Marine Bill Consultation Launched

[Leon Roskilly]

Not just angling, fishing, enforcement, marine conservation etc

 

 

see

 

http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn/latest/index.php?view=538

[Spragg]

"This may include such measures as introducing “bag limits” for recreational and hobby fishermen to ensure that the impacts of such activities do not adversely affect stocks in the absence of effort control or quota management arrangements applicable in these areas."

 

 

Tha governement is calling you's hobbiests too now. Just when you all thought they were listening to you theyre gonna slap bag limits on tha all. 2 fish a day for big cod and his mates now.

[Leon Roskilly]

I think that they mean unlicensed netters Spragg.

 

This is merely a 'consultation' which may lead to the government giving itself the powers to impose bag limits and a recreational sea rod licence.

 

Once they have those powers, how they use them would be subject to further consultation.

 

So they may put a bag limit of 2 fish on bass only, and/or 25kg of cod, or perhaps 15kg+1 big fish, 12 mackerel, 2 plaice etc Anyway you care to figure.

 

But what this does illustrate as important is the need for sea anglers to build a powerful voice so that we don't reach a situation where an angler is only allowed to take home 1 sole, whilst a trawler takes a tonne or so from the beach in fornt of him, well within casting distance.

 

Sensible bag limits might be acceptable, but only as a package of conservation measures that put restraints on other users of the fish stocks as well.

 

It's all there to play for.

 

 

Whether anglers get walked over, or set the agenda is largely down to them.

 

They will probably end up with the kind of representation that they deserve, one way or another!

Edited March 29, 2006 by Leon Roskilly

[stavey]

 

Whether anglers get walked over, or set the agenda is largely down to them.

 

They will probably end up with the kind of representation that they deserve, one way or another!

 

leon, from the amount of responces from sea anglers that you may have had in the last couple of years, should this make me feel more optimistic about the future for better sea angling or not??????

[Leon Roskilly]

Stavey,

 

It's getting much better.

 

But think of the amount of effort that is going to be needed to prepare a professional response to this wide ranging consulation.

 

Industries affected will already have teams of qualified people in place, including lawers, and so will the environmental NGOs.

 

Who will prepare the response(s) for Sea Angling?

 

And for the consultation on Recreational Fishing now taking place in Wales, the EU green Paper etc, as well as representing anglers at the Marine Stakeholders Forum, the Inshore Working Group.

 

To finance that type of effort needs a lot more than the 4-5,000 memberships that the NFSA currently has.

 

So a few volunteers, working in their own time, at their own expense will continue doing what they can (and my it's impressive the amount of progress that they have made recently!)

 

But that may not be enough in the end.

Edited March 29, 2006 by Leon Roskilly

[stavey]

Stavey,

 

It's getting much better.

 

But think of the amount of effort that is going to be needed to prepare a professional response to this wide ranging consulation.

 

Industries affected will already have teams of qualified people in place, including lawers, and so will the environmental NGOs.

 

Who will prepare the response(s) for Sea Angling?

 

And for the consultation on Recreational Fishing now taking place in Wales, the EU green Paper etc, as well as representing anglers at the Marine Stakeholders Forum, the Inshore Working Group.

 

To finance that type of effort needs a lot more than the 4-5,000 memberships that the NFSA currently has.

 

So a few volunteers, working in their own time, at their own expense will continue doing what they can (and my it's impressive the amount of progress that they have made recently!)

 

But that may not be enough in the end.

 

 

Yeh i know leon, it has given me a headache just to take in a few pages of the consultation doc, we needed some serious dosh and quickly to pay for some more clever dickies, has anyone had any responces from the tackle industry giants like shimano daiwa etc in the way of donations, or have they not been asked? there are lots of other ways to raise finance (not teaching you to suck eggs and that) i just feel that the nfsa have not looked down the right channels! and not just them either but everyone and anyone concerned (me included) i agree that that the few volunteers have done and achieved much more than i thought possible and it is thanks to them that we have gotten this far these guys and others should be provided with a wage and expences to be doing it full time and more of them to make the real difference.

[Steve Coppolo]

There you go peeps, yet another chance to "do enough".