Video posted 3 years ago and I've only just seen it, so a bit late to comment but here goes... It brings back happy memories. Some 20 years ago we decided to try this. The received wisdom was that there were no shrimp on the East Coast, Co Dublin to be precise (fishermen had tried and failed) but with 100 pots from BIM we gave it a go anyway. We were lucky, we found them straight away. Within 2 years we were hauling 600 pots every 2 to 3 days (weather permitting of course; not every day was as calm as the one in your video). My boat,12 metre steel, was perhaps a bit big for delicate plastic shrimp pots),so a light touch when hauling was required, but we managed). We were scrupulous about grading and returning undersize shrimp as we went and managed to keep under the radar from other fishermen for three years. Then word got out, everyone was at it, and fishing collapsed. If it were to be tried again someone else might succeed but I don't know of anyone doing so. We didn't become millionaires but it was a good living from a high value, non intrusive fishery and one that I was pleased to be in. I hope you, Fionn, are still hanging in there.
PS. We used to hate easterly gales balling up the gear; I'm sure you do too. That does not make an interesting YouTube video.
Tis nice and calm waters today but I can imagine on a choppy day being all over the place. I hope those trousers snap off easily if you were to fall in. Happy Fishing!
It brings back happy memories.
Some 20 years ago we decided to try this. The received wisdom was that there were no shrimp on the East Coast, Co Dublin to be precise (fishermen had tried and failed) but with 100 pots from BIM we gave it a go anyway. We were lucky, we found them straight away. Within 2 years we were hauling 600 pots every 2 to 3 days (weather permitting of course; not every day was as calm as the one in your video). My boat,12 metre steel, was perhaps a bit big for delicate plastic shrimp pots),so a light touch when hauling was required, but we managed).
We were scrupulous about grading and returning undersize shrimp as we went and managed to keep under the radar from other fishermen for three years. Then word got out, everyone was at it, and fishing collapsed. If it were to be tried again someone else might succeed but I don't know of anyone doing so.
We didn't become millionaires but it was a good living from a high value, non intrusive fishery and one that I was pleased to be in. I hope you, Fionn, are still hanging in there.
PS. We used to hate easterly gales balling up the gear; I'm sure you do too. That does not make an interesting YouTube video.