Sea anglers are being urged to have their
say on new proposals to benefit their sport and the marine
environment.
Fisheries
Minister Jonathan Shaw today published a strategy which aims to develop
a package of measures to enhance sea angling in England.
Drawn up with the help of anglers’ groups including
the National Federation of Sea Anglers, Bass Anglers Sportfishing
Society and the Sea Anglers Conservation Network as well as commercial
fishermen, the draft
Recreational Sea Angling
Strategy aims to boost the sport’s numbers while helping to improve
fish stocks and the marine environment.
Around
one million people spend about GBP538million a year fishing by the sea,
underlining the sport’s economic potential for coastal communities and
businesses.
Among the proposals are a range of
conservation measures to improve fish stocks, a national code of
conduct for anglers, and a new sea angling licence, money from which
would be reinvested to benefit anglers andimprove services.
Jonathan Shaw said:
“The
strategy is an excellent example of collaborative working between
anglers, commercial fishermen, local fisheries managers and
others.
“Recreational sea anglers make a
substantial contribution to the economy, and we need to ensure that
their needs are considered as we develop fisheries policies.”
Jonathan Shaw recently announced further new measures
to help sea anglers including plans for a review of bass nursery areas
and inshore netting restrictions.
