A la recherche du temps perdu

[elephantseal]

Let's get some old calmac ferries and scuttle them off Inish to make reefs. The little fishes should be munching on frozen macaroni cheese and steak pie for years to come

[spiderman]

Better making 'em into Hebridean Princesses - higher class of munchin'!

[MA1BOB]

I must confess that I am not knowledgable about what types of fish can be caught off the coast of Seil. That being said though, it would be interesting to see a small fishing fleet based out of the area. This would provide jobs not only for the fishermen but processing facilities and other anicillary services. Just my thoughts. Milage may vary.

Cheers

Bob

[NickB]

Actually Bob there IS a small fishing fleet fishing out of the area, mostly prawns, crabs, lobsters - very specifically targeted (ie no undesireable by-catch), very environmentally sound, as a previous correspondent has pointed out.

What Spidey was maybe thinking of is the odd scallop dredger that also works in local waters. These guys DO make a mess of the seabed. They are (understandably) very touchy about it though and tend to deny any detrimental environmental effects. A more inspired legislature might offer grants to help them make the transition to more sustainable types of fishing.

- Nick

[MA1BOB]

My wife and I were just discussing that the best mussels and scallops we ever had were in a restraunt in Oban. I do so miss the seafood from Scotland. That and we can't get a decent pint here in the States.

I just got finished reading the Oban Times on-line. I see that housing prices are still outrageous. Someday they may go back down to reasonable status and we can move. But until then I will have to survive on memories.

Cheers

Bob

[spiderman]

Yes, Nick, my main concern is about the dredgers - but also about having too many high-density salmon farms too close to shore. Plus I have real doubts that the creel fishing centred on Balvicar leaves a sustainable local population of prawns. Folk will talk but time will tell....

[harbourseal]

So that's your agenda spidee!

To paraphrase that well known Scottish poet ( NO - Not C John) 'Oh what a tangled web you weave'

You basically don't want anyone making a living from fishing or aquaculture.

Suppose you see the sea as your own personal playground for pottering about in your yacht ...........or perhaps tearing through in your super fast RIB in the supposed name of Eco tourism - chasing and scaring whales and dolphins and leaving a carbon foot print the size of concorde.

Sustainability is the key - so lay off creel fishing...... And get your facts right - whilst you were contemplating you online navel the Scottish Exec announced a Scallop dredging ban in the Firth of Lorn two days ago.

If you want a debate - do youself a favour and arm yourself with the facts first.

[spiderman]

As most folk know but you may have briefly forgotten when you wrote your last message, Seally, the bite of a genetically altered spider granted me incredible powers, including strength, great knowledge, sixth sense, and the ability to travel anywhere by web. Thus by definition and contrary to your accusations, I know everything about fishing and the sea and of course I travel with no carbon footprint at all. As an aside, I happen to share your dislike of RIBS and similar fast noisy boats and I've never scared a whale or dolphin in my life!

Actually, after Uncle Ben died, I vowed to use Spiderman's special powers to protect my fellow man but, on quiet days like these have been, I like to extend this protection to mans' environment. As such, I have no agenda at all against fishermen or fish-farmers other than that they do their work responsibly and sustainably. We have already lost much of the world's shallow water fish biomass and biodiversity through thoughtless and greedy overfishing - let's try at least to leave Seil's coastal waters alive and healthy. Of course creel and hand-dive fishing are the optimal so long as they are not too intensive in any one small area.

Anyway, as it happens, the quiet days are over and I'm off now to New York City as I've had an urgent message from Black Cat that The Kingpin is running riot there and so I must rescue Mary Jane and the good folks of The Big Apple. So, Harbourseal, I leave you in love and peace. KA-THOOM!

[wasseventhseil]

Fishfarming,scallop dreging lets just stop any form of year round occupation for the local population, untill you can come up with a VIABLE and less envromentally damaging way of keeping employment than these shut up! What a world, Bussing OAP's to shops selling tiawanese made tat= good, while landing A grade produce to people who appreciate it via localy based agents= bad. Geez a break spidey.

[NickB]

. . . to hear about the dredging ban - that sort of thing doesn't tend to get into the Tenerife edition of the Daily Mail.

I hope the dredgers are being offered reasonable compensation though.

Honestly 7th, I don't believe Scandinavian fish farming companies are the answer to Argyll's unemployment problem - and neither do you really, do you? Locally owned shellfish enterprises seem to me to be a more enterprising and environmentally sound idea.

Local creel fishing also provides decent employment for quite a few people - long may it continue.

The idea that all fishing is good and all controls bad is a misguided and dangerous one . . . but conversly the idea that all commercial fishing is bad is just plain stupid, and I am sure that is not what the webbed wonder meant.

- Nick

[wasseventhseil]

One wonders why the Norwegians own our salmon industry, some say its because they can charge more for Scottish salmon than thier home grown variety. Although if this is the case why couldnt scottish intrests do well at it? Probably a lack of intrest from most of Scotland as it doesnt increase the price of property or employ townies.
Salmon farming provides year round reosonably paid employment as does scallop dreging, both may be locally enviromentally unpopular but tourism is as about as enviromentally freindly as physically melting the ice caps by hand.

[wasseventhseil]

must apologize for my terrible spelling......shocking,disgraceful!