Why do we bother?

[Guest Steve Burke]

I don't think there's a *right* answer here - it's all a question of balance. Going to an extreme, the only completly safe way of avoiding spreading foot and mouth disease is to stay indoors, which of course means the whole country grinds to a halt!

 

One of the main balances is between the farming community and the fisheries/tackle trade.

 

I'm not going to preach what others should do. However, I've taken the following steps;

 

1) I've closed my fishery at Wingham. This is obviously going to cost me money, especially as the subs for all the original members are due on March 15th, yet the bills won't stop coming in! In fact my second biggest bill, several thousands pounds of insurance premiums, is due on March 31st!

 

2) I won't be going out into the countryside except for driving along main roads. This means that the only angling I'll be doing is at one urban fishery. If the disease continues until the bass and mullet come in, I'll switch to sea fishing.

 

3) With the money I'll save by not going fishing as much I'll be supporting the tackle trade by buying some major items of gear.

 

Obviously the above is not a perfect solution, but I don't believe anything is. However, I feel that I'll "have done my bit".

 

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Wingham Fisheries

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham.htm

[Guest Simon Newbould]

Originally posted by Paul Williams:

Simon,

The water IS open, thats what i am getting at, we still have to travel these roads for every day use. The road is a busy one and the lake is alongside it.

If you read todays AT you will find plenty of places to go ! and i do believe that rightly or wrongly anglers will still be out in force, it just makes you realise we are such a small voice here on the WWW !!

 

Hi Paul,

 

If the water's open I don't see the problem... WRT anglers being out in force... again not a problem IF the waters and the surrounding land are unaffected and or do not contain livestock....

 

The point I was making was the apparent hypocrisy (sp?) of condemning people for being on the land when the only way that one could see them was to be there oneself

 

Take Care all....

 

Simon

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by Simon Newbould (edited 07 March 2001).]

[Guest Chris Shaw]

I think it should be called foot in mouth desease as the goverment do not seem to have a clue how to stop the spread of it, there are new cases everyday, six I think yesterday.

 

Anybody who was around in 1967 and remembers this, will recall all movement of animals and people in the countrysdie was STOPPED, and it still went on for week after week. The only way to halt this virus is to STOP ALL MOVEMENT OF ANIMALS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND TO STOP PEOPLE USING THE COUNTRYSIDE.

 

Least we all forget it takes 14 days to incubate so a farm shifting animals today called be diognosed with it tomorrow. In the meantine some of these animals have been transported.

 

 

IS ANYBODY LISTENING????????????

 

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Chris Shaw

 

[This message has been edited by Chris Shaw (edited 07 March 2001).]

[Guest Chris Shaw]

I will tell you one way to keep the people from using the countryside and stop the spread of the virus.

 

Let them know this virus in the past has been transmitted to humans. Which has happened in the past by the way.

 

You get nasty ulcers and blisters in your mouth, and from what I recall you also get blisters on your hands and feet.

 

Before anybody replies, yes I know that it should only affect what are called cloven hooved animals, but human cases have been known.

 

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Chris Shaw

 

[This message has been edited by Chris Shaw (edited 07 March 2001).]

[Guest Chris Shaw]

IN 1967 in was not just the farms or the lakes that were closed, even the villages where the farms were, were closed off to joe public.

 

TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE DESEASE.

 

When are we going to learn.

 

Hmmm, I thought we had in 1967.

 

 

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Chris Shaw

 

[This message has been edited by Chris Shaw (edited 07 March 2001).]

[Guest Chris Shaw]

posted in error

 

[This message has been edited by Chris Shaw (edited 07 March 2001).]

[Guest Steve Burke]

Good point, Chris.

 

My wife's a teacher and one of her pupils got foot & mouth, as did a friend's son. My wife reported it to the local health dept. but was told it's not "notifiable" as it's not serious in humans.

 

However, as you said, it might make some of the selfish idiots think twice.

 

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Wingham Fisheries

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham.htm

[Guest phil dean]

I've just noticed that elton has mentioned the closure of all Durham AC's waters..

 

The waters in the centre of the city are next to footpaths where students walk backwards and forwards every day, the place is crawling with people from all over the world including the far east (where i understand the disease is rife), why should stopping fishermen make any difference. Interestingly enough I drove through durham at the weekend, a walker was climbing over a style with keep out F& M on it.

 

This is all getting very stupid.

 

There is a major problem in this country, but closing off waters to anglers in places where anglers are only minor users seems crazy. The tackle trade is suffering and actions like this where damage caused by anglers will be nothing compared to damage caused by everyone else, will only make things worse for them and deprive us of our sport.

 

You have all made very valid points but the reaction does not seem well planned or thought out. We are damaging the future of angling if the shops close, but clubs should not be banning fishing where the damage caused by anglers is nothing compared to the damage and spreading of the disease caused by normal people going to works school etc, people going shopping or even people driving vehicles past.

 

We are all being over protective, when the horse owners couldn't seem to care less.......

 

PS My fiance's goddaughter was diagnosed with F& M before the outbreak the doctor said it was a minor problem, she's in the North East, is this the source, did humans going to the far east bring it in the first place?????

[Guest Xpat Stu]

Originally posted by phil dean:

PS My fiance's goddaughter was diagnosed with F& M before the outbreak the doctor said it was a minor problem, she's in the North East, is this the source, did humans going to the far east bring it in the first place?????

 

You have to be a bit careful here Phil. There has been no confirmed cases of F&M in humans, although there was a suspected case in 67. This was never proven.

 

However, there is an illness that is common in humans, especially children, that shows very similar symtoms. It is caused by a different virus and just to confuse the issue it is called Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. I suspect that is what we have here.

 

Take care

 

Stu.

[Guest Chris Shaw]

Originally posted by Xpat Stu:

You have to be a bit careful here Phil. There has been no confirmed cases of F&M in humans, although there was a suspected case in 67. This was never proven.

 

However, there is an illness that is common in humans, especially children, that shows very similar symtoms. It is caused by a different virus and just to confuse the issue it is called Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. I suspect that is what we have here.

 

Take care

 

Stu.

 

Hmmm, no confirmed cases, maybe because according to the department of health it is not a notifible desease when contracted by humans, because it is not classed as serious when in humans.

 

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Chris Shaw