Bradshaw fouls up.

[Whitebridges]

Going to pm on this!

 

Does pm mean "pat myself"?

[Leon Roskilly]

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.

 

 

At talks with the Coastal Waters Policy Branch (CWPB) of DEFRA (responsible for RSA issues), the importance of creating a strategy for the development of RSA was accepted.

 

There was subsequently a meeting to which most major English Angling Organisations were invited (but which not all attended).

 

A draft strategy document was hammered out, and presented to the CWPB, discussed and modified.

 

DEFRA pointed out that they were not there to represent one stakeholder over another and that to take the document forward, it would needed to be discussed and agreed with other stakeholders, including representatives from the catching sector, the SFCs, NGOs.

 

The avenue offered to take it forward was to present it firstly to the Inshore Working Group of the DEFRA Marine Stakeholders forum.

 

That was done and a sub-committee of the various main stakeholders on the Inshore Working Group was formed.

 

 

The document has been discussed at two seperate meetings of the sub-committee with a view to coming up with a document that all stakeholders find acceptable (albeit some will not be 100% co,fortable with).

 

(The draft document was circulated to the SACN membership, I can't speak for the other organisations involved)

 

The next step is for DEFRA to produce an amended draft which the RSA organisations need to decide whether it is something worth taking forward.

 

Once a document is available that the majority of RSA organisations and other stakeholders can support (again it is not expected to please absolutely everyone), DEFRA will take that over with the intention of developing the strategy further and delivering on the proposals it contains, which in some cases will require primary government legislation and further consultations with wider stakeholder groups.

 

Not an easy path, nor a short one, with plenty of potential pitfalls and some tough negotiations to come.

 

But it's a path that we have already moved along an unimaginable distance.

[Guest CJS2]

Looks like the Ministry of 'silly walks' have cocked up, sneaky old Mr BB,

[Ian Burrett]

I can't even think how guttered the lads are, that have put years of their time and in many cases their own money into trying to get the MLS changed to 45 cm.

 

I know it isn't the result we wanted, and I personally think Bradshaw could have gone that extra 2 cm. but i would like to say a "big thanks" on behalf of RSA to all those who have worked on the BMP. You deserved better.

[sam-cox]

Martin Salter rejected criticisms from the Countryside Alliance, who described the decision as a political fudge. Mr Salter said:

 

I put the Countryside Allians right, a political fudge!

 

Now comes our lisence lads!

[Steve Coppolo]

Martin Salter rejected criticisms from the Countryside Alliance, who described the decision as a political fudge. Mr Salter said:

 

I put the Countryside Allians right, a political fudge!

 

Now comes our lisence lads!

 

It was a political fudge.

 

As for sea angling becoming a licenced sport, that depends on what our reaction is to todays debacle. If we pretend it's a good result we will be seen as very easy to please, and to walk over. You can bet we will be licenced pretty quick, with nothing whatsoever to show for it. If we let it be known in no uncertain terms that we are not happy with the cop out, and refuse point blank to even discuss bag limits and licences until something a whole lot better is on the table, we might do better.

 

I've always said I'd be in favour of a licence IF we got something worthwhile in return. What we got today was a kick up the arse.

[steve pitts]

I wish I could share your optimsim Leon - I really, really do - but the first time that Defra had an opportunity to make a tangiable and positive difference - they revert to form and ignore the majority, the science, the economics and the ethics and shat themselves that their empires are being threatened by a bunch of anglers who have the afront to challenge their little empires.

 

They manipulate the responses and select soundbytes for their report and recommendations to the minister, who in turn hasn't the balls to do the right thing for the stock and reject their conclusion, that a hopeless increase to 40cm is the way forward.

 

I did have high hopes for a new era at Defra and BB, a Sea Angling Strategy and reformed SFCs.

But apparently it's business as usual up at Nobel House - ''the next lot of civil servants can sort the mess out -I'll still get my pension.''

 

Give me back MAFF - at least we knew where we stood with them.

 

 

Steve

Edited August 10, 2006 by steve pitts

[glennk]

Too many mr trebilcocks about Im afraid Defra were scarred to death of what he and the other commercials would say if BB sided with anglers. Wonder what would have happened if the governement felt the same way about anglers. They - the commercials were very vocal. Perhaps you should fight fire with fire ?. I'm with steve - the governement should be heavily criticised by all angling bodies for this and not in nice polite words either.

Edited August 10, 2006 by glennk

[Jaffa]

Just MHO but:

 

This seems like a disaster for everyone.

 

a. The UK commercials lose to their competitors.

 

b. More bass will be thrown back dead.

 

c. The commercials will have woken up and understood that anglers are not just the nice but weird guys that like to fish for fun .

 

d. Oragnisations with Southern attitudes about everything from immigration to what is considered worth eating/catching/economically important will be imposed on everyone else.

[SOLWAYSILVER]

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?

Im with you Leon

your right 4 years ago this would have been unimaginable!!!!!

i am a salmon fisherman as well as a bassman and we didnt give up like some of these moaners after the 1st knockback

after years of lobbying,fund raising and intence negotiating with the netsmen and goverments they have eventually removed nearly every commercial net from greenland to our coast and now it looks like the irish driftnet fishery is under pressure to stop in 2007.so it can be done .you just dont lay down at the 1st hurdle.

IMO the GOLDEN MILE is the next target to aim at .its the cowboys with there gillnets the anglers who fish for profit and not for sport and in my area the holiday makers who fish the outflow of the powerstation and cart immature bass off in carrierbags to sell for there spending money.

So come on lads get behind Leon youve got this far and i know its been a real setback but thers still alot of worthwile things to fight for.

Bryan