Angling Trust Calls For Cull Of Otters Eating Too Much Fish

[Anderoo]

And how many anglers does the Angling Trust represent?

 

Excactly Steve - I can tell you that they damn sure don't represent me. If I can only have a say if I pay my £20, they can only represent me if I pay my £20.

 

We HAVE to care what the public think. They will decide our future. Not us, not 'antis' (whoever they are, mythical creatures), but the public - that lot of normal people out there. If you want to see how a bunch of people can get outraged at something that doesn't affect them and they know little about, have a peek in the non-fishing forum

 

I don't understand why people don't see it that way? If we want to play media and politics with the big boys we'd better get a lot better at it, because I fear we're not only going to get beaten, but humiliated.

 

Step back a bit, go into neutral and try to read these headlines like a middle Englander. Not good, is it?

[Sportsman]

Interesting comment which relates to the C&R debate.

 

"Fishing for anything other than food production is simple torture, just like killing or trapping any other animal for entertainment."

 

That is what that particular member of the public feels. I wonder how many there are just like him.

 

Might I suggest that anyone who feels strongly about this sends an appropriate email to admin@anglingtrust.net to point out that they don't represent you.

Dont expect an answer though

Edited February 3, 2010 by Sportsman

[Worms]

I'm going to give the AT the benefit of the doubt .......unless proved otherwise. As Elton says, there is no call for otter culling by the AT, yet, and I think that some creative 'journalism' has produced a headline that will change a lot of people's views. None of which will be good for angling. This was their last view on otters, again, published in the Times.

 

Combine that with C&R and as Sportsman pointed out, the comment on the 'cruelty of such a practice we could be in for a bad time.

 

Alternatively, this could be a springboard off which a lot of people have to bounce, higher and higher, to get their viewpoint seen. Let's hope the AT get a glimpse of the big picture over the bouncing heads of furious Jeremy and Jemima Public.

 

Whether the different 'journalist' or a different AT spokesman are to blame for this potential disaster I don't know but surely not even the AT can be that stupid?.....Can they?

 

Who is chris burt?

[arbocop]

Rather worrying headline!!!

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/envi...icle7012716.ece

 

 

We may as well sell all our tackle now while it still has a good resale value, and panic buy tickets to Scotland and Ireland.

 

Perhaps the hidden function of the angling trust is to cause such as fuss that angling is the next ban, only then government can say it was as part of a consultation, and it was brought on by our selfish self centred obsession with water bodies so stuffed with fish that nobody ever blanks and all other forms of life are ousted.

 

Can't we all get together and do something about these idiots? Can't we start with a poll of how many people genuinely believe that with a total poulation of around 4000 (or so I'm led to believe), there can't be case for an otter cull. It's madness. Is it just me or is hte acronym AT also the acronym for a rubbish angling paper that seems to dwell upon sensationalism? Coincidence?

 

This is really making me bloody angry. Mr Salter is a local MP (not mine but the next constituency) I'm going to call him.

[Steve Coppolo]

I'm going to give the AT the benefit of the doubt .......unless proved otherwise. As Elton says, there is no call for otter culling by the AT, yet, and I think that some creative 'journalism' has produced a headline that will change a lot of people's views. None of which will be good for angling. This was their last view on otters, again, published in the Times.

 

Combine that with C&R and as Sportsman pointed out, the comment on the 'cruelty of such a practice we could be in for a bad time.

 

Alternatively, this could be a springboard off which a lot of people have to bounce, higher and higher, to get their viewpoint seen. Let's hope the AT get a glimpse of the big picture over the bouncing heads of furious Jeremy and Jemima Public.

 

Whether the different 'journalist' or a different AT spokesman are to blame for this potential disaster I don't know but surely not even the AT can be that stupid?.....Can they?

 

Who is chris burt?

 

The article in your post is a good article. Don't know what's changed since that one apeared. Maybe it all comes down to which person from the Angling Trust the press speak to? It does seem that some of those involved with the AT have a mind of their own when speaking on its behalf.

[Elton]

Here's a previous statement from the AT, where they clearly state:

 

Calling for a cull of otters would be political suicide and would create an army of enemies of angling.

 

I'd really like some clarification on that Times article, as the headline doesn't actually seem to reflect the body of the piece.

[Steve Walker]

There is a denial from the AT - but it's in the article's comments section!!!

 

Oh boy, pay up your twenty quid, we have some real media influence here...

[arbocop]

Here's a previous statement from the AT, where they clearly state:

 

 

 

I'd really like some clarification on that Times article, as the headline doesn't actually seem to reflect the body of the piece.

 

 

That's because the press like sensationalism, they want to be the first to state everthing and if this then means that it creates a public fuss so much the better. The press do this with everything - climate change, child molesters everything.

 

It seems to me that the AT do not have a press officer, and if they do they need to be given a reminder that the entire purpose of their job and existence is to ensure that they don't lose total editorial control for these articles.

 

We need to stop this now, or it really will get out of hand. Don't discuss otter culling on any on line forum anywhere.

 

Elton - please try to keep the otter cull 'noise' down on this forum. I am very worried that a quick google search will cull us not the otters. Even if it means changing the titles of entries.

 

This is now in The Times - this is very, very, serious.

[Sportsman]

I sent an email to AT today and fairplay, I have had this response from Mike Heylin:

 

Quote

 

David

 

I have just finished writing a letter to the Editor of the Times about the story published today. The Trust has not called for a cull of otters and the story is wrong.

 

 

The Editor

The Times

 

 

Sir

 

On February 3rd you published a story under the headline ?Angling Trust calls for cull of otters eating too much fish? in the paper and on your website.

 

The Angling Trust has not and will not call for a cull of otters and your journalist should have checked his facts with the Trust before writing or publishing the story. Chris Burt is a member of the Trust but not a spokesman as any journalist who did even the most basic research would have discovered.

 

Angling Trust is working with Natural England, the Environment Agency and many other conservation groups to ensure that our rivers are fit enough to support healthy populations of both otters and fish. This story is very damaging to the Trust, its members and its partnerships with conservation bodies throughout England. I expect you to publish a retraction of the story in a prominent position in both the paper and the website.

 

You might suggest to Simon de Bruxelles that in future he check with Angling Trust the facts behind any story he might consider writing about it in the future. He might even visit our website at www.anglingtrust.net to discover just how much work we are doing to improve the nations rivers for native wildlife.

 

Yours faithfully ENDS.....

 

 

This was picked up by a "journalist" who did not check his facts, made no contact with AT and wrote a story different to that on the newswires. The story originated with Mark Simmonds and although a member of AT is quoted, he does not acall for a cull and he is not a spokesman for Angling Trust. Just goes to show you cannot believe all you read in the papers.

 

Thanks for your views which correlate with ours.

 

Mike

Edited February 3, 2010 by Sportsman

[Anderoo]

This is now in The Times - this is very, very, serious.

 

You're not kidding.

 

All those who think that otters will spell the end of fishing in this country may well be right, but it won't be because they eat all the fish.

 

What's the AT playing at? This whole mess would be so much better if they weren't here to 'represent' us.

 

Making angling more visible, in its current, difficult to justify state, is madness - unless you're very, very good at PR and politics.