When was the last time any of the angling bodies got to meet the minister?

The CA got to meet him today!

How come?

Peter [I am sure you will be first to reply] I would point out I don't particulaly like them either, although CJ is a bl**dy good fly fisherman.

Colin

quote:

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Peter [I am sure you will be first to reply] I would point out I don't particulaly like them either, although CJ is a bl**dy good fly fisherman.

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tee hee he wasnt the first ,theres a minister of fishing

Bu**er!
I'd set that one up for Peter!
Colin

he can be second

Or third! Bet old Jardine, darn good artist too, was laying it on thick about how we must keep fox hunting, just to act as a buffer to angling etc etc etc etc!! He can't have been there just for us!

Or even forth!! I'll quote:-

'The Government (Labour!) and Welsh Assembly Government have issued Statutory Guidence to the Environment Agency to: 'maintain, improve and develop salmonid and freshwater fisheries'.

Amongst other recomendations it requires that the EA 'enhances the social value of fishing as a widely available and healthy form of recreation.'

And as part of that response the EA has consented to over 7,000,000 fish being released into our fisheries between 02 and 03, and nearly 2 million of those were carp!

Seems that someone got to the Minister before Jardine!!

[ 22. September 2004, 08:22 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

In today's Anglers Mail on the cormorant issue photo line up, The A Team as it is called:
Martin Read,Terry Fall,Terry Mansbridge, Bruno Broughton, Martin Salter and... oops, looks like old Charlie wasn't invited.
Still, he's probably still advising the Tories on its Angling Policy, you know - the one cobbled together on the back of a fag packet. I just wonder out of all the Tory Politicians how many actually buy a rod licence, if they cant get the cost right, they sure as hell won't get much else right either.


I quote (from the Tory document)
"Some people have argued that the rod licence is an unfair and bureaucratic tax
on the small proportion of anglers who actually pay it. A full season licence
costs £23.25for non-migratory trout and coarse fish and £62.25 for salmon and
sea trout. Fishing without a licence can incur a fine of £2,500. Of the 4
million anglers in the UK only around 1.1 million are actually paying the rod"
licence. This means that a minority is effectively paying for everyone else to
fish.

As I say, just how many Tories have actually bothered to buy a licence?

[ 22. September 2004, 10:00 PM: Message edited by: wearyone ]

Once again I quote from the EA:-

'A survey in 2001 showed that some 3.9 million people, 9% of the population aged 12 years or over, had fished in the preceding two years.

Sales of licences have exceeded 1 million each year since 1994/95, with a peak of 1.2 in 1997/98. In 2002/3 some 1.18 million people bought rod licences. The difference between licence sales and the survey results is quite understandable (!): a licence is not required for sea angling; there is also a considerable turnover of individual licence holders from one year to the next.'

Bare in mind that the survey covered two years, a licence only one.

Er, no. The CA got to pelt Alan Michael with eggs, and climb on his car, and shout abuse, and claim that the countryside is a no-go area for this Government. He was threatened with being 'hunted' wherever he appears.

Actually, the last time angling met a Government official was last Thursday at the cormorant press launch. I know as I was there!

I speak from a personal perspective only, in case anyone wants to try to make mischief. If you really think that the recent actions of the CA demonstrates that it is an effective, mature, law-abiding group, I am afraid I part company with you.

Blimey, I was one of very few who argued hard that national angling bodies should at least 'jaw, jaw' with the CA, rather than 'war, war'. We did just that, and we rewarded by public bile and ridicule. So be it - at least we anglers tried to be responsible adults.

But the moment the CA chose to claim that it was right to defy an 'unjust' law was the day the dialogue ended.

I have no gripe whatsoever with those who wish to campaign for country people, or those who wish to control foxes by shooting them. But I am offended deeply that this must mean that the countryside is pro-foxhunting, which it is not. Please, I live in the deep countryside and I know! There has been not one peep about the possible closure of my village Post Office, or the 2am ploughing of fields by farmers who coat the roads in 6" of muck and hedge-cut the oak footpath signs to chippings, or release hundreds of almost flighless pheasant and red-legged partridge poults onto the roads, to shoot 'em the next weekend and bury the carcasses because no-one want to eat them.

"Freedom and liberty"? Not for non-hunting villagers, or farm workers, or those who disagree. How DARE the CA claim to represent me because I live in the country. And, do you know what: I am in the majority around here.

The foxes around here are hard-reared and released specifically for hunting. They are so tame that they will approach a human being. Please don't tell me that this is 'vermin control' as that is bo**ocks. Cubbing - a 'necessary evil'? Killing puppy foxes with hounds and calling it sport?.

That 350 perfectly, young healthy fox hounds have been shot by huntsmen in Scotland since the ban there - and the threat that this will happen on a far larger scale in England & Wales - is the end of any personal relationship I had with the CA. 'Keep hunting or the dogs get shot'

Do you REALLY think the general public agrees with that, because I don't.

[ 23. September 2004, 06:44 AM: Message edited by: Bruno Broughton ]

Are you a country lad, Bruno, or do you happen to live in the country? You can hardly moan about farmers ploughing fields at 2am. It's just a guess, but I would wager the famer didn't want to be ploughing his field at 2am, either. Something to do with necessity, I reckon... like getting as much done as possible before next round of bad weather.
I know what you mean about hunting, though. Most country people don't care one way or the other. But most do object to politicians from the city telling them how things should be run... and that's why a lot of non-hunters have sympathised with the hunters.
Incidentally, it's not difficult to get an interview with Alun Michael. Just contact his office and ask. He's very willing to discuss countryside issues.