Question For Ian

[Coster]

Ian, although this isn't a post about carp fishing I thought it would be an appropriate place to put this.

I read in the Anglers Mail this week about a situation regarding catfish in this country, being that if they are caught then the anglers or fishery owners must not return them but kill them, or face prosecution.

I am really after a bit more information on this.
Does it refer to fisheries close to national waterways or will it include all commercial fisheries?
What will you do about the present catfish at RMC venues?

As you were quoted in the Mail I thought you were the best person to ask.

Does anyone else have any views on this?

[BLANKSTER]

I think that it would be completely impossible to enforce and also in my view a great shame. I can understand the environment agencies concerns with regard to cats spreading to our waterways and deplenishing the coarse fish stocks , but i also feel that it would be a great shame to have to kill these magnificent creatures.

I think providing the cats are in a contained water ie a water with no outflow to our waterway system this should not cause any problems , but if the lakes are a feeder to any of our rivers i think the cats should be relocated to somewhere more appropriate. This is impossible though due to fishery owners who have invested in the fish to start with.

I rememeber this subject came up a few years ago on a water local to me in West Sussex. The fishery owner was told he had to kill all cats that were caught , but even today the cats are still in there and on the verge of exceeding the British record (hmmmm).

[Coster]

I know th elake i n question and I fished there a great deal a few years ago, unfortunatley not for cats though. I think a loop hole was found that meant the cats could stay.

However, it could be enforced, especially with all the publications and sites on the net that are around.

[scorpio]

Ian, As a fishery manager can't you apply to adopt the cats? As long as they are screened for disease etc. Why should they be killed? It's not their fault they are in unlicensed waters, it seems a shame to see them killed.

Tony

[Coster]

So how does this licence work. Do you licence the fishery with legal fish or os ot the fish them selves that are licenced.
If not maybe this could be a way of keeping a track on illegally imported fish, both carp and cats.

[jimshelley]

hi ian,
this must be doing your head in because its doing mine in.dont know how you keep answering it this stuff.
cheers
jim shelley
keeping it british.