There for the taking !

[Frederick]

Yesterday I was talking to a guy who is active in the club fishing world. He was explaining that there is now a need to post notices in various languages at  UK lakes to educate our newly arrived East European citizens and  stop them taking the fish. It would appear that  some think that the fish are there for the taking and the idea of stocking the lakes for angling by clubs they dont understand..Big carp are eaten in their home countries and netting and  spearing  with scuba gear are being used in the lakes. Swans have also been taken  for the pot ....This got me thinking....  so Chris.....please tell me ....the few swans I have seen in my local area of the Marais Poitevin  are just because  most are elsewhare , they are protected in France are they not ? .     

[chris pp]

Mute swans (Cygne Tubeculé),  Frederick, are protected in France, and although the population is stable, they are not nearly as common as you move south, so you are right about the Marais Poitevin, relatively small numbers down the west coast.. The UK and north east Europe have the largest breeding populations, bolstered in winter by those which move from further north, so some migrate and some are sedentary, and as we saw back in the earlier part of this year, when winter conditions are extremely hard to the east, they will also move in a westerly direction.

They are vulnerable to the use of lead shot, which they can ingest, hopefully this has now come to an end.

I've not heard that there is any illegal killing in France, not to any extent anyway.

Cheers; Chris

 

[Frederick]

Thank you  Chris.........pleased to know they are protected ...

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Frederick"]

Yesterday I was talking to a guy who is active in the club fishing

world. He was explaining that there is now a need to post notices in

various languages at  UK lakes to educate our newly arrived East

European citizens and  stop them taking the fish. It would

appear that  some think that the fish are there for the taking and

the idea of stocking the lakes for angling by clubs they dont

understand..Big carp are eaten in their home countries and netting

and  spearing  with scuba gear are being used in the

lakes. 

[/quote]

Hmmm...perhaps it is the clubs that need educating. Here is a

tremendous business opportunity! It's not as though the farming of carp

and tench are anything new - the monasteries did it right up until

Henry VIII decided to get rid of them. Surely it would make sense to

stock some ponds up with the intention of people being allowed

to take the fish home for the pot. Some might argue that this is a far

more sensible idea in the first place. Charge them a fee for the

privilage and add a restaurant for a true family day out. Much better

than Alton Towers!

Are they doing anything unlawful in taking coarse fish for the pot, provided that the fish don't come from private waters?

[Frederick]

Jon.........I would not suggest that there is nothing wrong in taking the fish at an angling club meeting .......not if you want to get out alive !! 

Perhaps if we get enough Poles  keen enough to buy farmed carp then yes there is a business opportunity.....but at the moment the sight of  Stanislav  in the local carp lake in his face mask and flippers spear gun in hand makes club anglers blood boil .