My Initial thoughts are that this is brilliant news. Its would be one more species safe from commercial exploitation, safe from the greed that seems inherent amongst commercial fishermen.
The consultation offers 3 proposals
- Do nothing;
- Only allow fishing for tope by rod and line but prohibit the retention, transhipment and landing of tope caught by any method;
- Prohibit all fishing for, retention on board, transhipment and landing of tope.
This is the email I recieved from DEFRA. If anyone reading this has any thoughts on the issue please feel free to make contact either through the comments section of this blog or via the whitby sea anglers fishing club email address which you can find at www.whitbyseaanglers.co.uk.
27 July 2006
Dear Consultee
Consultation on managing the exploitation of tope
I am writing to consult you on proposals aimed at preventing the development of a targeted commercial fishery for tope in order to protect tope stocks.
Tope are large coastal sharks that can live for over 50 years. They do not mature until around 12 years old and then produce a relatively low number of pups (20 every 2-3 years) compared with other marine species, so there are vulnerable to fishing pressure. It is therefore likely that a targeted fishery would be unsustainable.
At present there is no targeted fishery, but tope are caught as bycatch. Last year we received reports that a commercial fishing operation for tope in British waters was being considered and although this did not materialise the UK Fisheries Minister, Ben Bradshaw, considers we should consult on measures to prevent the unsustainable exploitation of tope in the future on the basis of the precautionary approach.
The enclosed combined consultation paper and partial regulatory impact assessment sets out three possible options:
1) do nothing;
2) only allow fishing for tope by rod and line but prohibit the retention, transhipment and landing of tope caught by any method;
3) prohibit all fishing for, retention on board, transhipment and landing of tope.
Recreational sea anglers fishing from the shore will not be affected by these measures.
Within the consultation document we also ask specific questions (in bold) about commercial fishing operations and recreational sea anglers and the benefits of tope to each sector to try to better assess the affects of the proposals.
The consultation documents and full list of consultees can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/current.htm
We welcome your comments on the proposals and also ask that you provide as much information as possible on the impacts of the proposals, both positive and negative, to you and your business. Please send your comments in writing to Patrick Cotter at the address on this letter or e-mail them to: tope@DEFRA.GSI.GOV.UK by Friday 20th October.
In line with Defra's policy of openness, at the end of the consultation period copies of the responses we receive may be made publicly available through the Defra Information Resource Centre, Lower Ground Floor, Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AL. The information they contain may also be published in a summary of responses. If you do not consent to this, you must clearly request that your response be treated confidentially. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system in e-mail responses will not be treated as such a request. You should also be aware that there may be circumstances in which Defra will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations.
The Information Resource Centre will supply copies of consultation responses to personal callers or in response to telephone or e-mail requests (tel: 020 7238 6575, e-mail: defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk). Wherever possible, personal callers should give the library at least 24 hours' notice of their requirements. An administrative charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage costs.
If you have any complaints about the way in which the consultation process has been run, you should direct them to Liz Ambekar, Defra’s Consultation Co-ordinator, Area 7C Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
Yours faithfully
G. Karlsson
Mrs Georgina Karlsson
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