Letter From The Countryside Alliance

[Peter M]

Jim Roper:

Isn't it marvelous what a health service manager has time for?

Actually on leave today or i will lose it if not taken by end of march. back in tomorrow immplementing tony's targets.

[argyll]

Come on Peter, read the rest, or did you decide to ignore it AND the point of the exercise. ie to demonstrate how easy it is to manipulate what joe public will say but not neccesarily mean. But thanks for reading the first line, you've made a VAST improvement.

[northern mark]

As chesters1 pointed out you can get a poll to say anything, stand outside Smiths and ask everyone comming out if they shop at Smiths.

 

Going on that poll the VAST majority of people shop at Smiths

[Peter M]

I agree about the point you are making about polls. look one thing we agree on is that the message we want to get across is that fishing brings great economic, enviromental and social benefits, your right argyll in that we need to ensure we have good PR in case the antis start to really make inroads. what we are not in agreement about it seems is how or who should do this for us, the CA? Fact? or someone else, (but point taken about polls)

[kleinboet]

Gentlemen - As a simple angler who enjoys the simple things in life (like going fishing! )

I am hearing: CA, NAA,Martin Salter MP Being bandied around with everybody trying to "outscore" the other. I will watch this thread with expectation.

 

Would the people bandying these names about, please list WHAT each has done for angling that is so earth shattering that it is on the lips of every angler?

[argyll]

I dont have any particular political leaning toward one organisation or another, I'm not (at present) a member of the CA. I met Charlie Jardine once at Dever Springs, thought he was a nice bloke and thats about it. I've said right from the start that I'll support the bunch that makes the biggest noise and achieves most. Thats still the case. Yes I agree, I doubt if we are too far part in how we would like to see the future of fishing (and the countryside).

 

[ 16. March 2005, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[jim doyle]

AS I said why are we(anglers) letting others dictate to us, get pro-active get out there and create support. There are supposedly 4-5 million anglers out there , we should all be looking for oppertunities to promote angling.We dont need to be anybodys sub group, as we are for the ca, we are big enough to be a political party for heavens sake! mind you some of the policies might raise a few eye brows as we appear to range from the left of Mao to the right Gengis Khann, party conferencies could be livly!!!!!!!!

[slodger]

I'm not sure why I'm getting involved in this, and I remain at a loss as to whether or not supporting the CA is going to be beneficial to angling.I know it isn't even particularly relevant to the thread and you can call it arrant pedantry if you like however:

 

 

You can twist the figures, dress it up anyway you like, take liberal interpretation of any poll findings you come across and argue about it until you're blue in the face. The fact remains that in 'animal loving' Britain, the vast majority of the population ARE against the idea of pursuing an animal to it's death, with hunting dogs, under the premise of recreation.

 

I'm not pinning any colours to the mast, just stating what I believe to be the truth.

[Peter Waller]

I see that the CA has only 100,000 members, of which 20,000 are anglers. See the CA letter to the BBC.

 

When you consider that the CA represents countryside issues across the board then that isn't much of a mandate. I would guess that FACT has a rather larger mandate in total.

 

If the CA only has 100,000 members then small wonder they wanted anglers onside!

 

At the end of the day the CA represents only 20,000 or so anglers.

 

We need to put our weight behind the largest, most creditable voice in angling.

[snotty]

Cracking thread guys, particularly taken with comments from james and steve who from their quotes;

'I think we need to forget about fox hunting and focus on if angling really is in trouble. The reality is that the millions of anglers need to know there is 1 organisation and if needed, need to get behind it.' and

'I do know of the CA, have no idea on their aims etc though and until just now have never heard of FACT.'

these appear to confirm the point that until the 'VAST' majority anglers are aware of our leading organisation and able to join it individually and via clubs it is not going to speak with one voice or represent angling fully.

 

Currently FACT is not in a position to do this, the apathy problem does not even begin to arise until FACT can demonstrate awareness amongst anglers.