By Press Release
This snippet from the Isle of Wight Observer of 9th February, 1895, shows that fishermen were unhappy with fish catch sizes long before the EU came into being!
FISHERMEN’S MEETING.- A meeting was held at the Town Hall, on Monday afternoon, of the fishermen of the Solent, when about fifty or sixty men were present, for the purpose of considering the decision of the Southern Fishery Board as to the size of fish. Mr Fellows, C.C., was in the chair. A long discussion took place as to the size of oysters, which the board has fixed at 2½ inches, and the unanimous opinion of the fishermen was that the standard should be reduced to 2 inches. The size of fish was also discussed. The standard fixed were soles, brill, and turbot 10 inches each, and flatfish 8 inches, and the opinion of the fishermen was that soles and brill should be reduced to 8 inches, turbot to 9 inches, and flatfish to 7 inches, and the meeting requested the Chairman to present their opinion at the next meeting of the Fishery Board, and also to take the necessary steps with the Board of Trade to oppose the bye-laws recently passed by the Fishery Board. The meeting closed with three cheers for the Chairman instead of the usual vote of thanks.
