At the recent meeting of the BRFC chaired by Mr Ken Ball, and attended by Ian Epps, National Federation of Anglers; Marsh Pratley, Phil Smith: Specialists Anglers Alliance, Chris Clark, National Federation of Sea Anglers,  Oliver Crimmen of the Natural History Museum, Scientific Advisor to the BRFC, the Secretary David Rowe, the following records listed were ratified and decisions made. In attendance as a guest was Mr Len Le Page the Secretary of the Guernsey Record Fish Committee with whom the committee has worked for many years.

Species                  Weight                      Captor                 Date Caught & Location       Previous Record.

Coarse Fish           21lbs 0 oz                Mr  Graham           09 Nov-05                            19lbs 6oz 8drms

Barbel                                                   King                      Adams Mill, River Ouse

(Barbus barbus)

Coarse Fish           20lbs 14oz 8drms    Mr  Graham           22-Oct-05                             19lbs 6oz 8drms

Barbel – Interim                                     King                      Adams Mill, River Ouse

(Barbus barbus)

Coarse Fish           64lbs 14oz.              Mr Simon              23-Oct-05                              64lbs 5oz

Carp – Mirror                                         Bater                     Colingwood lake, Ashford,

(Cyprinus carpio)                                                                Kent

Coarse Fish           5lbs 15oz                 Mr Les                  17-Feb-06                              5lbs 9oz

Perch                                                    Brown                   Stillwater @ Crowbrough,

(Perca fluviatilis)                                                                 Sussex

Coarse Fish           4lbs 4oz                  Mr Keith                25-Mar-06                              4lbs 3oz

Roach                                                   Berry                     Northern Ireland Stillwater

(Rutilus rutilus)

Coarse Fish           13 grms                   Mr Geoffery          01-Nov-05                              New Record

Stone Loach                                         Green                    Windmill Fishery

(Barbatula barbatula)

Sea Fish – Boat      2lbs 14oz 10oz.       Mr George             04-Oct-05                               2lb 13oz 11drm

Gurnard – Red                                       Shields                 Porthleven, Cornwall

(Eutrigla gurnargus)

Sea Fish – Shore    1lb 7ozs 4 drms       Mr Simon              12-Aug-03                               1lb  2oz

Bream  – White Sea                               Gavey                   Jersey

(Diplodus sargus)

In addition the following decisions were made :-

1/  To change the procedure which requests the claimant to provide the precise location of capture, to providing the general area of capture.  This has been done to protect the location of capture from unwelcome pressure.

2/   To accept other new species to the coarse list,  provided that they are agreed as an indigenous species:

3/  The members received the report from the freshwater fish sub-group on using DNA as a method of identifying certain species and were very positive about the value that DNA testing could add to the validity of coarse fish records. The process of carrying out investigations to assess the viability of taking mucus swabs from the flanks of fish was progressing and the Freshwater Group would meet again as soon as the results were available. Concerns were also raised about asking the public to remove a part of a fish for DNA Testing.

The members agreed not to accept or promote any procedure that resulted in dead coarse fish or scales of coarse fish being accepted for recognition of a claim and consider it unacceptable.