Anglers cry foul over fishing nets

Furious beach anglers have condemned boats from the Hastings fleet for dropping nets inside the marker buoys and trawling too close to the shoreline.

But the Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society says struggling boats are working within the law to catch what they can.

Trouble brewed last Friday, when members of Bexhill Sea Angling club noticed black marker flags being dropped over nets, allegedly within the orange buoys marking a no-go zone for motorised vehicles.

Steve Hanks, committee member of the club, said local anglers were up in arms over the matter.

"He's going to be well aware he shouldn't do it. Anglers aren't bothering to go down because there's nothing left to catch.

"We're all angry because it's not fair. They have got the whole of the sea to fish in and beach anglers can only fish within a restricted area."

A bylaw says fishermen using static netting must be sure the top of the netting is "at least 1.5 metres below the surface of the water at any state of the tide".

But beach anglers claim this is not the first time the rules have been ignored.

One anonymous angler, who lives along Marina, told the Observer: "There's going to be an accident before long. It seems to be happpening quite a bit.

"We have been here five years and it happens two or three times a year. I've been there before out fishing and I have had youngsters bring fish back that they have picked out of a net. In the past, there have been times when you can almost walk out to them."

Belinda Vause, research and fishery officer for Sussex Sea Fisheries (SSF), said an investigation had been launched into the reports, and an SSF officer was in Bexhill on Monday and Tuesday gathering information about the claims. She also said she was aware of previous incidents along Bexhill seafront.

"It's an important bylaw that's there to protect the sea trout and other important freshwater species in the inshore area at this time of the year," she said.

Paul Joy, chairman of the Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society, based on the Stade, Hastings, and co-chair of the national group for small boats, the New Under-Ten Fishing Association (NUTFA), said he was aware of the problem, and that swimmer safety was his priority.

"I've spoken to the boat concerned and he tells me he's using shallow nets, which have enough clearance over them.

"Personally, I don't agree with what he is doing. I'd rather see him outside the ski buoys.

"But I can understand the fishermen. We have had such a disastrous year as far as the quota is concerned. Anglers can take what they like, but we have to throw much of it back.

"It needs to be borne in mind that we don't want any conflict."