EA licences

[Guest Scott]

No Alan I dont only fish canals, the point I was making was that the EA on their website say that they have nothing to do with canals.

Thats a bit like the DVLA saying they have nothing to do with the motorways, but you still have to have road tax to drive on them.

 

With regard to your other point that the government pays for all the work that is being carried out, where do they get their money from? From every penny we earn and nearly every penny we spend.

 

I do have an EA licence as its illegal not to.

 

I do however disagree with it and regard it as another form of taxation.

 

The EA possibly does do a lot of good work for angling but mostly Salmon, Trout and rivers and mostly south of Manchester.

 

I can honestly say that I have never fished anywhere in the last 20 years that has benefitted from the EA but if I have then I am unaware of it.

 

Yes the TV licence, most people would stop buying one tomorrow if it wasnt illegal to do so.

 

Scott.

[Guest trent.barbeler]

Hi All,

 

Although perhaps not intended within Richards original questions at the opening of this thread, there is, well as far as I am concerned, something dreadfully flawed in the present rod licensing system.

 

I have ALWAYS purchased a rod licence. Much the same as other anglers. But; with regards to the many aspects of the EA's remit that is NOT fishing related, are anglers bearing to heavier burden?

 

A rod licence is not a permit to go fishing. It is a licence for the rod, line and baited hook used to catch fish. Why is it then, that sea anglers dont have to buy one? Surely, they use rod, line and a baited hook as well.

 

Why are there less and less EA enforcement officers out and about on our venue's now a days? Seeing as the licence fee goes up year on year, why are there less anglers having their licences checked?

 

With more and more anglers NOT buying a rod licence because they are NEVER asked to produce one by EA enforcement officers that they never see; Tell me, how on earth is all this supposed to work properly.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

[Guest mpbdsnu]

When I think back to how it used to be, 20 squids represents good value for money.

 

Not so very long ago, one had to purchase a licence for each river authority area that one fished!!!

[Guest Bruno Broughton]

Oh dear. Oh deary me.

 

The fact is: if you are 12 year old or older, you HAVE to buy a rod licence before you fish in England and Wales. Whether you like the legislation or not, that is the law.

 

The way in which the EA spends that money in the discharge of its duties is strongly influenced by the various tiers of democracy which have been established. If you have a gripe, do you know how to contact your regional consultative? Have you tried?

 

If you have just cause for a big moan, have you written to the relevant fisheries office and - if so - what was the result?

 

And if you really get the hump, and these avenues have failed you, have you tried your local MP... and what was the result?

 

I have some reservations about how some EA officials discharge their duties, but generally we get huge value for very little money.

 

Think of it like this. The rod licence system is a sort of (albeit compulsory) insurance scheme. Come the day that your fishery get polluted, or disease affects the fish, you can make a 'claim' and receive the (free) service. That does apply to canals, as well as rivers, lakes and - yes - syndicate fisheries.

 

Trying to opt out of that joint deal makes as much sense as - from my personal view - asking for a reduction in my taxes or my community charge because (i) I have no kids (no need to 'subsidise' your kids' education, then); the roads are swept once a year if I am lucky (so up the charges on those who live in cities and get a weekly service); I don't get sick (so trim off my NHS contribution and beggar any of you who fall ill); and the rural police are like rocking horse sh- - (so sting the unfortunates who live in crime-ridden areas).

 

No? I thought not!

 

 

 

 

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Bruno

[Guest Scott]

Bruno, so what happens in Scotland then?

 

As for the NHS if i'm ill I still have to pay for any prescriptions and dont get me started on dentists.

 

If I was to sit down and complain to all the relevant people of things that p*** me off in this country I would spend the rest of my life typing letters.

 

The original question was "Does everyone agree" well I dont.

 

As I have said before its another form of taxation.

When you go for a days fishing you pay tax on

Your car (when you purchase it)

road tax

tax on petrol and insurance

VAT on any tackle and bait

Are day ticket VAT free?

and then your EA licence.

And if you want to eat, drink or smoke when you get there more tax.

Not forgetting the tax you have paid on any money earned to pay for the above

As I said before in this country if you want anything you have to pay for it at least twice.

 

I can understand some people saying what wonderfull work the EA do but I have never seen any of it.

 

And if it was as wonderfull as some people suggest why are'nt the Scottish anglers begging to have a licence system like us?

 

Scott.

 

[This message has been edited by Scott (edited 03 October 2001).]

[Guest Bruno Broughton]

 

Yeh. You're born, life's a bitch, then you die. Taxed from womb to grave... and beyond.

 

What happens in Scotland to coarse anglers is that if something goes wrong with a fishery - tough. Either move on or pay someone like me to come up and offer advice.

 

With but a handful of clubs and no real knowledge of what happens elsewhere, the typical Scottish coarse angler either has to lump it or move on and fish elsewhere. Luckily, the system is so unregulated that there are other venues to try, but the Scottish parliament has embarked on moves that, inevitably, will result in some form of rod licence system.

 

I agree on one matter - and it is the crucial one: with payment comes the right of accountability. No-one should feel shy about asking EA staff the questions, and expecting the answers. We pay for them and they are our (public) servants.

 

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Bruno

[Guest danzante]

Over to you ...Scottish anglers

 

Danny.

[Guest Anuvver Andy]

Hi All,

 

Dave K. spot on with your post`s mate.

 

All the best,

Andy.

[Guest DLF]

Dave

In answer to some of your questions, it is difficult to do anything about the EA improvement work when the first you are aware of it is when you turn up to fish the venue and find that every tree along a mile of the bank has been coppiced or removed, in the name of flood prevention.

 

We have started action via the ACA against the Factory responsible for the effluent, unfortunately by the time it was first spotted the damage had already been done, the ACA have described it as a difficult and involved case.

My local Club tried their best before involving the ACA and were finally told, off the record of course “what do you want us to do, shut the place down, that will cost peoples jobs” if they had done there job in the first place and ensured that no effluent was allowed to enter the river we wouldn’t have had a problem.

In this case, when a factory is being built miles upstream from where we fish, how are you supposed to find out if someone is applying for a licence to dump effluent?

 

This said I don’t want anyone to think I am against the idea of a rod licence, I am not, if the licence fee was greater and all anglers had to buy one then we as anglers may be taken more seriously by the Government due to our financial clout. Why do people think the Game lobby is so powerful compared to us, its all down to money.

 

Lee

[Guest dave k]

Hi Lee

glad to see somthing is being done about the river.

The ACA do an excellent job and need more support from us. another organisation that i will have to join as soon as funds become avalible

 

Once you get to know your local environment agency officials they are very aproachable.

 

i normally get regular updates on work being done on our stretch of water, and other parts of the Cam & Ouse.Email is an excellent way of keeping up to date.

 

I also keep them informed about the river and brook we control by sending them regular updates and newsletters/photos.

 

Everyone needs to start being more proactive in every aspect of angling. if we do that we will get heard more often, and maybe start getting some of this lottery money every other sport is getting.

the biggest participant sport in the country and we get naff all compared to the others

 

I am very glad we have people like Brono, Dave Bird, and Leon. All regular posters on here batting for our side.I could continue naming people who i know are working for angling, many of them at there own exspense, I dont want to forget anyone so i am sorry if i havn't put your name down,and i know you wont be offended as you arn't doing it for the glory you are doing it for the sporteven if some anglers cant understand that

 

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dave kennedy USSC Angling