My reasons for starting the petition against a sea anglers rod licence are:
1. The right to fish our shoreline without charge is one of the few rights we have left that allows ANY man, woman or child of any class, colour or creed to do something without charge. We have been able to fish our coastal waters since mankind first walked this land and we have had this right in law for almost 800 years. PLEASE let's not lose this right.
2. This will be a ridiculously difficult and expensive law to enforce.
Besides having thousands miles of coast line around England and Wales, we have tens of thousands of square miles of ocean within the seaward extent of British fishery limits. This would be impossible to enforce in such a large area, if it was to be enforced then it would cost a large proportion of the income collected from the licence.
People have said why does a law have to be enforced? well that's simple, if there is no threat of a law being enforced then there will be a larger percentage of people who will not comply with that law.
If there are parts of Britain that are too expensive to be visited by a bailiff then this is where people will fish there to avoid paying for a licence.
3. DEFRA claim the purpose of introducing a licence fee is to pursue a framework for the development of Recreational Sea Angling (RSA) and to ensure powers are available to safeguard the sustainability of stocks.
The sustainability of fish stocks can be achieved far easier and quicker by reducing the excessive amount of trawling and dredging that occurs in our waters. Why must we pay because successive governments have mismanaged commercial fishing for decades, it is commercial fisheries that are the cause of low fish stocks NOT recreational anglers.
4. Some anglers are under the assumption that the money raised from a licence fee will go to the environment agency.
This is not necessarily the case. The bill proposes a new body called the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) – which will work for all relevant UK Government departments, acting as an expert, efficient and impartial delivery agent.
The money from your licence fee could be distributed anywhere including car park improvements and new launch ways, which could encourage more pleasure boats, jet skis, etc. which surely is the last thing an angler wants in his swim.
5. This bill proposes an additional rod licence for sea anglers.
Course anglers should not have to pay for an extra licence on top of their existing course licence and visa versa.
This just smacks of taxation rather than stock preservation.
6. This bill is proposing that Scotland and Wales will implement their own delivery arrangements for devolved matters.
This could result in 2 different sea licences for England and Wales possibly costing different amounts.
