I won’t normally include political issues on this blog, as it is generally just a journal for my fishing activities. However, on this is issue, I feel it right that I post it here. I’m not and don’t pretend to be an expert on commercial fishing, in fact, I have very little knowledge on the subject but to any normal ‘Joe Bloggs’ like myself, the insanity of fish discards as dictated by the European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has to stop and the CFP itself must be radically over-hauled.
For the un-initiated and in the simplest of terms, the issue revolves around the present quota system and ‘discards’. The quota system set by the CFP, is intended to protect fish stocks by setting limits on how many fish of a certain species should be caught. All boats have this quota and once that quota for a species (cod for example) is reached on a boat, no more may be landed. In this example, if the boat skipper catches his cod quota and then goes to another area to fish for say, sole, he will inevitably catch more cod as they inhabit similar grounds. As he is over quota for cod, any he catches must now be discarded over the side, as by law he cannot land it in any port – even though it is already dead. This means that millions of tons of prime fish is going to waste and cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered as ‘protecting stocks’.
There no exact figures but the EU estimates that in the North Sea alone, discards run at between 40% and 60% of the total catch. This waste has to stop and the only way to do it is for the EU to completely re-think the CFP.
There is now a new campaign against this massive, criminal waste being run by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Details can be found here and at the campaign website Fish Fight. You can do your bit by going to the site, signing up and showing your support.
On Monday, I had a get together with Stax, an old friend I hadn’t seen since we finished school in Plymouth way back in 1976. I had headed off to live in Hong Kong and he had moved to New Zealand shortly after I left. Now a resident of Perth in Western Australia, he was over here on a six week touring holiday with his Wife, Christine but they could only manage a short stop over before having to leave for London on Tuesday morning.
We met up at their hotel and had a good chin wag, reminiscing about the old days and the fishing we did in and around the Plymouth area back in the 70′s. We couldn’t believe how back then, we would cycle and walk miles to venues all over the area in search of fish. Talk turned to old friends and what they were up to now and as you do at this age, who has since departed this mortal coil. We later went out to grab a bite to eat at the marina and then venture out to the east arm, so he could have a look at one of the venues I fish. The arm was closed due to the weather but he got an idea of what it’s like there. I have to say though, it pales into insignificance compared to where he fishes at a place called Steep Point (he manages the site) and what is caught. Jealous? I am a bit but how can that compare to pout, whiting and rockling?
The next morning, Anna, Alex and I met up with them for a coffee and more tales from the past before, sadly, they had to depart to get up to London for a couple of days before returning to Oz.
It really was fantastic to meet up again after all these years, so cheers mate for making the effort to get down here and hope to meet up again at some point.
Well, this week has been absolute arse. Our bruising old Tom cat, Gary wasn’t too well on Monday and by Tuesday, he was looking really ill, so a visit to the vet was in order. Diagnosis was renal failure amongst other things and untreatable, the result was, we had to have him put down that afternoon. Needless top say, we were heartbroken; we had had him for some 14 years and we reckon he was about 16years old or thereabouts (we acquired him as a young stray).
Our female cat, Socks began behaving weirdly following this, showing signs of distress, panting and pacing around the house and not settling at all. by Wednesday evening, she had stopped eating and drinking and was showing signs of breathing problems. We couldn’t get a vets appointment until Thursday afternoon when Anna and her mum took her to the vet. Diagnosis was bad – pleural effusion, caused by a tumour in her chest. Not treatable and only option was to have her put down as well. She was about the same age as Gary and we had had her for about the same time.
This has left us stunned, heartbroken and well, just feeling like crap, they were just such a huge part of our lives. Alex hasn’t been too bad, taking things in his stride like most kids of his age. We will miss them terribly but at least they are no longer suffering.
After Monday’s fantastic birthday, it was back to reality yesterday when I had to attend the RSCH for my 7.30am follow-up appointment in the Cardiac centre. I was there for a wire pressure test / angioplasty on another artery which had been a cause for concern.
After the initial book in, I went to the theatre at about 9.30 where the procedure was carried out. Suffice to say, the experience is not one that I would like to go through again thank you very much. The final result was that I needed a further two stents to open up the affected arteries. It was then back to the ward for the rest of the day to be spent lying on my back until the Heparin level in my blood had dropped sufficiently to enable the removal of the sheath (a tube inserted into the artery at the top of the leg through which the test wire and stents are inserted). Once this was removed, constant pressure had to be exerted on the site to stop bleeding and allow the natural clotting to close the hole. After this had been completed, I was allowed to sit up and after a further wait, I was allowed to get up and move around prior to being discharged.
Now that is all done, I can get back to full fitness, more family time, work and fishing!
Big thanks to all the staff of the cardiology centre at the RSCH. In the nicest way possible, I hope I don’t have to see them again.
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