Earlier this year, Deputy Steve Luce announced strict new measures to protect the dwindling stocks of the fish in Jersey’s waters, including the restriction to just 12 local fishing businesses allowed to catch it, using a hook and line, and said they must sell it on to local shops and restaurants.
He also ordered that recreational fishermen release any bass that they catch back into the sea.
Now the Environment Department has launched a tagging scheme so that bass caught by the 12 licensed vessels will be easily identifiable to restaurant customers.
Tamperproof tags are due to be clipped through the mouth and gills of the bass and will identify the boat that caught them.
Shops and restaurants supporting the scheme will be able to display a Genuine Jersey logo on their menus showing consumers that the fish for sale comes from one of the 12 businesses.
Deputy Luce said: ‘Identifying local, sustainable bass sold and served in Jersey has been a long-standing wish of mine and I’m delighted we’ve been able to work together to make it happen.
‘It means people can be assured that if they choose Genuine Jersey bass, it’s come from local waters, caught by a local boat and is part of a range of measures designed to protect our fish stocks.’
Despite previously criticising the tough restrictions on bass fishing, Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson also praised the new initiative.
‘This is a great scheme – it promotes a superb local fish caught by dedicated fishermen in the best possible way,’ he said.
‘It’s important that the efforts of the fleet to conserve the stock are recognised and we hope the public will get behind the product and choose local, line-caught bass.
‘These fish are being caught on small, owner-operated, inshore boats from harbours around the Island and it’s great to be able to offer this premium product.’
Genuine Jersey chief executive John Garton added that he hoped that Islanders would make the ‘ethical choice’ of choosing the sustainably-sourced fish when they dine out.
The Environment Department said that fishermen are now also assisting in the conservation of stocks by gathering data on bass catches on a weekly basis. The department hopes to use the information to track fish numbers to help it to decide how best to manage the stock in future years.
