A few people have been highlighting the benefits freshwater anglers recieve from the licence they have to buy saying that these same benefits could be brought to sea angling if one was introduced, i have to beg to differ, i am afraid it is impossible to compare the two, here's a few points.

1. They do not remove fish from there stock to eat as a whole, sea anglers do.

2. They do not share there fish stock with anyone else, sea anglers do.

3. They purely do it for the sport sea anglers dont.

4. They have bailiffs and compleat control over their waters, sea anglers dont.

5. They have respected org's and national representation and a government bodies working for them eg,EA. sea anglers dont (sorry leon not yet, not my views but others m8 sacn excluded)

etc,etc,etc,

The only thing that may have any grounds is in the case of the weight it may? carry at westminister, and i caution "may"

we dont need a licence to argue or debate or lobby we are already doing that, and i would advise anyone who would use it as some sort of carrot to think again.

Yes i happen to think the freshwater licence is very good value, and if miracles of miracles sea angling proved the same? Then yes i would pay.

I feel money is better spent on those few who do the most at the moment and i have respect for them for doing so. as long as the aims are similar ie, conservation
and the general welfare for sea angling etc, and they could be made acountable, thats where the 24 quid is best spent, and not on ifs buts and maybe's

Oh, you've fallen at the first hurdle my friend, for you seem to be forgetting about all of our fly fishing cousins who take millions of trout, salmon and sea trout home for the pot each year. ANd as I previously mentioned, they have to pay £64+ a year for the privelage...

Anyway, I'll now continue to read your post...

Add your point number 3 to my previous

All of which we could have if we so desired by contributing to the cause...

I shall read on....

[ 23. June 2005, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: JeffB ]

oh my mistake coarse angling silly me.

oh and by the way like i said we can all speak parrot language, you have still not proposed any thing different......

Firstly you should do your homework and you will see that coarse and game fishermen organisations have a very loud voice in Westminster... THe sea angling community is larger then those two put together and would thus have a louder cry...

You're right, we don't need a licence to argue or debate but do certainly need some sort of financial backing and a recognise body to be clearly heard...

ANd lastly, what money are you currently referring to???

And the course anglers have to pay one hell of a premium to catch and release.

And they have to do it with great care.

And what about the NFSA?

I, ammoung others, have said that I feel the proposed sea angling licence is a fantastic way in which to:

A - fund a recognised, nationwide sea angling body which can present our arguments and debates in Westminster...

B - fund the actions that we desire in respect of protecting our remaining fish stocks and setting up sactuaries away from the nets...

C - carefully educate the public as to the need of conservation and sustainability

D - hell, some of the money could even be used to subsidise the commercials loss of earnings and get these fishermen educated so to go and work in other industries...?

I could go on but will simply say that I feel this could be the best way in which we sea anglers can truly find our voice.

Unfortunatly, money talks, just ask any tree hugging activist whether their generally unfunded voice is heard ahead of the destruction of yet more greenbelt land in aid of property developement...

We have the chance to really make a stand and I personally feel this could be a way forward. No other proposed option has grabbed me yet and I therefore see no need to look outside of this option at this time as I am happy with it having seen the continued successes being made within the Coarse and Game angling world...

[ 23. June 2005, 04:40 PM: Message edited by: JeffB ]

I think your ideas about fly fishers catching and killing millions of trout and salmon each year are a bit dated, so before making this type of comment maybe you should do your homework!
Most salmon fishing in the UK is now catch and release, either by law or voluntarily. On the Aberdeenshire Dee last year of the 5000 salmon caught over 90% were released voluntarily.
Most fly fishermen release all sea trout to conserve dwindling stocks.
Most of the fly fishers I know release all wild brown trout
Many of the fly fishers I know release the majority of Rainbow trout (where this is allowed) bearing in mind these have been reared and stocked to be taken.
Game fishing by and large, is at least as responsible with regards to fish conservation as other forms, possibly more so than Sea fishing, so can we please get rid of the outmoded idea of game fishermen slaughtering everything in sight.
(I'm safe saying this because Paul Boote has b***** off to Glastonbury
Regards
Dave Olley