practically this could be enforced as many have already posted,so i think it all boils down to the individual at the present moment,and so i just do my bit and release what im not going to eat or use as bait (Bait e.g kubrita/plamtu/imsell) or what is blatantly obvious as being undersized and let someone else catch them as these vastly intelligent people think..
Quote from: MartinB on September 08, 2010, 02:33:32 CETso i think it all boils down to the individual at the present moment,and so i just do my bit and release what im not going to eat or use as bait (Bait e.g kubrita/plamtu/imsell) or what is blatantly obvious as being undersized and let someone else catch them as these vastly intelligent people think..
Amen.
p.s. ... Bogue is 90mm ... LOL
Quote from: clutch_kick on September 08, 2010, 03:19:38 CET
Quote from: MartinB on September 08, 2010, 02:33:32 CETso i think it all boils down to the individual at the present moment,and so i just do my bit and release what im not going to eat or use as bait (Bait e.g kubrita/plamtu/imsell) or what is blatantly obvious as being undersized and let someone else catch them as these vastly intelligent people think..
Amen.
p.s. ... Bogue is 90mm ... LOL
thanks mate
Now id
love to see a future inspector going through a whole bunch of nassi/fish traps of bogue with a ruler checking sizes! it will solve the unemployment problem overnight ::)
But seriously that's exactly why i commented on it tbh as it just shows me that even a welcome & intelligent legislation in this country is not given the
minimal ammount of 'fesability study' time..i mean for f**k sake all they had to do was ask just about any fisherman in this country as to why this would be impossible! or failing that just use good old
common sense "rare sense" (see my post above! ;D) ::) ::)
i just eat what is eatable and release what is not.when i eat pork,chicken,cow,etc,i never ask if they where undersized or not. leaving fish on the pier to rot is a sin but, so is throwing good healthy food in the sea for that matter!be sensible and dont waste.it works both ways.
That was exactly the reasoning done by pioneers in certain countries.......and now we have so many eatable fish, poultry and fowl that are extinct or on the brink of extinction............oh well
the mediterrenin cuda clutch kick is different from the common cuda we catch.
the mediterranean cuda has a light yellow line throughout it body and does not growmore than 35cm-45cm
the cuda we are catching is the pacific cuda, very common and adaptable. they grow for as much as 4-5kg easily and when they reach full size(they narrate a 6-8kgs examples) they are not edible due to cotogera poison (being a predator and having a polluted sea, they end up dying because of an accumulation of poison from every fish they eat.)
if you catch the med cuda release it because that species is threatened, if you catch the common cuda enjoy your meal. Consider cuda's like rats, they are impossible to contol.
According to law, there is no minimum size for the transparent goby
makku) and whitebait (srajdna and nemusa).
The minimum sizes of all other fishes and cephalods, measured overall, is as follows:
Voparella and Vopa (Box boops) ..................... 90 millimetres
Arznella and Munqara (Smaris vulgaris) ......... 90 millimetres
Trilja or Red Mullets (Mullus barbatus and
Mullus sarmuletus) including Triljetta ........ 100 millimetres
All other fishes ......................................... 115 millimetres
Cephalopods, measured from the anterior side of the eye to the posterior end of the body:
Cuttlefish (sicc) ....................................... 75 millimetres
Squid (klamari) ....................................... 100 millimetres
@ SG ... I think there was an update of the minimum fish sizes, with a more elaborate list of species and sizes. For example off the top of my head, wreckfish need to be a minimum of around 45cm i think.
@ Granitu ... I did a bit of search online just to clarify what i had in mind, before i write it down. Strictly speaking there is no such thing as a Mediterranean Barracuda. The most common species is the European Barracuda (Sphraena Sphyraena), the one you call the rat.
Another common but endemic to the eastern mediterranean shores of Israel and lebanon is the Yellow-Mouth Barracuda (Sphyraena Viridensis). The Yellow Stripe Barracuda (Sphyraena chrysotaenia) is not endemic to the mediterranean at all! It was one of the fish species introduced to the Med via the Suez Canal. Hope this helps.
mm i wonder how they have become so abundant compared to older days....
could it be that they are finding no natural predators to them ( they are ranking in the highest placeof the food chain)
10x for the correction clutch kick good to know
Granitu, Their natural predators have declined a lot in the past few years (when juvenile seabass prey on them, when they grow larger they are preyed up on by large AJ's, Dentex and Dolphins are known to hunt them too). Barracuda also exhibit a strong cannibalistic nature.
Also, as mentioned before, sea temperature may play a big role in the barracuda population. Another 'conspiracy theory' that i have heard is that the bloom in barracuda numbers coincides with the introduction of the BFT Farms. in my opinion it does not hold water since other countries like Sicily and Sardegna who do not have BFT farms are still experiencing the large Barracuda catches.
i quoted the fishing regulations which can be downloaded from the justice ministry website
shanook,can you please quote one single species of fish that "is extinct or on the brink of extinction" just because amature fishermen eats them instead of throwing them half dead to rot in the sea?
groupers have decreased a lot caldaland....
since the introduction of aqualungs granitu and not by amature fishermen. 99.9% of amature fishermen dont even fish for grouper!
Quote from: caldaland on September 08, 2010, 16:40:19 CET
shanook,can you please quote one single species of fish that "is extinct or on the brink of extinction" just because amature fishermen eats them instead of throwing them half dead to rot in the sea?
half dead? why would you want to throw a fish back half dead?
ofcourse one needs to use some common sense. A grouper pulled out of 70m depth will come to the surface with it's swim bladder inflated. That's useless to release, although there are studies today that these fish can be released after you help them depressurise their swim bladder.
These things should be well discussed because for example when you go bottom fishing from cliffs its impossible to release small fish you catch even if you use big hooks small fish are still caught and for the bogue(vopa) in my opinion its like a pest and if they make it's minimum size 9cm lots of kids and families fishing would stop.
i do not consider a person not registered as a fisherman catching fish with aqualungs as a professional, he is still an amateur in my eyes. Most of the abusers do earn money (alot of money) but i still consider them as amateur fisherman since most probably it would be an extra income.
What sg quoted is the following......
FISHERY [S.L.10.12 5
Schedule of
minimum sizes.
Substituted by:
L.N. 58 of 1979.
38. The minimum sizes of fishes, measured overall, shall be
according to the following schedule:
QuoteAccording to law, there is no minimum size for the transparent goby
makku) and whitebait (srajdna and nemusa).
The minimum sizes of all other fishes and cephalods, measured overall, is as follows:
Voparella and Vopa (Box boops) ..................... 90 millimetres
Arznella and Munqara (Smaris vulgaris) ......... 90 millimetres
Trilja or Red Mullets (Mullus barbatus and
Mullus sarmuletus) including Triljetta ........ 100 millimetres
All other fishes ......................................... 115 millimetres
Cephalopods, measured from the anterior side of the eye to the posterior end of the body:
Cuttlefish (sicc) ....................................... 75 millimetres
Squid (klamari) ....................................... 100 millimetres
However, the following are the new guidelines as per instructions issued by the MINISTRY FOR RESOURCES AND RURAL AFFAIRS, Veterinary Regulation, Fisheries Conservation & Control Division in 2009
please follow them and let common sense prevail...... if a fish swallows a hook, don't pull, just cut the line and the fish will take off the hook alone. 99% of fish caught by rod can be released without any problem. the only ones that don't survive are those that when caught, start bleeding from their gills as the hook would be stuck to the red gills of the fish.
Here are the guidelines:
Isem Xjentifiku Isem bl-Ingliz Isem bil-Malti Qies minimu
Hut
Dicentrarchus labrax Sea-bass Spnotta 25cm
Diplodus annularis Annular sea bream Sparlu 12cm
Diplodus puntazzo Sharpsnout sea bream Moghza 18cm
Diplodus sargus White sea bream Sargu 23cm
Diplodus vulgaris Two-banded sea bream Xirgien 18cm
Engraulis encrasicolus1 European Anchovy Incova 9cm
Epinephelus spp. Grouper Cerna 45cm
Lithognathus mormyrus Stripped sea bream Mengus 20cm
Merluccius merluccius2 Hake Merluzz 20cm
Mullus spp. Red mullet Trilja 11cm
Pagellus acarne Spanish sea bream Pagella talfond17cm
Pagellus bogaraveo Red sea bream Pagellahamra33cm
Pagellus erythrinus Common pandora Pagella 15cm
Pagrus pagrus Common sea bream Pagrukomuni18cm
Polyprion americanus Wreckfish Hanzir 45cm
Sardina pilchardus3 European Sardine Sardina 11cm
Scomber spp . Mackerel Kavall 18cm
Solea vulgaris Common Sole Ingwanta 20cm
Sparus aurata Gilthead sea bream Awrata 20cm
Trachurus spp. Horse mackerel, scad Sawrella 15cm
http://maltafishingforum.com/talk/index.php/topic,1752.0.html
catch n release or hook n cook,that is the question! next,ill be told to do mouth to mouth respiration to a grouper to revive it!!!!!!lolololol
lol dw they are vey good survivors, they stay alive for quite some time :P
all groupers are born females. when they are 12 or 13 years old they all turn males.
Quotecatch n release or hook n cook,that is the question! next,ill be told to do mouth to mouth respiration to a grouper to revive it!!!!!!lolololol
I'd rather give mouth to mouth to a grouper than to a stubborn closed minded obstinate individual as yourself. Your perseverance to justify keeping juvenile fish makes me sick. >:(
that means you will stop eating robby ? :P
what do you mean ?
If you think or are trying to imply that I keep undersize fish, you are highly mistaken granitu. ;)
Furthermore, if i don't get the big fish.... i can always buy a pizza or a salad (just to think healthly)
Those who release small fish are rewarded later...... pics to follow soon ;)
le ha ndawwarilek biex tifimha, la qed thossok sick, ha tieqaf tiekol in generali- mux al hut irreferejtlek, iktar al xi pizza jew xi platt ghagin :P
robby,i have never said i keep juvenile fish. all i said is that i eat what is eatable.maybe you are the "stubborn closed minded obstinate individual " for quoting things i have never said! you just keep on releasing {sic} and ill just keep on eating them.oppps,i have to go cause i need to check the fish i have in the oven. buon appetit!
@Granitu--> daqxejn difficli biex twaqqafni niekol ....... anke jekk inkun marid...... hahaha
catch n release at its best.
"A Russian circus touring Australia dropped an act in which a performer swallows a live fish then regurgitates it after complaints that it was in poor taste and inhumane."
QuoteI'd rather give mouth to mouth to a grouper than to a stubborn closed minded obstinate individual as yourself. Your perseverance to justify keeping juvenile fish makes me sick.
Read my post again......... i never said you kept......... there is a differance between doing and justifying........
Well said ehh Robby !!!
What we release today we will be roewarded for some other day for sure ;)
People who keep small fish are just closed narrow minded, they tell you dawk al aljotta!!!
sorry for my absence,but i was eating stuffed,baked grey mullet.i now feel sorry for the orphans i left behind.lol
we are all saints now. i wonder what people do with baby swordfish? maybe bigboy can tell me!
onestament aljotta tigi itjeb bil gambli u b xi ras ta huta sabiha, b hafna hut rqiq timlija xewk... ta****a.
caldaland m emm xejn isbah li titlaq huta ghal gurnata ohra, jien nghid ghalija dis sena rajt differenza kbira minn sena ta qabel perez li ghamel hafna rih tul is sena u sar inqas sajd. il kahli ha r ruh ezempju. qed naghmlu sajdiet sbieh fuq kahli kbira ta 800-900 grs, imma kulma nzommu 4 kollox ghax xiwi. gili qbadt 8,9 imma nitlaq li ma jkollix bzonn halli jkolli skuza nerga mmur nistad ;)
il bahar jekk tibza ghalih jibza ghalik, jien ekk nifimha....
naf robby li mhux ha taghmel f qalbek u taqta l ikel, naf.... :P :P
Robby017: Thanks for pointing out the 2009 regulations.
The 2009 regulations seem to apply to fish caught from a boat.
It would therefore seem that fish caught from the shore are still regulated
by the Fishing Regulations (Legal Notice 1 issued under the Fishing Act - Chapter 425 of the Laws of Malta).
Probably, the table in the 2009 regulations is reproduced from EU Regulation 1967/2006.
EU regulations are directly enforceable in Maltese law i.e. they are automatically part of Maltese law, unlike EU Directives, in which case a Maltese law would need to be passed to implement (in practice "copy and paste") the content of the EU Directive in Maltese law.
i correct myself: the 2009 sizes apply to all fish, whether caught from land or sea.
Caldaland jekk qieghed tinsinwa xi haga fuq il pixxispad well then go ahead !!!!
With longlines it is different from fishing from the pier or trolling. With Trolling or fishing from land you can release any fish because the fish comes up in good health. With longlines it is a different story. ON longlines the fish you catch are not always found alive and not all fish can be released, but i can assure you that when ever we found small 2-4 kg fish alive we always released them, and to say all in summer you do not commonly find the small specimens, it is in the winter times that you will find small swordfish............
U ahna fix xitwa noqodu as shana tal quilt u mhux namlu lejl fil kesha habib ;)
However, I would think that the (Maltese) Fishing Regulations apply for those fish not listed in the 2009 regulations.
im looking for my next fish to release.................................in the oven! hahahahaha!
napoleon bonappetit
While on the subject of releasing half dead fish. Ever wondered just how survivable fish are? Take a look at this leerfish, it was caught on spinning, and probably suffered an attack by a bluefish in the past. It was strong enough to hunt and survive, even though it's stomach cavity was ripped open!
(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1885/lecciapredataridotta.jpg)
enjoy your meal....... attent min xi xewka
What fish to keep or to release is to a certain extent a personal choice that depends on ones appetite for fish, how much one catches and the level of expertise of the fisherman concerned. For people regularly catching nice big kahli of up to 800 g or so it is may not be too difficult to to release smaller sized fish. But for somebody like me who does not fish much and whose 'kahli' catches are generally rather small zabri (which I do release) the odd 300 g or so kahlija that I do manage to catch represents a good fish and one which makes a good meal. Similarly a couple of half kg cervjol are for me a good catch and a good dinner, but for somebody regularly targeting the large, multi kg accjol it would hardly make much sense to keep cervjol.
On the other hand, while the extent of catch and release is personal choice, keeping fish below the legal minimum size is NOT be a personal choice. With people tending to generalise, keeping undersize fish will tend to give a bad name to recreational fisherman in general. Also, keeping a few 15cm brieqex for aljotta is one thing but keeping dentex or dottijiet of the same size is something else.
well said! haqqek star :)
i agree 100% with Lazy ..... we must never try to force people into catch and release.
If one is shown good methods how to catch bigger fish and also slowly introduced to releasing back he will surely move in the right direction.
but it's always a personal choice ..... although minimum sized must be respected as much as possible.
One thing is that i really find funny is how such inspectors do not go to restaurants and regular visits to fish markets!
@ caldaland....... I do not know you mate and so I cannot judge you, but the way you speak sounds like you are targetting whatever is edible.......and that's wrong...If you' re fishing and occasionally hit a fish that is not worth returning to the sea for many factors that's one thing....but if you fish and target whatever comes in, like small groupers/dentici/pagri/pagell etc etc and you do soup with these, then the story is another. I know many people that do like I said, and then they blame the Government.....come on.... I also blame the government for many other reasons but what does this have to do with marine life? Hope I am mistaken, and we do not have similair members in our forum.
We are all liabale to make a mistake, and we all do one time or another. For example it happens to us spearos that sometimes a fish comes by so fast that the decision should be made in seconds, and sometimes you shoot and find a fish that is not decent, and I think about what I have done for the whole day, but once the fish is dead, there is nothing to do. The law also allows (if i remember well) for a certain percentage of mistake in this regard.
@ Placebo.. The subject of inspectors visiting markets and resturants has been raised by my end also with MEPA members. I do not know why the fisheries is still waiting to raise such a body of enforcement officers. It is quite an easy task to perform, I myself do a similair job. Heard for example of the latest fish street vendors regualtions!!
thank you robby. as for the fishbone,i appreciate your concern but my wife watches over my plate when im eating fish so as to spot the occational odd bone. 4 eyes are better than 2 right?
baghira,no one targets small groupers/dentici/pagri/pagell.these are by catches. when i say i eat what is eatable i would mean that the fish can be eaten without causing harm or that the size would be adequate so as to be practical to eat. some fish,even if they are large enough to eat i would still not eat them as they possess to many bones like lacci and gringijiet so these go back. i was depicted as some serial killer just because i was honest enough to say that i would eat my own fish instead of buying them. im no hypocrite. i dont have to be.and i dont pose as a saint as some members of this forum tend to do.
okies
agree with you to some extent. (without referring to nobody in particular)
if i have been labeled as a serial killer just because i eat the fish i catch should'nt those who eat fish roe or caviar be called abortionists! lol!
whatever you say clad......... but nobody said you're a serial killer......... don't imply that we said things we never said.
i was only joking for petes sake. humour IS getting scarce in this room is'nt it.ah ok,there is a section for jokes!
there is time for everything and for everything there is time :)......... i don't think there's time for humour on such a delicate matter :-X...... maybe i'm wrong ::)
different characters at best!
the fish i manage to catch are rather small, just above the minimum - brieqex and gharajjes, mostly. what goes into catching bigger fish - the time of the day i.e. if you fish at dawn/dusk or night, bigger fish are swimming around, but they vanish at noon (wouldn't they still be in the sea?!) is it the type of bait you use? or the size of hook? the distance from the land? - although some shore fishermen, as i can see from the photos, do land decent fish too.
there are many factors that lead to catching bigger fish from shore ..... terminal tackle, bait, reading and knowing the areas which comes from years of experience, different fishing rods ...... I suggest joining local fishing clubs for those who really want to improve their skills in shore fishing.
You will be amazed how much you will improve in just a year in a club!
if Parit was abolished or at least heavily restricted, than shore fishing would really catch on as there will be decent fish to land.
beleive it or not ..... from information we collect .... fish around our shores are increasing again. We are making big catches in our events like we used to do some 15 years ago.
111kgs of total fish were caught in the last 3 day KSFA tournament. That is by 24 anglers in 15 hours of fishing!