Dead Tope, well done boaties !

[Sarge]

My mate Dave, aka Flounderman, in Blackpool, posted the following on worldseafishing.com. It really beggers belief the stupidity of some fishermen. !
"Just been for a walk at Cleveleys, near Anchorsholme Park. Loads of fishermen and loads of tourists out for a stroll in the sun. I could see people looking at something and found 3 tope, all around the 6lb mark beached on the pebbles. We tried to get them back in as they were still alive, but they were too weak and just got washed back in again. While we where wondering what was going on, we got our answer. One of the tractors from the boat angling club came down the promenade and parked up. A small boat came in from offshore, with a guy in a wetsuit sitting on the bow, holding a tope, they landed, handed over the tope to the lads with the tractor and they weighed it. The boat then zoomed off to catch some more, and the tope was put back in the shallows. Not suprisingly, it just got rolled back in. The weighing lads put it back a few time but it just rolled around in the water. It no doubt ended up like the other 3, and this was on a short stretch, below the seawall, where the tide had gone out.
Talk about shooting anglers in the foot, this was witnessed by I don't know how many non fishers, and judging by the comments I heard, there was a lot of anger at these needless deaths. Surely the boats could have at least taken them back off shore before releasing them. At least then the evidence would not have been rolling about at the waters edge. Sorry for the rant but it made me mad !!.

[basscatcher]

That is shocking and I think displays absolute stupidity.

The boat should never move with a live fish onboard and they should be put in a sling and weighed onboard.

I am shocked and amazed what some people will do.

[tobasco]

This is more than innocent stupidity. It's complete contempt for both the fish and for the genuine anglers!! Anglers who are willing to spend their own time and money arguing/fighting the 'anglers' cause at various meetings, consultations, etc. all around the country in an attempt to display the average angler as responsible, caring and conservation minded individuals.
It is because of this sort of thing that the likes of the NFSA, the WFSA, etc. lose my respect as they seem to be the ones that are constantly organising fishing competitions and it is, in my opinion, the competitions and the ego's that go with the 'winning' of such competitions that result in this/these acts of complete negligence and contempt.
There really is no need for it, and its about time people woke up to the fact that angling/fishing is currently, and will ever more increasingly become, in the spotlight as regards to the morality of it all.
Steve

[capnjack]

god i feel sick tope and other species of shark are getting scarcer no bloody wonder

[brockster]

its just pure ignorance capnjack, lack of respect for living things, mindless slaughter.
all based on stupidity and lack of respect of anything other than their own persona !
ref "well done boaties" strereotyping, should read "well done morons" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[castandhope]

hi ya lads that is pure sickening it gives all fishermen a bad name its not fair and these ''so called'' fishermen should be reported cheers fellas

[tobasco]

The problem is that these mindless morons are not actually doing anything wrong or illegal and are under no obligation to do anything towards the well being of the fish that they are catching. Tope need to be protected as they are a very slow going fish and do not breed very often. When they do eventually breed they only ever have one 'pup' at a time, so if you remove and/or kill a fish it will take a very long time for nature to replace.