Israel Fishing Reforms for the Mediterranean
The fishing over the last few years has been getting worse. We are not catching the amount of fish that we did even a couple of years ago.
Talking to some older guys, they tell of times when there were plenty of fish to catch and good sized ones at that!
So what has happened and what is to be done about the situation?
Below is a YouTube video from October 2013 explaining what has been happening in the last few years and suggested solutions on how to reverse the situation. It is a serious lecture on how it affects everyone who has an interest in fishing - from the commercial to the sports fishermen. It is only in Hebrew but its content will probably be more of an interest to local anglers who will obviously understand what is being communicated.
Recently, at the end of last December, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, with the help of other interested parties, succeeded in getting a law passed which will help to ensure that our local fish stocks stabilize and hopefully increase over the coming years.
The summary is as follows:
- a breeding season moratorium on all fishing from June until August
- a trawling ban in April and May in waters shallower than 40 meters (where young fish are found)
- a total ban on destructive bottom trawling using tires or other weights
You can read the full article in English by clicking on the following link 2016 The Year of the Fish or a condensed form in Hebrew using this link: דגים באחריות (Fishing with Responsibility). The Hebrew website also contains a wealth of information that will help you be better informed about what is happening along Israel's Mediterranean coastline. They also have an English version of their main page here.
You can also visit the Hebrew version of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel's 'Sea' section of their website using the following link: החברה להגנה הטבע (Society for the Protection of Nature).
So let's hope that these new regulations will be enforced and that we will start to see a recovery of our fish stocks so that, not only us, but our children as well will be able to enjoy fishing for many years to come.
You can download an application for your Android smartphones to report any infractions of the above regulations:
Sea Watch and you can read about it on the SPNI's website (in English): The new App from SPNI is here to rock the boat.
Practice catch and release and try and encourage those that you fish with to do the same.
By way of an encouraging finish to this blog post have a look at Erez Cohen's YouTube Channel where he has quite a few videos of different styles of fishing in Israel - mostly lure fishing - and all catch and release.
Tight lines!
I have been fishing twice in a lake in Rishon Lezion, and both times men showed up with a net and hauled in several large buckets of fish using their net. They netted all kinds of fish, from small to huge fish...do you know if this is legal? Should I report this? If they keep on doing this, the lake will be depleted of fish severely.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be best to report it to SPNI using their contact page:
ReplyDeleteEnglish - http://www.natureisrael.org/Contact-Us
Hebrew - http://www.teva.org.il/?CategoryID=1531&ArticleID=22&SourceID=1531&sng=1
I'm sure that they would be very glad of your concerns and desire to help protect the nature in Israel.
Nigel