Beach Fishermen conflict

That's the spirit, sodthelotofem swat i say

Since we are having "a go" at fishermen. We no longer lock the toilets in our boat park as the fishermen, who seem to fish day and night, will kick the doors in. This is particularly annoying in the winter as there is no water on and no flush. Mind you they seem to miss most times so the flush is not a problem! Their 24 hour presence has however one advantage. We never seem to get any vandalisim. Wish I had never said that, as I speak someone is probably burning the Tasar. By the way I am allowed to rant a lot as I am 61.

i missed this thread but im going to add my opinion now:

at my club we start from one of two start lines set off the shore from the club house. we have two posts offshore marking the ends of these lines and a transit on the club house. the fisherman tend to cast their lines straight down our start line or very near to it. this as you can imagine causes problems. what we do to solve this problem is before the race starts the race officer willl/any flag officer around will go down to the fisherman outside the club and politely explain to the fisherman that in the next half an hour there are going to be lots of boats milling around here and your lines are probably going to get taken out by a dagger board if you continue to fish here so would you very kindly just move round to the other side of the haven for a while as it would be in eveyones best interests. this tactic normally works very well but occaisonaly we get some pillocks who keep on fishing or occaisonally the race officer doesnt go and speak to the fisherman. in these circumstances; as i tend to be one of the first boats out, i go over to the fisherman before and try to explain again and then they tend to move during the start. if they dont they risk their lines on about 10 laser daggerboards several mirror daggerboards and any other boats that are out.

there have of course been a few incidents, but they tend to be resolved without too much hassel. most fisherman are really reasonable people.

 Thanks for your responses, an interesting divide of opinions. It seems there are those that fish and those that don't, not a fisherman myself. I guess the problem will only be resolved by clear communication between the sports.......

Originally posted by Medway Maniac I don't recall asking for fishing to be banned, though it's true that I do disapprove of it. As for foxhunting, that's just a question of getting the law right, but given that foxhunters are often the law-makers that might prove to be a long job. But we digress. I guess I'm just explaining why I don't feel guilty if I happen to take out people's lines, just as Turnturtle apparently wouldn't feel guilty smoking in the company of non-smokers in a pub. I wouldn't deliberately take out lines though, and give small commercial fishermen a decent space - like someone said, it's their living (till the stocks run out! - no, please don't take us off at that tangent, anybody!)

It seems to me that suggests that a person fishing shouldn't feel guilty if they acidentaly cast there line in such a way so that the hook becomes inbeded in a sailor because they dont approve of sailing and the nasty chemicals used to make your boat.

I am not pro fishing althought I have been known to trail a line whilest crusing but I am pro the peoples right to do that which has limited negative effects on others.