Litter!!

[Guest Gaffer]

I've just got back from an all-nighter and i'm still fuming!

On retreiving one of my baits i realised i was snagged on somrthing,it got heavier and heavier.

A bl***y luncheon-meat tin!!

What's the matter with some people?

Don't they get it?

What's it going to take to make anglers take it home?

Another ban of some description i suppose.

I then easily removed from the trees and bushes around me 3 hooks and line including 2 floats.

If they havn't got the message by now,what next??

[Guest RobStubbs]

We have the very same problem where I fish and on syndicate/debenture waters as well. Did a work party last w/e and we pulled about 6-8 rigs out of the trees including various 'banned' components such as leadcore and bent hooks. Litter isn't usually a problem at that lake but some others I fish are quite bad. And worse still it encourages loads of rats - if only the culprits thought about it.

 

Rob.

[Guest Jonty]

Ron, the problem with a lot of these `culprits` is that they do not have the wherewithall to actually do any thinking with !! - and as for imposing further bans, who would police them, Gaffer ??

 

For the past 40 years I have been a member of a club which has a paper policy of banning anyone caught leaving litter, or fishing a peg which has litter in the immediate area, even if it was there when they arrived. I have yet to hear of anyone being banned, and I have been a member of the committee for a number of years on two seperate occasions - so if anyone had been brought before committee for littering in those periods, I would certainly have known about it.

 

And do not think that no-one was leaving litter - I could virtually guarantee going onto the `showpiece` water and being able to pick up at least one plastic carrier-bag into which to put all the other rubbish I would find whilst walking the banks.

 

It is of no use whatsoever to write a ban, or rule of any sort, into the club rules if it is not going to be enforced. In that sort of situation, the bailiff becomes a `tiger without teeth`, and eventually takes the attitude of `why the hell should I care`. And then he doesn't care any more, and things get even worse.

 

Rule enforcement requires strong bailiffing, and equally strong support for the bailiffing team from the club committee, and preferably the majority of the membership as well - there is too much apathy.

 

Jonty, climbing back down off the soap-box!!

 

[Guest Gaffer]

Jonty,I've calmed down a bit now and have some things i would like to add:

1.I am a bailiff(though not on this water)

2.I hate bans which could be policed through good common-sense bailiffing.

3.Catching them is the problem.

So,what's it going to take to make anglers(a v.small minority) take their litter home when they know that there isn't anyone around to catch them?

 

Gaffer.

[Guest RobStubbs]

Gaffer,

It would seem to be the bailiff(s) need teeth and the full support of the committee. But more importantly the bailiffs have to patrol at least daily (especially at the busier w/e's). One of the club waters I fish I have never been asked for my ticket (in about 4 years). If people knew they were more likely to get caught and banned then they wouldn't take the risk.

 

At the syndicate lake whilst there was (technically) a bailiff he never did anything. It has been suggested that the lake owner adds a note to the next letter restating the rules and that rigs will be checked randomly.

 

It's a sad state of affairs but for people to take note they need to be policed very strongly until they learn to behave responsibly. Just like being back at school again.

 

Rob.

[Guest waterman1013]

Hi guys

 

The problem of litter on our waters reflects the problem of litter in our streets. How often do you follow a car or van and see litter thrown from the window, people walk out of tobacconists and throw their cigarette and sweet wrappings on the ground, the streets around MacDonalds are covered in "their" litter. We can't expect better from some anglers when all around us it is thrown about willy nilly.

 

In the old days we were taught the dangers of litter to health, at school and by parents. I don't know whether that still happens. We used to have a campaign, "Keep Britain Clean" but now councils don't even seem to spend the same amount of revenue on street cleaning as once they did.

 

As individuals all we can do is pick it up when we see it, try to persuade councils to intro duce proper bylaws on litter, try and persuade the police to prosecute under exisitng legislation. The problem for the police is that under PACE it can take upto five hours to process an arrest, the arresting officer is off the street for that length of time and with the poor staffing levels most nicks have most of the time now no bobby is going to nick a litterer. It doesn't help the crime stats.

 

Mike

[Guest craig]

I agree with what your saying but,

On alot of waters I visit there is no bins.

I always take my litter home and most of

the time someone elses.It does make me very angry.

On one of my local waters there is only one bin

and its a good walk were as alot of kids are eeger

to pack up and rush off and leave there rubbish behind.

I myself have stopped a few and explained about the rubish

to them and they have made the effort and binned it,but

unless they are shown the right way it will carry on.

I myself was told right from wrong at an early stage in my life

wich alot of kids are not these days and its very sad as

these youngsters are the next lot of anglers and its a

very scary thought of whats going to happen .

 

not a smile in sight

 

 

craig

g.

[Guest David]

Gaffer

Like all sports we have some who do not care about others as long as they are doing what they want to do its to hell with the rest of us.

And lets be honest you can not educate PORK?

[Guest davidP]

It's not kids who are the problem as they are pretty well educated in environmental matters. The problem is far more with the anglers who have done it for years and don't see why they should change now. Its also symptomatic of the 'F*** You' attitude that seems more & more prevalent in this country.

 

As for bins, well they're a nice idea if you can keep them where you want them. My experience is that if they are in anywhere vaguely public then they'll be in the lake within 3 days or set allight or just ripped up and stamped flat. And you'll still have the same amount of litter because the people that use the bins are the same people who had already made the effort to pick the litter up anyway.

[Guest Trevor Babich]

hi guys,

out here in S.A we have fisherman who haven't only had a partial lobotmy but a complete lobotomy when it comes to litter/. Despite the fact that it is a criminal offence to litter in this country it goes on ad infinitum ad nauseumwith no attempt to enforce the law.Conservation bodies try and educate the public by having massive cleanups using school kids but it backfires cause the youngsters think that all there is to conservation is picking up rubbish left behind by adults who should know better. Methinks that all the angling media should get together and push the message that in other countries like Japan the people are more civilised cause they keep their country clean. This might elicit a reaction from the Brits.

Out here unfortunately litter creates jobs which at this stage are more important.

Tight lines from darkest Africa.

Trevor