2013 Bluefin Tuna Permit (Proposed)

Moonwalker · May 25, 2013, 19:50:53 CET

What I meant about the districts thing is if the rule that each district will be given specific days when to fish is still in force or not?

shanook · May 25, 2013, 20:03:29 CET

No it is not according to the regulations posted

The_Gaffer · May 25, 2013, 21:38:40 CET

No moonwalker, that is not the case. Everybody can fish when they want, where they want. the regualtions state that every time you intend to go out for BFT, then you have to make known your intentions to the FCD. This is only applicable if you are going out for BFT. However, if you are found to have BFT gear and you have not given notice of your intentions, then you have defaulted. For BFT gear, we all lnow what BFT gear consists of, i dont think that you should be liable if stopped and found to have trolling gear and light tackle. If you do have heavy tackle on board, and heavy line, and big hooks, then chances are that is BFT gear. So, if i were you, i would not chance it.
What i do know is that the FCD will be patrolling the north and south fishfarms. There are already signs that a lot of boats that did apply are intending to fish by the tuna pens in SPB and the ones in th south.

shanook · May 25, 2013, 23:39:08 CET

It says line over 160mm is considered tuna gear....I would call it towing gear....I am sure someone made a mistake in this line size....

The_Gaffer · May 26, 2013, 08:56:05 CET

Quote from: shanook on May 25, 2013, 23:39:08 CET
It says line over 160mm is considered tuna gear....I would call it towing gear....I am sure someone made a mistake in this line size....

Actually lines up to 160 are allowed, that is 1.6mm. So, you can use a single line of 1.60, a double line of .8mm, etc. these are the same regulations used by the local commercial fishermen while fishing for BFT.

baghira · May 26, 2013, 10:17:10 CET

This is good news :-)......
The outhorities as usuall are informing defaulters where they will be ie: by the fishfarms.... nowhere else.......
So other places of interest will be free to destroy during these days..........
This is no news guys........ This is usuall news.....

shanook · May 26, 2013, 10:43:35 CET

Beg to differ Joe but it says line over 160mm is considered tuna gear..... if it was up to 160 then if i troll with a 80 is that considered tuna gear as well?

Very shady as usual

The_Gaffer · May 26, 2013, 11:01:00 CET

Quote from: baghira on May 26, 2013, 10:17:10 CET
This is good news :-)......
The outhorities as usuall are informing defaulters where they will be ie: by the fishfarms.... nowhere else.......
So other places of interest will be free to destroy during these days..........
This is no news guys........ This is usuall news.....

Where else Silvo? Is it not better to inform people, especially people who tend to be irrisponsible towards the regulations, then to shut up, say nothing, and allow a few irrisponsable people spoil what others like the Federation committee and the MFF admmins have worked so hard to achieve. It was not easy to convince the authorities to open up the quota to recreational fishermen, whatever one may think or say, the quota still belongs to the commerial guys. I personally feel it is better to warn people, than to allow them to get caught, be a bad example to the many responsible fishermen, and spoil everything for next year's quota.

The_Gaffer · May 26, 2013, 11:04:20 CET

Quote from: shanook on May 26, 2013, 10:43:35 CET
Beg to differ Joe but it says line over 160mm is considered tuna gear..... if it was up to 160 then if i troll with a 80 is that considered tuna gear as well?
Very shady as usual

I'll take your word for it, but the regulations being issued with the permit state otherwise. I would not allow myself to get lost in these details Shanook, with 500kgs only alloted to recreational fishermen, I think and this is my personal opinion, that the quota will be exhausted within one week.

ganni · May 26, 2013, 12:19:58 CET

I'm sorry joe, but the quota does not belong to the commercial guys, it belongs to the nation.

The_Gaffer · May 26, 2013, 14:15:44 CET

The way Skip and myself were informed, If it wasn't for the commercial guys who in The 1990's registered their catches, Malta would have no quota at all.

ganni · May 26, 2013, 14:24:49 CET

Of course, and its because of them that we have a low quota... they registered very few landings... thinking that way the authorities would conclude that they have a small impact and it ended up working the other way round.

To add to this there was no obligation for recreational fishers to register any BFT caught, so it wasn't up to us. Hopefully this year all 500kg will be registered as to use all of our quota... and I'll be giving a try too haha

The_Gaffer · May 26, 2013, 16:05:05 CET

I'm with your there Gianni. Its not the hookups, we get plenty those, its the eventual landing that counts.

caldaland · May 26, 2013, 20:46:59 CET

Conditions of Licence:

Ø A line above 110 mm and specific tuna hook is considered as Tunagear.

Ø Such a gear is not allowed on board outside licenced weeks during the period.

baghira · May 26, 2013, 21:27:59 CET

I agree also...
But I know that people and authorities would be distracted on this Tuna issue, and more than usuall they will ignore other activities.