Fishing - A Dilemma

Surely if the OP is having a moment of "conscience" about whether he should fish or not based on how comfortable he is with doing it, the only decision he can make is to give it up because it's unlikely to go away? The wider philosophical argument over whether fishing is acceptable is, whilst connected, is a much bigger question that no one individual will decide the outcome.

David

A good post DK. As individuals we make choices, based on our beliefs and wants. Doing some wider research, reading, understanding, can help make that individual choice. 

I have spoken to my friend about the ethics and general etiquette of fishing. This is what he said.

He said that sea fishing is legally controlled regarding fish sizes that can be landed and kept. Angling clubs make it a condition of membership that these rules are not broken.   

Shore based sea anglers usually eat what they catch if it meets the legal size requirements, which often it doesn’t. However, they have no control over what species or size of fish they catch. Some species, eg bass, cannot be kept regardless of size at various times of the year and must be returned living to the water. Undersized fish have to be returned to the water with as little damage as possible and they normally swim away without problems. If not, they provide food for other sea creatures which would happen to most of them anyway.

Fresh water sport anglers normally know what they are likely to catch and can often see them in the water. Often these fish are not suitable or big enough for eating but are kept in nets in the water and later released.

Link to the generally accepted Sea fish minimum sizes if anyone is interested.

http://www.anglingaddicts.co.uk/uk-sea-fish-size-limits/

Now I’m older and wiser ,I only go fishing for fish fingers 

I'd like to add to Tinny's post that "good" anglers keep a careful watch on the water and wildlife environment in general and are in reciprocal touch with the EAs. There is feedback about the health of fish stocks and habitats (just like the marine environment is checked.) There's also feedback about illegal fishing, licenses and poaching.

Possibly we're all here thanks to the survival skills of our ancestors in hunting and fishing, we can't have survived on hazelnuts alone. At least we don't push woolly mammoths off the cliffs anymore. Who knows, but fishing skills are probably an asset?

One thing which has always baffled me is this. I need a rod licence to fish on all freshwater venues but those who beach cast or sea fish are exempt. why is this? Surely all anglers should contribute to the protection of the environments and the flora/fauna there in we enjoy.

Maybe it’s because our inland waters are ‘managed’? I really don’t know...

Aren’t freshwater fishing venues owned and managed by individuals, private companies or the likes of water companies? Thus they'd presumably need to charge to cover the costs involved and restrict fishing rights which they do by issuing licences and other means. Rod licences are only needed for some fish.

https://www.theukrules.co.uk/rules/legal/environment/fishing/rod-licence-rules.html

I think the same probably applies to privately owned beaches, jetties and so on in that fees are charged in one form or another to use the facilities. Publicly owned beaches are funded by all of us via our taxes and there is no stock management involved in sea fishing. That’s my take on it.

Thanks Tw, now the next question. Why is it that in the UK those in Scotland have no Rod Licence to pay for fresh, brackish, coastal or the sea? A divided Nation again!

Ah well, that’s beyond my ken🙂