Bradshaw fouls up.

[Guest muttley]

I will refuse to buy a license & I will continue to fish even if i get sent to prison (been there before more than once, wasn't toooo bad). My feelings tonight go out to all the people who have put in time money and hard work on the behalf of all of us.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

What a complete and utter debacle. A shameful outcome.

Clearly Recreactional Sea Anglers have no political influence or clout. A properly unified body would call for a three month ban on all recreational angling. The amount of social and economic benefit the country gets out of us is enormous, more so than commercial fishing. The boot is on the wrong foot and until radical steps are taken and the tackle industry particularly becomes more supportive our sport will continue to decline. In this country we have it all wrong. By way of example in the USofA the Isaac Walton league runs fly-fishing. What they propose goes and legislation is formed around their recreational needs. Not that we need to adopt Americanisms to our daily way of life, but they are light years ahead in terms of attitudes and policy on fish conservation and angling.

 

One of the major advantages in the USA is the way manufacturers and mag publishers support their customers.

 

They would have been up to their armpits in the BMP in order to expand their sales base and stop any decline in current levels.

 

In the Uk they don't give a toss until it is to late

 

I did not see the BMP to be just about bass, it was an opportunity for ALL RSAs to unite behind a cause for their sport, but it would appear a large number who who supported the consultation could not see the overal benefits not just for bass but the future of all species. It was the first step in the right direction and to succeed we needed to be 100% solid in our efforts, sadly we failed.

 

If you take the responce from parties stating they were representing 2500 RSAs and set it against the balance you would see we were some what outnumbered in our own camp.

[Steve Coppolo]

I did not see the BMP to be just about bass,

 

Spot on Ken, it was about a whole lot more than just bass.

[Whitebridges]

The show is still on the road, and we are going forward

 

- Strategy for the Development of RSA

 

- Protection for tope and other elasmobranchs

 

- 'Modernisation' of SFCs

 

- Launch of the Mullet management Plan

 

- The Golden Mile

 

- The Marine Bill and MPAs (actually we are fighting to defend our position here, as much as gaining any benefit from fish stocks)

 

- Protection for bass extended into the EU (40cm is going to be a lot easier to sell as an EU wide measure than 45cm!)

 

- Increase of bass mls to 55cm and a review sooner than 2010

 

Oh! and a few other things to boot!!!

As soon as I've drowned my sorrows and finished this second bottle of whisky (and started on the third - the champagne will wait for another day), and recovered from the hangover, I'm picking up my kit and getting back on that road.

 

Anyone else coming along, or is everyone going to sit down and die now?

 

Leon, try whiskey, the Irish have sensible measures like close seasons.

Can you answer a few simple questions for me please.

 

1) How is the success or otherwise of this change going to be measured and reported and who is responsible for enforcement?

 

2) If there are no quantifiable benefits in the short and long term can MSL be reviewed and who is accountable for such a process?

 

Thanks.

[Whitebridges]

One of the major advantages in the USA is the way manufacturers and mag publishers support their customers.

 

They would have been up to their armpits in the BMP in order to expand their sales base and stop any decline in current levels.

 

In the Uk they don't give a toss until it is to late

 

I did not see the BMP to be just about bass, it was an opportunity for ALL RSAs to unite behind a cause for their sport, but it would appear a large number who who supported the consultation could not see the overal benefits not just for bass but the future of all species. It was the first step in the right direction and to succeed we needed to be 100% solid in our efforts, sadly we failed.

 

If you take the responce from parties stating they were representing 2500 RSAs and set it against the balance you would see we were some what outnumbered in our own camp.

 

Ken, thanks for your reply. Absolutely, the bass MSL decision puts a stake in the ground in terms of the recreactional anglers ability to influence. Clearly at the moment it is practically nil.

In the USA companies like Sage and Orvis invest £M's literally on conservation. Companies like these show an awareness and an appreciation of how important longevity is to the sport and ultimately their businesses. Both companies are significant investors in the Wild Trout Trust in the UK and have benefitted by virtually dominating the UK market, certainly for up market gear. The message is clear that anglers appreciate their support and reciprocate by giving them business, plus ofcouse their products are excellent.

To fight the sea angling battle properly serious money is needed and probably some heavy weight corporate muscle. This is not the saviour but believe me proper sponsorship at this level is vital. Step forward Diawa, Hardy etc. We would love you forever and buy your gear almost exclusively. Think carefully, otherwise you don't have a market.

[Steve Coppolo]

The show is still on the road, and we are going forward

 

- Strategy for the Development of RSA

 

- Protection for tope and other elasmobranchs

 

- 'Modernisation' of SFCs

 

- Launch of the Mullet management Plan

 

- The Golden Mile

 

- The Marine Bill and MPAs (actually we are fighting to defend our position here, as much as gaining any benefit from fish stocks)

 

- Protection for bass extended into the EU (40cm is going to be a lot easier to sell as an EU wide measure than 45cm!)

 

- Increase of bass mls to 55cm and a review sooner than 2010

 

Oh! and a few other things to boot!!!

As soon as I've drowned my sorrows and finished this second bottle of whisky (and started on the third - the champagne will wait for another day), and recovered from the hangover, I'm picking up my kit and getting back on that road.

 

Anyone else coming along, or is everyone going to sit down and die now?

 

God help us. If things continue as they have done so far, we could end up in an even worse situation than we are now.

[Leon Roskilly]

God help us. If things continue as they have done so far, we could end up in an even worse situation than we are now.

 

At least we are 4cm better off than yesterday, and it would have been almost imaginable to think that anglers could ask the government to unilaterally increase the mls of bass from 36cm to 40cm, with any reasonable expectation that they would hear, let alone listen, four years ago and before Net Benefits.

 

When it's all down around you, you can either sit in the rubble and wail and cry, or start picking up bricks and building up again.

 

But we aren't in that position, a bit of damge to the roof perhaps, but the new extension is coming along.

[Steve Coppolo]

At least we are 4cm better off than yesterday, and it would have been almost imaginable to think that anglers could ask the government to unilaterally increase the mls of bass from 36cm to 40cm, with any reasonable expectation that they would hear, let alone listen, four years ago and before Net Benefits.

 

When it's all down around you, you can either sit in the rubble and wail and cry, or start picking up bricks and building up again.

 

But we aren't in that position, a bit of damge to the roof perhaps, but the new extension is coming along.

 

Leon

Do you seriously consider this as any kind of victory? 4cm? Can you tell me exactly what difference 4cm will make to the average bass angler, because I must be missing something? More importantly, what good is it going to do the bass stocks?

 

I know it's rubbish, you know it's rubbish. So why can't you just come out and say it? Are you still scared stiff of upsetting Ben Bradshaw, the man who has just shafted us? Or are you trying to make the 40cm out to be something good so you can give yourself a pat on the back?

 

It really worries me that the people who are supposed to be representing me, and every other sea angler in the country, can appear to be so satisfied with what is obviously a crap result. I don't blame anyone in particular for what's happened, (although I do think things could have been done slightly different), but I can't believe that there are people trying to make the result sound good.

 

I've just looked on the NFSA, the SACN and the BASS websites, and there hasn't been any reaction on any of them. I would have hoped that they would have reacted immediately and voiced their very strong disatisfaction with Bradshaw's decision. But no, there's nothing. The commercials reacted straight away. Maybe that's why we always come second?

[Leon Roskilly]

Are you still scared stiff of upsetting Ben Bradshaw, the man who has just shafted us? Or are you trying to make the 40cm out to be something good so you can give yourself a pat on the back?

 

Going to pm on this!

[Whitebridges]

Leon,

 

Strategy for the Development of RSA is the big one.

 

Last chance saloon. In the scale of things the MSL for bass is a blow but this would pale in to insignificance if we could formulate a strategy and then make it work.