dantheman
Bah humbug
Death of seabirds in microfilament nets: There are moves afoot to try to get information on the status there regarding by-catch. If there are no bye-laws to restrict this action then ideally we want to get the fishermen to stop this voluntarily and immediately. The alternative is to enact a bye-law as was done in St Ives following a similar occurrence last winter. What is needed is more information. Is this happening frequently? Just involving one boat? etc etc. Is it possible for one or two of the regular Falmouth Bay birders to make notes and observations for the record?
I haven't noticed fishing activity like this in the bay before - probably a number of factors, I'd assume mainly because it doesn't happen much, or nets are cleared early or its happening much further out. I don't think its a main fishing area, close in.
With the continuing bad weather the last few weeks, and a large flock of birds close inshore, a calm day arrived and nets were laid out at some time close inshore, and were still out well after daybreak, when the feeding flock was then active. The person who witnessed it was pretty convinced they'd laid the nets out there because of the presence of the birds, and that they were grossly irresponsible in doing so.
Will certainly be trying to keep an eye out from now on.
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