Countyside Alliance and FACT

[Paul_D]

A good and valid point you make there Vagabond. However, as for the thinly veiled insinuations by some on here that many of us are complacent and have 'worrying attitudes', perhaps we are of a more realistic and of a less scaremongering persuasion than others. There even have been some good economic arguments outlined here to support my own belief that 'the ban' isn't imminent or even coming. And as far as I'm concened the politically active in angling can take home their collection tins and leave me to get on with my fishing.

[Vagabond]

Paul_D:

There even have been some good economic arguments outlined here to support my own belief that 'the ban' isn't imminent or even coming.

Right - I agree.

 

The trouble is, since when has "a sound economic argument" influenced politicians hell-bent on furthering their careers by hitching onto the latest "flavour of the month" bandwagon?

[Sportsman]

I don't think a blanket angling ban is imminent either. What is much more likely is death from thousands of petty restrictions and local bans.

It would only take a couple of loonies on a local council to institute bans on particular locations, particular baits or specific fishing styles to make fishing an unattractive proposition fairly rapidly. Its already starting to happen in some places.

 

Peter, maybe we are just paranoid about different things, me about the antis and you about the C.A.

Regards

Dave Olley

[argyll]

The bans are already happening. A ban on using either live or dead coarse fish baits in the Lake District is in place right now and the level of complacency amongst the angling population in general and the piking population in particular that followed the announcement and invitation to comment, gave the authorities a free ride in implementing the ban. The reason for the ban was supposedly to protect the indigenous species from the rampages of the ruffe, a fish which the authorities would like us to believe was introduced into the lakes by livebaiters. No evidence was produced to qualify this assumption. When I was at school, I was taught that fish species were largely moved around on the feet and beaks of wading birds and ducks. Not so apparently. They move around in livebait buckets. How difficult would it be to implement that ban UK-wide? Not at all difficult. Complacency amongst anglers and a lack of strong representation at the highest level make it very easy. Various interest groups, coarse, game and sea take differing views of the future. Coarse anglers generally take the view that they spend too much money for central government to impose bans, but they already did precisely that in the Lakes. That move hit the pockets of every part of the local economy, tackle shops, transport, pubs, hotels, petrol stations, shops and the pockets of the people that work in those places. The Lake District is also a place where employment is generally seasonal and traditionally at low levels compared to UK averages. Sea anglers seem to believe that their sport is pretty much untouchable, because they fish for the table. Wrong, they fish for sport...they just happen to eat some of their catch and at the moment they remain unlicenced. They are also liable to the same whimsical laws and bans that any government might impose if the likes of Tony Banks and his cohorts and the animal rights pressure groups that closed down foxhunting have anything to do with it. Game anglers?....well most of them through their various trout and salmon associations have afilliated themselves to the Countryside Alliance and as such appear to have genuine concern for the future. I am generally fearful about the future of fishing in this country and until the main interest groups stop squabbling amongst themselves and show the power that four million voters and their families can have, if they are all pushing back together, nothing is going to change. This and future governments will still see us as pushovers. Divided we stand, United we fall.

 

[ 23. February 2005, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[awaaar]

"Divided we stand, United we fall."

 

how very true argyll

 

[ 23. February 2005, 01:13 PM: Message edited by: awaaar ]

[Sportsman]

Peter

This id what PETa has to say on the subject of religion

 

Didn’t Jesus eat fish?

It’s an interesting question, but Biblical scholars agree that the appropriate question for Christians is, “What should we be eating?” The Bible clearly says that our bodies are temples and that we should take care of them. Yet it’s a fact that all fish flesh today is contaminated with heavy metals and other toxins. In fact, fish flesh is just about the most polluted thing that humans put into their bodies. On that basis alone, Christians should not be eating it.

 

"Today’s fishing practices are also horribly cruel to God’s creatures. God cares for all His creatures, and the Bible counsels compassion for all beings. We all understand that it is immoral and contrary to Christian mercy to torture dogs and cats. It is equally unchristian to torture and kill (or pay others to torture and kill) fish and other animals. Although they may not be able to scream out in pain, fish have the same capacity for suffering and the same right to compassion as all living beings."

 

Regards

Dave Olley

[Common 40]

what a load of bull crap

[Sportsman]

Argylle, apparently all of the Pike in Scottish Lochs were put there by Pike anglers.

A learned article in one of the worthy Edinburgh newspapers qoted all sorts of "experts" on the subject which "proved" it.

Can't remember exactly which paper or which experts but I bet someone on here knows

Regards

Dave

[argyll]

I remember that article too, it appears regularly and usually from the pen of a salmon devotee. There is currently a story doing the rounds that anglers are appearing on the shores of Lomond with bucketloads of barbel, nobody seems to know exactly who though. The story has grown a bit into a fantasy about a highly secretive fish transplant by a group of scottish barbel fans. But if they fit into a bucket and has survived an obviously long journey north, they are hardly going to be of a size worth catching now or in the near future. Most people couldn't tell a small barbel from a gudgeon livebait, which is probably what they were, but the story nevertheless seems to have grown to the point that its regarded as FACT.

[Guest sslatter]

argy-bargy: "..the story nevertheless seems to have grown to the point that its regarded as FACT."

 

A bit like that "Sabs under the bed" story you lot keep promoting..

 

[ 23. February 2005, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Graham. X ]