THE Angling Trust has written to UK fisheries minister George Eustice, calling on him to introduce a series of conservation measures to protect UK bass stocks. The call comes in the face of the latest scientific advice from the international council for the exploration of the seas (ices), which has recommended a staggering 80 per cent cut in catches in order to protect the future of the species. Sea bass grow slowly, do not mature until four-seven years of age and have been recorded up to 28 years of age. Juvenile bass up to three years of age occupy nursery areas in estuaries, while adults undertake seasonal migrations from inshore habitats to offshore spawning sites. After spawning, sea bass tend to return to the same coastal sites each year. The combination of slow growth, late maturity, spawning aggregation and strong site fidelity increases the vulnerability of sea bass to over-exploitation.
