RSA Strategy Update

[glennk]

That's the point I made on the Yalasa forum John. I think they are trying to keep everything hush hush so they can sneak it through. I also heard something very worrying about being forced to buy insurance as well as a licence which would probably double the amount of money a sea angler would have to shell out every year. I'm sure there is more to come on that subject.

[glennk]

Time line for events to date :

 

Through the Recreational sea angling strategy DEFRA fully intend to introduce a licence, and bag limits, they are already acting on their intention to bring in bag limits through the sea fisheries committees - have a search around the net to see what you can find on the Cornish sfc who passed a motion to introduce bag limits 2 weeks ago at the request of DEFRA.

 

The process of introducing a licence is genuine and the wheels are in motion as we speak although several organisations appear to want to hide what is happening. It is not a rumour.

 

This is a time line of events as I understand them. Some readers with more knowledge may wish to correct me or fill in any gaps.

 

On the 15th March 2006

 

There was a meeting of RECREATIONAL SEA ANGLING STAKEHOLDERS at HQS Wellington, Victoria Embankment, London

 

It was decided to draft the sea angling strategy. The minutes can be found in the yalasa forum at the below link

 

http://yalasa.proboards107.com/index.cgi?b...read=1166809477

 

ON the 24th July July 2006 - Inshore Fisheries Working Group - RSA Subgroup 2nd meeting

 

Meeting discussed the draft of the sea anglers strategy in which bag limits and licence fees were 2 of a host of significant factors proposed.

 

Details of the meeting at the link below

 

http://yalasa.proboards107.com/index.cgi?b...read=1166809385

 

In Dec 2006 the first draft of the sea angling strategy was made available to the organisations supposedly representing the countries 2 million sea anglers (although already stated the NFSA has a membership of 7000 and sacn around 1000 - hardly representative is it.

 

The draft was very long winded and kept out of view of the majority of the angling community. SACN members received a copy but were informed it must go no further. The NFSA took no steps to inform any of their members of this draft document even though it has significant implications for so many anglers.

 

The whole of section 5 in the draft outlines a host of measures aimed at restricting anglers and charging them to fish. Picking out a couple of items from the draft the following are significant :

 

5.3 A combined mechanism that would raise money for the benefit of sea anglers, provide an effective communication tool, gather information to better understand anglers’ needs and enable effective monitoring and enforcement would underpin other elements of the RSA Strategy. Although there may be other tools to achieve these aims, a sea angling licence (operating in a similar way to the freshwater angling licence) could meet these needs. The costs and benefits should be transparent, justifiable and clearly understood. The associated charge would need to reflect the costs of administering and enforcing the scheme, with additional revenue returned to the angling sector through a range of projects and programmes that would enhance the angling experience.

5.1 To date there has been relatively little control or monitoring of sea angling activity. This may be a contributing factor to the broad appeal of the sport. However, with relatively high angling participation levels, and a possibility that this could increase in future, anglers have the potential to have a large impact on stocks. Although this is broadly acknowledged, the RSA sector has identified the introduction of controls as one of the more contentious issues which has little support at present in advance of the demonstration of improved benefits to the sector.

 

 

The details of the draft document in full can be found at the url below. Anyone thinking that licences and bag limits are just a rumour should really have a rummage through this document - you will probably be as horrified as me.

 

http://yalasa.proboards107.com/index.cgi?b...read=1166808968

 

IN January 2007

 

The organisations sacn, nfsa and yalasa asked their members opinions on the drafts. Very few people responded and only a small percentage of the countries anglers were even aware of the draft at this time so how could they possibly respond to it.

 

On Feb 15th 2007

 

Angling reps again met with DEFRA this time to discuss feedback received on the draft angling strategy. Apart from this little snippet from the sacn website I am unable to find anymore info at this moment in time although under the freedom of information act I have requested details from DEFRA.

 

At a meeting in London Today (15th February) RSA representatives met with DEFRA, and other stakeholders comprising the RSA Sub Group of DEFRA's Inshore Working Group, to discuss feedback to the previous draft of the RSA Strategy Document.

 

At times the meeting bordered on becoming fractious over some of the more contentious issues, but always remained civil and constructive.

 

Please see the url below for more details

 

http://www.sacn.org.uk/Conservation-and-Po...Next_Steps.html

[Guest challenge]

Somebody once said “the sinner will not confess, nor will the priest receive his confession if the veil of secrecy is removed”

Maybe our so called reps think that they are guardians of the Holy Grail. Am surprised we have not heard anything from the Knight Templar himself.

May be we should not judge them before they have had a chance to say there Hail Mary’s. We must give them the benefit at present. As we know that all deception requires secrecy. But not all secrecy is meant to deceive?

[steve pitts]

Glenn and Steve

 

Minutes are taken by a Defra employee at these meetings, but seldom circulated in sufficient time for the next one! so expecting minutes to be published within a day or two of the meeting itself is somewhat ambitious.

 

I have posted a couple of comments on the BASS forum, as Steve C knows, and all this bull about secret squirrels and conspiresy theories is cheesing me off.

 

Give these guys a chance to catch their breath and wait for a report - but whether it will be broadcast on a site regularily frequented by anti-RSAs and commercial antagonists remains to be seen.

 

Cheers

Steve

 

PS - Wasn't at the meeting Glenn

Edited February 20, 2007 by steve pitts

[glennk]

HI Steve thanks for at least saying something.

 

As soon as I have any details I will post them here. This is too important to worry about a couple of silly billy's who like to take the Michael, although I do actally find myself on the same side as some of the commercially orientated members on this issue, hope that doesn't make me anti RSA after all I fish as much as most people.

 

Defra need to know that this forum is the biggest in the UK. From a search engine point of view it outranks any other English forum, if Defra, SACN, and NFSA are serious about consulting the general angling community then from an internet point of view this is the only place to start.

 

If of course the secret squirrels conspiracy theory is true (one I subscribe to at present) then this is the place to avoid.

 

What I have noticed about this whole business is the shift in peoples attitudes over the past 6 months. Die hard catch and release/pro licence anglers are now questioning the strategy and the angling bodies representing us and are turning full circle on this issue. These are real anglers who have suddenly woken up to what is on the table and don't want any part in it.

Edited February 20, 2007 by glennk

[Steve Coppolo]

all this bull about secret squirrels and conspiresy theories is cheesing me off.

 

Hi Steve

 

Not half as much as being given the mushroom treatment is cheesing me off, I can assure you.

[steve good]

Somebody once said “the sinner will not confess, nor will the priest receive his confession if the veil of secrecy is removed”

Maybe our so called reps think that they are guardians of the Holy Grail. Am surprised we have not heard anything from the Knight Templar himself.

May be we should not judge them before they have had a chance to say there Hail Mary’s. We must give them the benefit at present. As we know that all deception requires secrecy. But not all secrecy is meant to deceive?

 

Hi challenge

 

Secrecy sows the doubts of, and, for the weakminded and unimformed, and for some poeples self interest, only to be harvested by the GRIM REAPER in the way he wants to do it, to trust is to have faith and peace of mind, and not to have faith brings doubt and mistrust of the unknown and the unknown breeds contempt for the poeple whom are cloaked in secrecy.

 

Openness leads to accountability thus relieving doubt and mistrust for the unimformed, representitives should be open(thats their job) with the poeple that they represent, so as they known were they stand

 

steve

 

 

Somebody once said “the sinner will not confess, nor will the priest receive his confession if the veil of secrecy is removed”

Maybe our so called reps think that they are guardians of the Holy Grail. Am surprised we have not heard anything from the Knight Templar himself.

May be we should not judge them before they have had a chance to say there Hail Mary’s. We must give them the benefit at present. As we know that all deception requires secrecy. But not all secrecy is meant to deceive?

 

Hi challenge

 

Secrecy sows the doubts of, and, for the weakminded and unimformed, and for some poeples self interest, only to be harvested by the GRIM REAPER in the way he wants to do it, to trust is to have faith and peace of mind, and not to have faith brings doubt and mistrust of the unknown and the unknown breeds contempt for the poeple whom are cloaked in secrecy.

 

Openness leads to accountability thus relieving doubt and mistrust for the unimformed, representitives should be open(thats their job) with the poeple that they represent, so as they known were they stand

 

steve

[glennk]

You get the same fortune cookies as John ??

[Guest challenge]

You get the same fortune cookies as John ??

No where just silly Billy’s who have been talking about conflicts of interest and hidden agendas for months.

[glennk]

You forgot the word "masquerading"