1000,000 to 2000,000 RSA,s?

[sam-cox]

There are meant to be around 1000,000 to 2000,000 RSA,s in the UK.

Can anyone tell me where these come from?

 

Does it include people who only fish when on holiday? Or people who use hand and crab lines?

 

How come it’s so rough in its calculations that there is the room for error of 1000,000?

 

If there are so many sea anglers how come we aint marching in Parliament Square for our rights?

 

I think its because most anglers don’t really care about marine conservation.

Well they could be in for a shock if restrictions are put on us, and to my mind it will be their fault for not making the effort to be counted.

 

Can you imagine the power us anglers should have if every angler was to shout with one voice?

 

I understand that BASS is an specialist organisation and there for should only really speak for its members, but this is a very small net to cast only getting the support of dedicated bass anglers.

 

I do feel that this should be the job of the NFSA but I have been a member now for a few months and so far they have told me nothing about anything let alone conservation!

 

The bigger picture is that all of the marine environment desperately needs protection, and unless we get more anglers from all walks of sea angling involved in having their say I feel we are doomed.

 

How we do this is beyond me as not all anglers use angling websites or even by any monthly magazines.

 

Maybe we all need give up fishing for one day a week and get out there and talk to other anglers.

[Leon Roskilly]

See Links to various studies at:

 

http://www.sacn.org.uk/Articles/Economics_...ea_Angling.html

 

Both the Drew Report and Invest in Fish detail how they arrive at their figures.

 

 

The disparity comes about according to how you classify someone as a sea angler.

 

The smaller figure is the number of 'hard core' sea anglers who will go at least several times a year. (Drew - 1.4 million in England & Wales)

 

The larger figures contains those who only go sea angling on holiday etc.

(Prime Ministers Strategy Unit - 2 million in England and Wales

Environment Agency - 3 million in England and Wales!)

 

 

In August 2005, a study by the Environment Agency (‘Public Attitudes to Angling 2005’) notes:

 

“Based on a population aged 12 and over in England and Wales of 44,254,462 the number of people aged 12 and over who had been sea angling is 3 million.”

 

 

 

(The NFSA sticks with the lower 1,000,000 anglers worth £1 billion)

 

 

What the figures don't convey is the potential for growth, not only of numbers but of economic value and job creation if measures were to be put in place to manage inshore recreational fisheries to enhance the angling experience.

 

(ie Following the recovery of the USA Recreational Striped Bass Fishery between 1981 and 1996 the consequential expenditure increased from $85 million to $560 million over the same period by anglers fishing for striped bass).

Edited September 30, 2006 by Leon Roskilly

[glennk]

Sam if the proposed restrictions you talk of were made official then they would wake up. Imo you would see something similar to when they banned fox hunting but hopefully with a different outcome. At the moment there is nothing to protest against because civil servants dont have the ****s to be honest. You know, I know and Leon knows whats coming - bag limits, licences and possibly catch and return or closed areas for charter fishing. Civil servants say its not on the agenda - what they mean is I dont want you to know untill its too late. Its not on the agenda today but we will sneak it on tomorrow when your not looking.

[stavey]

Sam if the proposed restrictions you talk of were made official then they would wake up. Imo you would see something similar to when they banned fox hunting but hopefully with a different outcome. At the moment there is nothing to protest against because civil servants dont have the ****s to be honest. You know, I know and Leon knows whats coming - bag limits, licences and possibly catch and return or closed areas for charter fishing. Civil servants say its not on the agenda - what they mean is I dont want you to know untill its too late. Its not on the agenda today but we will sneak it on tomorrow when your not looking.

 

hi glenn

 

You could be right along with sam? but if these did come about would it realy make that much difference for sea anglers nationaly? you see glen down here the general sea angling is so crap bag limits catch/return closed areas and such would not come in to it at all, but if the do gooders are right it just might change things for the better? the only thing that would be different is having to pay for it in a way of a licence, i can live with that.

 

Maybe things are ok were you are glen? and your happy along with others there with the quality of your sea angling and you dont want anything to change? fair enough, but i am pretty sure that if you were here! your thoughts may be a little different, i have no desire much at all now to bother to go sea angling anymore i guess in truth i lost that quite a few years ago, but i do have a desire to see things change and hope that one day that same desire to go sea angling will return, cheers...............

[glennk]

Hi Stavey,

 

Isnt it me who usually says we are from 2 totally different areas ?

 

Hence my case for a regional approach that is species specific. I have no doubt that anglers can effect the stocks of some fish. The flounder population in my river is dwindling fast, probably due to the amount of fishing matches held in there over the past 20 years - probably a case wheer catch and release would make an impact. Other species I feel are uneffected by angler pressure therefore angler catch and release = no change. I certainly dont think things are ok here and I certainly dont think things should stay the same but I think bag limits for cod anglers are a complete waste of time given that more than we catch in an entire season is discarded dead by trawlers in a matter of a few weeks on the herring spawn fishery.. As has been said by more knowledgable people than me. Anglers played no parts in the cods demise and they have played no part in its recent small term recovery.

[stavey]

Hi Stavey,

 

Isnt it me who usually says we are from 2 totally different areas ?

 

Hence my case for a regional approach that is species specific. I have no doubt that anglers can effect the stocks of some fish. The flounder population in my river is dwindling fast, probably due to the amount of fishing matches held in there over the past 20 years - probably a case wheer catch and release would make an impact. Other species I feel are uneffected by angler pressure therefore angler catch and release = no change. I certainly dont think things are ok here and I certainly dont think things should stay the same but I think bag limits for cod anglers are a complete waste of time given that more than we catch in an entire season is discarded dead by trawlers in a matter of a few weeks on the herring spawn fishery.. As has been said by more knowledgable people than me. Anglers played no parts in the cods demise and they have played no part in its recent small term recovery.

 

hi glen

 

Yeh the regional idea of things would probably be a fair way to look at it, for instance if we say that the area around my way needs drastic measures like restriction from the commercials in the way of protected areas to improve things, then i would not object to any of it while payiing for licence when you would not have to for one for your area, makes sense as we would more likely benefit from it than you, you would have to ad a few improviso's of course like any body who wanted the fish here that was from a another area like you for instance, would have to buy a licence to do so.

 

Ofcourse we could "and should" back each others ideas and such and operate under some sort of umbrella organization but leave the decisions for each area to the local anglers that reside there, i think that is what a lot of people on here have been trying to get over to the few that are in a position to talk to the government, but i dont know if anyone cares to listen? someone will probably say we already operate like this but i am not getting this impression at all, cheers............

[Ken Davison South Wales]

There are meant to be around 1000,000 to 2000,000 RSA,s in the UK.

Can anyone tell me where these come from?

 

Does it include people who only fish when on holiday? Or people who use hand and crab lines?

 

How come it’s so rough in its calculations that there is the room for error of 1000,000?

 

If there are so many sea anglers how come we aint marching in Parliament Square for our rights?

 

I think its because most anglers don’t really care about marine conservation.

Well they could be in for a shock if restrictions are put on us, and to my mind it will be their fault for not making the effort to be counted.

 

Can you imagine the power us anglers should have if every angler was to shout with one voice?

 

I understand that BASS is an specialist organisation and there for should only really speak for its members, but this is a very small net to cast only getting the support of dedicated bass anglers.

 

I do feel that this should be the job of the NFSA but I have been a member now for a few months and so far they have told me nothing about anything let alone conservation!

 

The bigger picture is that all of the marine environment desperately needs protection, and unless we get more anglers from all walks of sea angling involved in having their say I feel we are doomed.

 

How we do this is beyond me as not all anglers use angling websites or even by any monthly magazines.

 

Maybe we all need give up fishing for one day a week and get out there and talk to other anglers.

 

I had a good chat last night with a chap I met on the beach at Bournemouth, keen sea angler down there trying out a new reel position, like me does not belong to a local club, likes a chat if he meets someone on the beach, only retains a fish for the pot, always returns under size fish. I asked him if he had a computer and he did not so I told him about AN he was interested but has no interest in a computer.

 

The point is Sam they are out there and they care just as much as you or I BUT not all anglers want to screw their hobby up with all of these politics, that's their choice Sam and they are entitled to make that choice.

 

A lot of anglers have stopped posting on AN for that very reason, not because they don't care but they want to be away from all of the hot debate and politics.

 

Is it right for us to condemn them? I personally think not, they have as much right to do it their way as we have to do it ours.

 

What does that mean for those of us who do get involved? It means we have to push a bit harder to take up some of the slack and enjoy doing it, don't turn it into a lost fight, a lost cause, don't blame those who don't get involved.

 

Take a look at the percentage that vote in general elections which are right there in everyones face day in and day out and that should spell it out for you loud and clear.

Edited September 30, 2006 by Ken Davison South Wales

[Ken Davison South Wales]

hi glen

 

Yeh the regional idea of things would probably be a fair way to look at it, for instance if we say that the area around my way needs drastic measures like restriction from the commercials in the way of protected areas to improve things, then i would not object to any of it while payiing for licence when you would not have to for one for your area, makes sense as we would more likely benefit from it than you, you would have to ad a few improviso's of course like any body who wanted the fish here that was from a another area like you for instance, would have to buy a licence to do so.

Ofcourse we could "and should" back each others ideas and such and operate under some sort of umbrella organization but leave the decisions for each area to the local anglers that reside there, i think that is what a lot of people on here have been trying to get over to the few that are in a position to talk to the government, but i dont know if anyone cares to listen? someone will probably say we already operate like this but i am not getting this impression at all, cheers............

 

To me that sounds very fragmented, a division in the ranks which leads to non-performance overal.

 

I travel around a bit, some I know travel a lot more often and a lot further for their angling.

 

Now I am rapidly thinking that I live in a good area, does that mean I should not be willing to support an area not so well blessed?

 

So the not so well blessed area has the full monty put in place and a few years later it turns into an excellent area which I now want to fish it, but should I be allowed to?

 

I think not, I took the I am all right Jack attitude a few years back, did not contribute to those not so well off, they suffered all the early pains and now I want to reap the benefits.

 

That does not bare well with me how about you??

Edited September 30, 2006 by Ken Davison South Wales

[stavey]

To me that sounds very fragmented, a division in the ranks which leads to non-performance overal.

 

I travel around a bit, some I know travel a lot more often and a lot further for their angling.

 

Now I am rapidly thinking that I live in a good area, does that mean I should not be willing to support an area not so well blessed?

 

So the not so well blessed area has the full monty put in place and a few years later it turns into an excellent area which I now want to fish it, but should I be allowed to?

 

I think not, I took the I am all right Jack attitude a few years back, did not contribute to those not so well off, they suffered all the early pains and now I want to reap the benefits.

 

That does not bare well with me how about you??

 

Ok ken if i told you how to fish in your back garden and when you could or could not go and said by the way you will have to pay a licence for that priviledge, i wonder what your answer would be?

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Ok ken if i told you how to fish in your back garden and when you could or could not go and said by the way you will have to pay a licence for that priviledge, i wonder what your answer would be?

 

I think you missed my point, I am not telling anyone else what to do or not do.

 

I as a person feel that I would be letting my hobby/sport down very badly if I said "Sod your luck I am alright mate, good fishing here, don't need any special ideas here, no licence, no bag limits, no marine preserves, I'm alright Jack, you lot muddle on as best you can"

 

I am very lucky, I live in a good beach fishing area BUT I feel that I should do my bit to help others and if that means a licence, bag limits and what ever to improve our sport for everyone then so be it.

 

Once again that is my own personal opinion and my option.