Fishing 2011 is the UK’s flagship annual fishing event and the emphasis on fishing gear will highlight the international fishing industry’s determination to reduce discards. Whilst this will ultimately only be achieved by major changes in the way that fisheries managed and regulated, fishermen can play their part by using different trawl configurations or types of fishing gear.
As part of this new initiative, Fishing 2011 organiser QD Events has brought in experienced north-east of Scotland skipper David Moir to help manage the event and deliver new initiatives that will prove attractive to visiting fishermen.
Moir said: ““I have attended the fishing exhibition annually for about 20 years, both as a visitor and an exhibitor, which has given me an excellent perspective on the requirements for delivering a successful show,” he said.
“One area that we are really going to focus on is fishing gear and the ways of reducing discards. In the UK there has been huge publicity for the problem through the recent ‘Fish Fight’ series of TV programmes.
“What came through in these programmes was that discarding was not the fault of fishermen, but rather the consequence of the inflexible rules that fishermen endure. Fishermen don’t want to discard fish and this is well illustrated in the number of conservation initiatives that UK fishermen have spearheaded in recent years, including real-time fishing closures and trials on catch quotas.
“The efforts of fishermen have also included using more selective types of fishing gear and this is why we have decided to make this a significant focus of Fishing 2011.”
A major part of this emphasis will revolve around an interactive large-screen video display that will beam live images from the exhibition hall from one of the few remaining flume tanks in the world at Hirtshals, Denmark. Since the demise of the Seafish flume tank in Hull several years ago, UK and Irish fishermen have been denied access to such a facility right on their doorstep.
But now this new video display at the Fishing 2011 Expo will give skippers a first hand opportunity to test different types of fishing gear and configurations in real-life simulated underwater conditions. Respected gear technologist, Mike Montgomerie of Seafish, will host these interactive sessions.
Moir says: “The whole issue of discards is really in the spotlight just now and it is probably the one single issue that fishermen complain about more than anything else.
“This innovative use of technology linking the Fishing 2011 exhibition hall with the SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture Flume Tank in Hirtshals will enable fishermen to troubleshoot with commonly used types of fishing gears, including if desired, looking at ways to rig the trawls so as be more selective and more efficient for aiming at target species. In essence, we will be offering a series of fishing gear workshops where fishermen can request alterations to fishing gear so as to see how it performs in a realistic underwater environment.”
The displays will be split into a number of sessions with each one focusing on different gear types such as single and twin-rig and pelagic trawls.
Meanwhile, Fishing 2011 will host its usual vast array of exhibition stands ranging from marine electronics, propulsion, under-10m boats, trawl doors and other fishing equipment.
Fran McIntyre, managing director of Fishing 2011, said: ““The Fishing series of exhibitions has developed an incredibly strong reputation over the years by showcasing the latest developments and innovation within the industry. Fishing 2011 intends to build upon these firm foundations by offering another dynamic expo that will prove attractive to visiting fishermen.”
Fishing 2011 will be staged from 24-26 March at the SECC in Glasgow. More details on the show and how to register at www.fishingexpo.co.uk.
