fishing ban

[Leon Roskilly]

I agree with Bruno, angling (as we know it) faces a slow death through creeping restrictions on methods, baits and places where we can all fish, and growing animal welfare legislation.

 

An outright ban would have thousands marching, but the odd restriction now and then will produce heat on the forums, lots of grumbles, but (apart from the few committed) not a lot of opposition.

 

A slow death by a thousand small cuts is the likely scenario.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Peter Waller]

Interesting to note the interest in Angling by both Labour and the Conservatives, and also the realisation by the CA that we have political clout by virtue of our numbers. It seems that the above all consider it worthwhile keeping us on their respectives sides. You see folks, we have power!! We just have to learn how to harness it.

[rob.i]

good point Peter

[peter mccue]

With reference to the German Green party, our 'Greens' are slightly different.

 

Their stated policy concerning fishing is that they are against it, feeling that it doesn't meet the moral standards of the modern world.

 

They have said there will not be a compulsory ban, but they will carry out campaigns to 'educate' the poor simple masses & bring about a voluntary cessation of what they clearly feel is a barbaric sport.

 

And that my fellow anglers, is straight from the horses mouth. So be very careful about supporting the 'Greens'.

[Old Codger]

I'm afraid anglers are their own worse enemy.

What with all the glossy mags boasting overfed fish and modern technoligy used to catch them it is not the best of publicity.

 

Old Codger

[Tog]

As I said 'a little bit' here and there & voila 'food fishing' only.

Easy :- Livebaits - Oherr! whats that then, we go and use live animals as bait to catch bigger ones - that must be cruel! so ban it! (the non 'livebaiters cry), Maggots ARE animals and any livebait ban could easily be so badly written as to include it!

Matchfishing:- Oheerr! we spend half a day whipping out imature fish & cramming them into keepnets - that must be cruel! Ban it! (the non matchmen cry), But of course many normal anglers also use a keepnet but the ban must include them.

Coarse fishing: So lets get this right you catch these fishy's give e'm a kiss and put them back? so you 'play' with this animal and you call it sport!? Ban it the non coarse cry!

Which will leave us only game and sea angling as at least they are generaly for 'food' rather than 'fun'.

See it's easy to ban angling - just do it a bit at a time, That's what the 'Greens' and PETA CAA Viva sabs etc all have as their agenda and if you sign the 'anti' hunting petions you ARE signing to ban angling.(I supose you could put in brackets - oh & please leave angling alone).

[Guest allibee]

Peter Waller:

Interesting to note the interest in Angling by both Labour and the Conservatives, and also the realisation by the CA that we have political clout by virtue of our numbers. It seems that the above all consider it worthwhile keeping us on their respectives sides. You see folks, we have power!! We just have to learn how to harness it.

Also interesting to consider is the fact that although the largest participation sport in the country according to the Sports Council at some 3,000,000 , thousands of jobs are now dependant on it. Ask yourselves which party are more likely to put that many people out of work ...

[Peter Waller]

Welcome Old Codger. There are one or two of us over here. One or two boring old f*rts as well!

 

I agree, anglers are their own worst enemy. I'm in two minds over modern technology though. Yes, some methods, both old and new, are suspect. For example I'm not happy with modern 'self catching' rigs, not angling in my books. But does it actually harm the fish? Then we have the old issue of keep-nets, is their continued use damaging to fish stocks, and here I think the answer is yes!

 

But I think where we might agree is the modern, overstocked fishery, where fish have to eat the anglers baits in order to survive. This is one facet of our sport that could turn round and bite us quite hard in years to come.

 

Angling is no longer naturel, it is increasingly manipulated by men, & normally for greed. I do think we need to look at ourselves, and maybe turn the clock back in some quarters.

 

Like you I don't like some of the images of grosteque, unnaturelly obese carp that are paraded in the weeklies! But are such images really not in our best interests?