Key Points from the BASS Presentation

[charlieannear]

I was recently one of a handful of members to attend a presentation on the Bass MLS (Minimum Landing Size) at the North Haven yacht Club (nice clubhouse!). It was a very interesting presentation by Nigel Horsman, and here are some of the main facts about Bass and key points from evening...

 

-Bass can live for 30 years and are slow growing

-A 10lb Bass is around 15 years old

-A 42cm Bass is around 6-7 years old, and at that level of maturity they grow at a rate of 6-7cm per year

-A 42cm/6-7 year old Bass will have just reached the level of maturity required to spawn/breed

-The current MLS for Bass is 36cm

 

This shows that the current MLS allows the retention of Bass which have not had the chance to breed

 

-A 42cm Bass will have reached the level of maturity required to spawn and will grow 6-7cm in a year, meaning that a 48cm Bass will have experienced 1 breeding season.

-Like many species, the first time they breed, they aren't very good!

-Therefore a 54cm Bass will have had 2 breeding seasons- 1 practice and 1 good one

 

Records of Bass spawnings in the last 20 years show that there have only been 2 'good' years: 1989 & 1997

 

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive aims for good environmental status by 2020. one of the measures of success is:

"Characterised by a high proportion of old, large individuals."

 

Catches of Bass- Economics

Commercial

-No quota protection for Bass

<1% of Commercial landings are Bass

<400 Commercial boats land more than