East Yorkshire angler banned for fishing without a licence

[Dick Dastardly]

I think people judge the "fairness" of any form of payment from what they see they are getting for it.

 

Even though I'm not 100% in agreement with the "licence rebels" Den,Tigger,Chesters etc I must admit based on what Ive seen done (or rather not seen done!) and the incredible waste of funds by the EA I cant really offer a justified reason to argue the case for the Rod Licence!

[dapper64]

Sometimes it's reasurring to see that it's not just me that sees the world this way.

Idiots!

They should have confiscated his tackle and handed it over to an organisation that teaches kids how to fish.

Failing that, give him a long community service order that requires him to coach young and disabled anglers - extended if he fails to display the right attitude.

I think most people see the world this way,its just that the few people that don't,are the ones that are running it.

[gozzer]

I think people judge the "fairness" of any form of payment from what they see they are getting for it.

 

Even though I'm not 100% in agreement with the "licence rebels" Den,Tigger,Chesters etc I must admit based on what Ive seen done (or rather not seen done!) and the incredible waste of funds by the EA I cant really offer a justified reason to argue the case for the Rod Licence!

 

The fisheries work done by the EA must be funded somehow, if not by anglers then who? The monies from the Government has been cut this year, (and probably next year as well), so who would make up the short fall?

I fail to understand how many anglers think nothing of spending thousands a year on tackle, bait travel etc, but moan about just over 50p a week! It just beggers belief.

 

John.

[Tigger]

The fisheries work done by the EA must be funded somehow, if not by anglers then who? The monies from the Government has been cut this year, (and probably next year as well), so who would make up the short fall?

I fail to understand how many anglers think nothing of spending thousands a year on tackle, bait travel etc, but moan about just over 50p a week! It just beggers belief.

 

John.

 

 

The money to be used for the enviroment should come out of general taxations. Lets face it it's everyones enviroment not just people who go fishing. The angler is just being used as an easy target for stealth tax. Don't forget John when these anglers spend lots of their hard earned cash (which they've already been taxed on) on tackle the goverment are getting tax of the manufacturers of the tackle, the middlemen etc etc and then they want a bloody tax for the angler to fish and that's after they've paid for a soddin club license or day ticket.

[gozzer]

The money to be used for the enviroment should come out of general taxations. Lets face it it's everyones enviroment not just people who go fishing. The angler is just being used as an easy target for stealth tax. Don't forget John when these anglers spend lots of their hard earned cash (which they've already been taxed on) on tackle the goverment are getting tax of the manufacturers of the tackle, the middlemen etc etc and then they want a bloody tax for the angler to fish and that's after they've paid for a soddin club license or day ticket.

 

It might be every ones environment Ian, but does it matter to them if there is something wrong with the water? If it looks pretty, then that's enough for most. I'm surprised at the number of times that joe public sees me land a fish, and says that they didn't know that either there was fish in the water, or that they grew that big.

The general public don't know, and don't want to know, about what's in the water. So any funding would be the first to be cut. The rod licence gives the EA fisheries about 30 million a year that's used for fishery work, and we would be a lot worse off without it.

 

John.

[corydoras]

Well Den, this "FOOL" only mentioned road tax because it's supposed to be used maintain and improve roads.

It's not John. Road Tax just goes into the Treasury. None of it is ring-fenced for the roads.

[Dick Dastardly]

The fisheries work done by the EA must be funded somehow, if not by anglers then who? The monies from the Government has been cut this year, (and probably next year as well), so who would make up the short fall?

I fail to understand how many anglers think nothing of spending thousands a year on tackle, bait travel etc, but moan about just over 50p a week! It just beggers belief.

 

John.

 

I totally accept your point when it comes to "direct" fisheries work. However as the bulk of the EA's job (other than that fish live in the water!) concerns the actual environment (hence forth the name!) of our waterways.This is where the bulk of the time.effort and therefore money is spent. As such this benefits everyone not just anglers and so it is only right that everyone (and we do through taxes) funds this. (I know you know this John BTW!)

 

So that means (rightly or wrongly) to most anglers that their Rod Licence money should be spent on "direct" fisheries work such as stocking,fish rescue,policing of the waterways and angling laws and not on flood prevention, sea defences etc. I think that the majority simply don't see this happening! and worse of all see a negative side ie laws being broken and not policed,a terrible apathy when such is reported by them to the EA,even a dire lack of even checking the licences they say we must buy! See what I'm saying? Often the most the average angler sees for his money is the pathetic magazine they send out yearly (we've discussed this enough on here to not need going over again) the TV adds warning/threatening about the consequences of being caught by a bailiff (that no one ever sees!) without a licence! The delay when they phone in the problem they have on their water to the Emergency Hot Line........that results in fish deaths/destroyed waters.

 

As I said people base their opinion of "value for money" on what they see not what others tell them or others see. Their attitude seems to be that they don't mind paying for "services" but why pay when you don't get? (or appear not to at least)

 

Out of interest would any of our "licence rebels" be happier paying for their rod licence (indeed paying more even?) if they could see it being used to directly benefit fisheries/fishing/anglers? Surely none of us expects our sport to be paid for by others?

 

I know I would gladly pay it/more if I thought the money was being used "properly" As it is now I pay it knowing that the vast percentage of it will be miss administered and therefore to me and angling in general wasted!

 

If I was less cynical of the EA (brought on by many years both as an angler and being involved in fishery management) I would say that maybe all the EA needs to do is make anglers more aware of what they do for us/with our money............but I sadly think that the truth is that there isn't enough done to be able to show us/convince us! Their previous attempts to do so by making their expenditure details available and their "PR" mag has actually just shown the opposite and angered anglers more!

[Tigger]

As I've already said the enviroment has to be looked after whether there are anglers or no anglers at all. The waterways must be looked after as they flow through the land where cattle/ livestock drink from people swim/paddle/boat in etc and the water is used for all kinds of things like irrigation etc etc.

[gozzer]

It's not John. Road Tax just goes into the Treasury. None of it is ring-fenced for the roads.

 

I never said it was ring-fenced solely for the purpose of maintaining the the roads Cory. It goes into the Exchequer with the rest of the taxes, and then (allegedly) spend on the needs of the country, which includes the building and maintaining the roads and infrastructure.

 

I believe (and stand to be corrected if wrong) that the fishing licence money is ring-fenced for the use of the fisheries dept of the environment agency. As such it provides a much needed, (almost guaranteed) income, compared to the funding from the Government, which can, (and is at the moment) being cut.

 

As Budgie says, it's often down to the experiences of the individual as to how they see the EA. My personal dealings with them, (apart from the recent legislation) have mostly been satisfactory, that includes answering queries, dealing with reports of pollution, and dealing with any reported incidents.

Many of the problems they have, are caused by anglers themselves, and the insane stocking policies they demand. Keeping that in check alone should be worth 27 quid a year to anglers, never mind the rest of the work they do.

 

As to it coming out of general taxation? How would 'Joe public' react to their money being spent on maintaining stock levels? LIvestock can still drink from water with diseased fish in (or even no fish in), the same for irrigating the crops. We are the only ones who care if the fish are there or not. So, is 50p a week too much to ask to help ensure that there are fish to catch?

 

John.

[Dick Dastardly]

My old head injury has been playing up a bit today so maybe I'm not thinking to straight! But the whole funding

dispute for fishery work (carried out by the EA) is surely brought about by the bizarre situation we have regarding ownership/non ownership of waters and fishing rights etc?

 

Allow me to try and explain whats going through my mind! I'm going to use the analogy of the Road Tax so please allow me!

 

Imagine how daft it would be if we were to pay for a road to be built (maintained may be a better thing to say) that ran across land owned by a private individual. This landowner then charged motorists a fee to use the road. However any repairs maintenance to the road wouldn't be his responsibility either practically or financially...........so we the motorist would be paying twice for the road, once to build/maintain it and then again to use it. The landowner earning but not paying out and the "Highways" people paying/being paid to do so out of everyone's Road Tax (whether they used the road or not) but not having the benefit of the additional cash that the motorists using the road had paid in tolls to do the job properly! And therefore **** off all who had paid Road Tax!

 

Seems this is whats happening to a degree in angling or am I missing something?