The EA

[Jon Hedges]

Do the EA do a good job ?

I walked a stretch of my local river (Nene in Northampton) during the summer - well I say I did ... I kind of walked near it. This particular stretch has been dredged (they call it weed cutting) so that the water (what there is left of it after the extraction) flows thru at 100mph. The banks are about 5 feet above the level of the water and as a consequence of the rich soil are full of weeds and stinging nettles.

I admit that water quality has massively improved in the last 10 years. That's great, but it doesn't help if you cant get near it !

Any one else care to comment on the EA or is this a no no ?

[Nugg]

Eh, Eh, Go to the E.A. site and have a look at their "fisheries action plan". You shouldn't complain its all for your benefit.

[Jon Hedges]

Nugg,

I presume you are being sarcastic !?

[Nugg]

Now did I say it with a straight face? Did you look on the E.A. site though? like I said Its all for your benefit.

[phil hackett]

Jon

I’d make two points as an individual angler looking at the EA. First is, I have been highly critical of the EA in my region (NW) over several issues Lake District being the most recent.

I do accept that the work they have done in my region/local area (Manchester) to rehabilitate the rivers is miraculous, of that there is no doubt.

That said I do feel that the conservation lobby in my region are wagging the dog’s tail far, far too much and anglers, their needs, aspirations are either being ignored or second bested.

 

In other areas from what I’ve seen and been told, there are different problems and they are doing little or nothing about them.

 

In sort, there is a regionalisation thing going on, which has no standardisation across all regions. Therefore the EA brass must demand that all areas perform to the level of the highest performing region.

 

I would also argue that a national performance management evaluation strategy is drawn up with all stakeholders agreement to bring this about.

 

They may term this “making a rod for their own backs.” However, without it the rod will be used to beat them over the head with by all, myself included.

 

So my 10 year report on them would read “Could do a lot better in many areas and failure to improve will see support ebbing away from them over the next ten years.”

 

On the point you make about the riparian zone and it being overgrown. I have to say, it is now an EA policy to allow this to happen to encourage diversity of species in this zone.

It might surprise you to know that where rivers run through pastureland, the EA are asking farmer to fence off this zone to allow the species diversification to happen.

 

As to the wisdom of this, I have some doubt without such areas being managed on a biannual basis at least.

 

Oh and BTW, I would encourage all readers to post on this topic if they have a serious point to make about the good, bad or indifferent workings of the EA, because they do log on and read this site from time to time.

[Jon Hedges]

My dad and I have spoken to the EA on numerous occasions. In one instance (after a discussion at the Go Fishing exhibition last year) a representative came to look at the river and the problems (so one positive comment - at least they came).

However, the real shock came when discussing the weed cutting. Apparently there are numerous departments in the EA and none have control over the actions of another. So one dept's idea of weed-cutting is completely different to that of the dept undertaking the work.

In addition, it is also down to the idividual. We once saw a weed-cutter in action and fortunately the guy was an angler. He blantantly disregarded his instructions to rip up everything and tried to approach the problem in an angler friendly matter. Heaven knows the carnage that would have occured in the hands of a non-angler.

 

Further to this, the EA provide us all with their magazine telling us all how great they are. I wrote a letter to IYCF last year pointing out that, after years of dredging, they decided to approach the problem of re-creating a habitat for small fish to shelter by dumping 3 concrete pipes in the river, this allowing fry to shelter up.

Funnily enough they didn't respont to IYCF comment of "what do you have to say to this EA?".

 

I am personally hacked of with the EA and find the rise in license fears year after year to be nothing short of a joke. A bit like the EA themselves.

[RUDD]

I am 30 this year and have had a licence each year for 16 years.

I have never had my licence checked!!!!!!!!!

I have fished all over East Anglia at a variety of venues, some of the times in Matches.

Where are the EA Baliffs?

Last year they had a crack down and caught alot of Anglers up and down the country except in

E. Anglia.

I have been told that there are two Ea Baliffs covering Essex and Suffolk!

[jonboy walton]

Jon

 

I have to agree on many counts about your experiance with the EA. As a club secretary and PAC member, I have had much written communication with them over the last 2 years and I can say that only 15% or so of the answers that I have received have been in any way satisfactory. Sometimes they will do things for you, such as check out minor pollution incidents etc, but the reason they give for the fish kill can defy belief, and just leaves you wondering what really happened. Recently I wrote to them about otters, as they are starting to cause havoc in my area (Somerset). I sent them an e-mail with the facts, and got a reply saying that I was 'narrow minded'!

At a recent AGM, when the subject of barbel stocking came up, an EA spokesperson at the meeting said that 'you can't stock barbel, the pike will eat them all'!. Comments like that make my blood boil. I have actually had more cooperation from British Waterways, and that is saying something believe me.

Regards

 

Jon

[Jon Hedges]

What can be done then ? If the EA won't help, then does the individual take matters into their own hands ?

Can I remove the undergrowth on the banks myself or will this be classed as "destroying the natural foliage" ?

To be honest, the swims I fish are rarely visited by anglers (which is fine by me as there are some cracking Chub there !) let alone EA officials so I am sure I could paint the bank red and yellow with blue spots for all the notice that would be taken !