Give me one good reason why

[Leon Roskilly]

You don't have to check every licence on every bit of water though.

 

Anymore than you have to check everyone who's leaving a shop for goods that they haven't paid for.

 

Most people will be honest enough to buy a licence.

 

Of those who are tempted not too, you have to catch a few and fine them enough to make the rest think twice.

 

 

There's a point where the amount of enforcement is cost effective enough.

 

 

Whether the level of enforcement is at the point is open to debate.

 

But total coverage and enforcement really isn't cost effective or necessary.

 

It's about getting the balance right.

Edited July 9, 2010 by Leon Roskilly

[arbocop]

You don't have to check every licence on every bit of water though.

Anymore than you have to check everyone who's leaving a shop for goods that they haven't paid for.

 

I agree, but I've heard lots say that there isn't enough.

 

Most people will be honest enough to buy a licence.

 

Only around 50% of Anglers do buy one. There's an awful lot more than 1.5 million freshwater Anglers in the UK.

[Anderoo]

Don't forget that a lot of people (like me) buy two - which means the total number of licensed anglers is even lower.

[chesters1]

There is a point here isn't there. If it was a rule that every club, association, day ticket, whatever, had to check for a rod licence beforehand what would everyone think of that?

 

The EA bailiff could then come round and just check the procedures were in place, and then if they thought it were necessary, do a spot check of anglers on the bank. Not sure I agree with this, but if we are going to have it, then everyone should pay it. If we have what we have now, where less than 50% buy one, then surely the system needs a shake up?

 

If everyone paid, it might even get some more work done.

 

i wasnt referring to an EA bailiff in that part but rather a club bailiff asked (if they were in the future) to not only check if the angler has a club permit but had also to check the angler had a rod licence as well.

I have no problem checking permits the club kindly gives me a free one to do it but i would refuse point blank to check the rod licence i'm not in anyway going to be a free bloody tax enforcer for the government.

If (now going onto my point) the Gov forced clubs to check for rod licences then rather than the bailiff (me) taking even more time not only writing down permit numbers but probably licence ones as well (you have to remember bailiffs may get a free permit which is fine if your fishing but in my case i check 7 days a week so in reality my petrol cost far exceeds the cost of buying a permit in the first place ,the reasons i do it 7 days a week was simply to get out the house from my carer duty for an hour a day now my mrs has gone of fishing) the club could get around the problem of unlicenced anglers using their waters simply by ensuring a rod licence belonged to the angler before letting them join the club or buy guest / day ticket.

 

the EA then could do spot checks and rather than the bailiff getting an unpaid earfull the club was if an unlicenced angler was found on their water with a club permit ,day ticket or guest ticket but no rod licence

 

It probably will go that way in the future the pension gap must be a drain on the licence fee already ,less licence checking less EA bailiffs to provide a pension for.

 

the gaping hole in my thinking is my situation ,whilst i can assure you i wont fish license less i wouldnt have the licence to get even my free permit (rules should be equal to all) but then in the case i lost my bailiff "badge" i would pop off for a hour anyway ,SHHHHH just dont tell the mrs

Edited July 9, 2010 by chesters1

[arbocop]

Is no-one going to tear aprt my rough calculations? You disappouint me, I was expecting loads of corrections and mathematical pedantry!

[chesters1]

just the fact you posted anything is good enough for me

[arbocop]

i wasnt referring to an EA bailiff in that part but rather a club bailiff asked (if they were in the future) to not only check if the angler has a club permit but had also to check the angler had a rod licence as well.

 

It needn't be that way though. Most coarse fishing clubs have a renewal at or around June, and after March anyway. If the applicant just provided a rod licence number at application or renewal. Job done.

 

One of my Association licences has a blank to fill in the rod licence number - this would be all that was required. It would of course add a burden to the Association, club whatever, in that when they processed their applications they would need to check, but there's an opportunity here too. It could include a small adminstrative charge to the EA for each one processed. Most clubs these days include so much administration, I'm sure they could cope with this.

 

I may be wrong though, it's just an idea, and I'm not suggesting this is adopted, it's just a way of encouraging more anglers to pay for one. The current system doesn't work if the minority buy it. Therefore, we either abandon it or try another way of doing things.

 

If you buy a day ticket and have to show your rod licence it would put the onus on the club bailiff, and that would be more difficult. Commercials would probably cope, but to clubs that do day tickets on the bank, it would more burdensome.

 

I don't see it as a tax, some do. But the fee is so small, and the job of catching salmon poachers, checking for illegal fyke nets in estuaries is all included in the service that the EA deliver. It's not just about coarse fishing...

[Steve Walker]

Actually, the fact that it's a small tax makes it more irritating that I have to go to the trouble of paying it separately - most of us pay more tax than that every time we fill the car with fuel! Given how much tax we pay overall, it feels a bit like staying in a very expensive hotel and finding that they charge extra to put towels in your room. But, if it's the only way to get the funding to the projects that need it, so be it.

[arbocop]

Actually, the fact that it's a small tax makes it more irritating that I have to go to the trouble of paying it separately - most of us pay more tax than that every time we fill the car with fuel! Given how much tax we pay overall, it feels a bit like staying in a very expensive hotel and finding that they charge extra to put towels in your room. But, if it's the only way to get the funding to the projects that need it, so be it.

 

 

Tax is something that most people are opposed to. But without it we'd be stuffed.

 

Going bak to the original thread, give me one reason - it contrbutes to water quality, flood protection, habitat management, fishery protection, navigation management, provides fish farms for restocking, create angling opportunities such as disabled access, and the environment agency supports angling.

 

Indirectly they protect ground water from polluition, and the air from pollution which would untilately affect water and water is the most important thing for fishing.

[birchy]

I haven't read every post but i often wonder WHAT we pay a licence for. You go to Ireland, and all fishing is FREE. You don't need a rod licence and you don't have to pay for a day ticket (unless you manage to find a commercial venue). My point is, if the Irish can let us fish for free, why can't the British?