New Coarse Fishing Byelaws Coming Into Force

[Anglers' Net]

Environment Agency News Release

 

Click here to view the full article

[barry luxton]

Below is the guys brief, amazingly he has had time already to sign off a un-neccersary piece of legislation, just like the labour stormtoopers before him.

 

Richard Benyon, full responsibilities are: Natural environment, Ecosystem services, Biodiversity, National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, wildlife, JNCC, Flooding and water (including Nitrates), Inland waterways (including British Waterways), Land management (including commons and contaminated land) and soil, Rural Affairs, Coastal erosion, Marine and Coastal Access Act implementation, Marine Management Organisation, Coastal and wider access, countryside and rights of way, Marine Environment, Fisheries, including CFP, EU Fisheries Council, Departmental administration.

[Elton]

Pass this link around, Barry:

 

http://www.richardbenyon.com/index.php?opt...&Itemid=124

[barry luxton]

Great minds, as you was posting that link i was getting his address, honest

 

Houses of Parliament

 

Address: Parliament Square, St Margaret's Street, Westminster, SW1A 0AA

 

 

 

i'm off the net for ten mins, just doing a letter.

Edited May 27, 2010 by barry luxton

[Elton]

I've just filled out the form, but am a bit concerned by this automated response:

 

Thank you for your submitting your email to Richard Benyon. Correspondence is replied to in strict rotation, but Richard aims to answer his constituents within 10 working days.

 

I hope that he regards all of us as his 'constituents' now!

[Elton]

We can't catch eels to eat, but stocking them for birds and otters to eat is okay:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_y...ire/8682229.stm

[barry luxton]

As i like to do long and waffling emails, mine to benyon on Eltons link timed out.

 

Fortunatly, i copied it before i posted it un-successfully, so i will now send it by letter. phew lucky barry

[Worms]

Here's mine!

 

I am so disappointed that this shambles of a piece of legislation has been passed.

 

Insufficient consultation as regards the required consultation with stakeholders.

 

Ignored consultation with the major stakeholders i.e. SATA and Natural England and biased acceptance of consultation with minority specialist groups such as the Angling Trust and Angling Times. Neither of the latter are held in much esteem by anglers by the way!

 

A ban on taking coarse fish (except one pike under 65cm), a slot limit on grayling (a game fish) yet salmon (a protected and endangered species) can be taken with few restrictions. What is going on?

 

Furthermore we have conflicting restrictions on non-native fish, common carp come under protection but other fish don't. We can see the effect that the biased consultations have had. Illegal to remove carp from salmon and shad waters? Ridiculous.

 

This legislation will damage angling and exacerbate the split in angling fraternities that is already showing. The Angling Trust the (self styled) Angling Representative Body will receive less support and will consequently lose support for the old ACA that many anglers admired so much.

 

Could you please advise me of the process by which I and others could protest this damaging bylaw please.

 

Regards, Worms B.Sc., M.Sc., DIC, CBiol, MIBiol. (Ecologist)

Edited May 27, 2010 by Worms

[Worms]

And another, I thought I'd get the first punch in with this one

After the successful campaign by the Angling Times and the Angling Trust to ban the taking of coarse fish for the table may I express my concerns about their latest programme.

 

They are both combined to "manage" otters, obviously manage is a less emotive word than cull, but I thought I would make you aware of their intentions as all political parties appear to have given their full support to the Angling Trust.

 

It would be a tragedy if otters were to be treated like anglers and banned from the waters that they fish for food.

 

This issue will get bigger as the Angling Times and one of the editors, Greg Whitehead, pushes for such culls. He is already aware of illegal otter killing and publishes such facts on the internet with apparent joy.

 

The managed, stock fishery market might be good for the economy but it's not good for wildlife or anglers.

 

Regards, Worms B.Sc., M.Sc., DIC, CBiol, MIBiol

[Steve Coppolo]

Here's mine.

 

 

Dear Mr Benyon.

I am writing to express my disgust and disbelief that you have decided to confirm the EA fish removal byelaws, in particular, that relating to the banning of anglers from taking a few eels to eat.

 

The eel byelaw was a knee jerk reaction to pressure from the EU to 'better manage' eels stocks. It was not consulted properly or fairly and does nothing to afford any real protection for eels. While anglers who, as a rule, don't target eels, have been banned from taking a few to eat, commercial eel and elver fishing is allowed to continue almost unhindered by new proposals for future management measures. Other issues that pose a threat to eel stocks have been ignored.

 

The EA fish removal byelaws are unfair, unnecessary and ineffective in their supposed objective. I don't believe that you have had time to look at the proposed byelaws, consultation results, or objections, in any real detail in the very short time since you came to office. Therefore, I am of the belief that your new government is no better than the old labour government when it comes to dishing out unnecessary and unwanted legislation, just for the sake of it.

 

I would urge you to look at these poorly thought out byelaws again and to undo the damage that has been done to angling, anglers and our liberties.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Mr S Coppolo.