All about that bass

Monday 01 October 2018

Local fisherman who are ‘all about that bass’ will have reason to celebrate, after finally being allowed to catch the valuable ocean dwellers once again.

The Environment Minister today removed the ‘zero bag limit’ on foodie favourite European seabass that had been in force since April 2017.

It came after data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas suggested that numbers had fallen too low, putting bass breeding at risk.

Anglers were able to target the fish on a ‘catch and release’ basis, but taking them home was strictly off the cards.

But now, a year-and-a-half later, stocks are said to be “in recovery”, meaning that both rod anglers and spear fishers are free to fish them again – but only one per day.

The slight policy change was based on further findings from ICES released last month showing that recreational fishing posed a lesser risk to the species than initially thought. Survival rates from bass caught and later released were also higher than expected.

Despite the positive news, the fish, which are usually targeted for their commercial value, are still said to be vulnerable. They grow slowly, only reaching sexual maturity at between 42 and 52cm, making them particularly susceptible to overfishing.

Since lifting the ‘zero bag limit’, the Environment Minister, Deputy John Young has since urged local anglers to pay attention to the code of best practice for bass fishing in order to conserve existing species:

• Handle fish with care and return them to the water as quickly as possible
• Use circular, non-barbed hooks
• Hold the fish under the belly and base of the tail rather than by the gills or mouth
• Wear gloves when handling a fish and touch it as little as possible
• When returning a fish to the water, hold the fish in the flow of the water for a few seconds to allow it to re-oxygenate.
• Only keep fish that are 45cm to 65cm long.

Record the number of bass caught (using recording forms available from fishing shops and angling clubs)