RSA Strategy Update

[Steve Coppolo]

Hello Glen

 

As rsa stategy is to take over stocks and displace inshore commercial fishermen .........

 

Hello Peter

Not according to the last draft document that they produced between them it isn't!

 

P.S. The tench are on the feed. Had a few nice ones on Monday.

[wurzel]

Surely whilst we try to get the message out about the sea anglers strategy to sea anglers you can have the argument, (of who owns the sea, who has too much quota, too little quota), eslewhere. This is a serious matter about angling and should remain about angling and not descend into the commercial v recreational debates which can be found in almost every other topic on here. Your an angler Wurzel or so I'm told so why not approach the topic as an angler.

 

I for one want this shite blown out the water, I dont want an anglers strategy or a 20 year plan and in a conversation over the phone the other day I actually admitted you were right about something (not an everyday occurrence believe me) - DEFRA are in dyer need of something to manage.

 

Hello Glen and Stavey

 

Ok putting commercial issues aside, I do comment on here as an angler, as an angler I have no trouble in finding decent sized mullet, bass, smooth hounds , thornbacks and even cod so straight away I have a different perspective than most on here, from what I here of catches on the ships radio so do most anglers in our area.

As I have experience as have others like JB of DEFRA's management first hand I would not wish it on any body, so as an angler with experience of DEFRA I would not want any thing to do with them, I would not trust them any further than I could throw them, but with knowledge I have of DEFRA I fear there is not much any one can do to stop them, trying to judo throw a charging elephant comes to mind.

 

With recent new directives and the refusal to address the chronic shortage of quota set aside for the under ten meter boats, I am not sure whether it is a European directive, I suspect it is, the under tens are in for the same treatment as the big boats, only we won't have the option of decommission, the plan is to force boats out of the job by making it impossible to operate, once the fleet has been reduced to just a hand full of boats, as with the big boats just a few fat cats that can weather the storm, they will issue individual quotas (ITQ) or force them in to the big boat quota system,Job finished.

The point I am making is that DEFRA know there will be little to manage once this is all in place, I am sure this is the only reason they are looking to manage us anglers.

 

All the meetings and consultations that you will be invited to participate in is just an industry of it's own and will have very little to do with the final out come.

[steve good]

Hello Glen and Stavey

 

Ok putting commercial issues aside, I do comment on here as an angler, as an angler I have no trouble in finding decent sized mullet, bass, smooth hounds , thornbacks and even cod so straight away I have a different perspective than most on here, from what I here of catches on the ships radio so do most anglers in our area.

As I have experience as have others like JB of DEFRA's management first hand I would not wish it on any body, so as an angler with experience of DEFRA I would not want any thing to do with them, I would not trust them any further than I could throw them, but with knowledge I have of DEFRA I fear there is not much any one can do to stop them, trying to judo throw a charging elephant comes to mind.

 

With recent new directives and the refusal to address the chronic shortage of quota set aside for the under ten meter boats, I am not sure whether it is a European directive, I suspect it is, the under tens are in for the same treatment as the big boats, only we won't have the option of decommission, the plan is to force boats out of the job by making it impossible to operate, once the fleet has been reduced to just a hand full of boats, as with the big boats just a few fat cats that can weather the storm, they will issue individual quotas (ITQ) or force them in to the big boat quota system,Job finished.

The point I am making is that DEFRA know there will be little to manage once this is all in place, I am sure this is the only reason they are looking to manage us anglers.

 

All the meetings and consultations that you will be invited to participate in is just an industry of it's own and will have very little to do with the final out come.

 

Hi Peter

 

Spot on

 

I had to sell my over 10 metre boat because the public sector quotas made it impossible to live, now I am under 10 metres the same thing is happening

 

steve

[JB]

Hello Glen and Stavey

 

Ok putting commercial issues aside, I do comment on here as an angler, as an angler I have no trouble in finding decent sized mullet, bass, smooth hounds , thornbacks and even cod so straight away I have a different perspective than most on here, from what I here of catches on the ships radio so do most anglers in our area.

As I have experience as have others like JB of DEFRA's management first hand I would not wish it on any body, so as an angler with experience of DEFRA I would not want any thing to do with them, I would not trust them any further than I could throw them, but with knowledge I have of DEFRA I fear there is not much any one can do to stop them, trying to judo throw a charging elephant comes to mind.

 

With recent new directives and the refusal to address the chronic shortage of quota set aside for the under ten meter boats, I am not sure whether it is a European directive, I suspect it is, the under tens are in for the same treatment as the big boats, only we won't have the option of decommission, the plan is to force boats out of the job by making it impossible to operate, once the fleet has been reduced to just a hand full of boats, as with the big boats just a few fat cats that can weather the storm, they will issue individual quotas (ITQ) or force them in to the big boat quota system,Job finished.

The point I am making is that DEFRA know there will be little to manage once this is all in place, I am sure this is the only reason they are looking to manage us anglers.

 

All the meetings and consultations that you will be invited to participate in is just an industry of it's own and will have very little to do with the final out come.

When will RSA realise this?

DEFRA are one of RSAs real enemies.

When will the penny finally drop?

 

JB

[glennk]

I think the penny is dropping but as Peter says what can you do. Check out sharkbyte post on insurance. Another one time supporter of RSA Strategy, bag limits and licences seeing it all for what it really is, truth is we don't want this crap. The Whitby Sea Anglers written response to the draft called for the angling reps to walk away from the table, I doubt it will happen but we shouldn't be sat round a table with people who want to destroy are hobby..

[Steve Coppolo]

Getting back on track, (although I must say i agree with the above comments about DEFRA), the future regarding the RSA strategy looks very worrying from where I'm sitting.

 

Information about what happened at the meeting on the 15th February is very patchy. I get the impression that those who attended were told to keep things under wraps until the strategy, in whatever form it ends up taking, is out for public consultation. Despite asking plenty of questions I still haven't seen any evidence that I'm wrong on this point, so I'll go with it until I do. Let's look at the information we do have.

 

Following the meeting DEFRA agreed to re-write the draft strategy document. There was mention of the last draft not being worded positively enough. DEFRA have said that if all are in agreement with the new strategy document at their next meeting in March, it will then go out for public consultation. I have to say that I find this timescale very worrying. Between now and March, DEFRA have to re-write the strategy document and get it out to the RSA reps. The RSA reps then have to get copies of the amended strategy document out to their members. The members then have to get their comments back to the RSA reps, who then have to let DEFRA know whether the members find this version acceptable or not. All by March? Can you see this happening? I can't. What I can see happening is DEFRA re-writing the draft strategy document, (it'll be basically the same but the wording will have been tweaked to make it read more "positive". Watch out for that one, it's almost a dead certainty), then it'll be presented to the RSA reps at the next meeting, along with the commercial fishermen and everyone else who also sit on the sub group. There will be alot of pressure to get the strategy agreed at that meeting and it could be pushed through to public consultation stage without any of us even seeing it.

 

The excuse given will be that we will all get our chance to comment on the strategy during the consultation stage. This would be a total cop out. By the time this RSA stategy, the thing that will shape the future of our sport, gets as far as public consultation stage it will already have been decided. Experience has shown just how little notice is taken of public consultations, ie, none. If the strategy is agreed at the March meeting, the comments you can look forward to reading in the summary following imposition of the new RSA strategy will include, "there was support for this strategy from RSA representative bodies." , or words to that effect. The time to thrash out the detail for the strategy is now, not March and certainly not during the public consultation.

 

Another thing that worries me is this. DEFRA have just released their plans for the future of our fishery. It is a 20 year plan! Yep, 20 years! They seem to think they've got 20 years to sort everything out, but if the last 20 years are anything to go by it'll all be well screwed up by then! The DEFRA 20 year plan looks like a childs letter to Santa, and I think they'll need the help of David Blaine to make it work, or appear to work. So, they've given themselves another 20 years breathing space with regard to the future of the fishery, but only until March to nail the future of sea angling. That is so worrying that it's well worth repeating. They've given themselves 20 years to sort out the fishery, but only until March to sort out RSA. Why?

 

I think the penny is dropping but as Peter says what can you do. Check out sharkbyte post on insurance. Another one time supporter of RSA Strategy, bag limits and licences seeing it all for what it really is, truth is we don't want this crap. The Whitby Sea Anglers written response to the draft called for the angling reps to walk away from the table, I doubt it will happen but we shouldn't be sat round a table with people who want to destroy are hobby..

 

Glenn

I wish you'd stop stating that people have supported the RSA strategy, licences and bag limits, when they haven't!

[JB]

Getting back on track, (although I must say i agree with the above comments about DEFRA), the future regarding the RSA strategy looks very worrying from where I'm sitting.

 

Information about what happened at the meeting on the 15th February is very patchy. I get the impression that those who attended were told to keep things under wraps until the strategy, in whatever form it ends up taking, is out for public consultation. Despite asking plenty of questions I still haven't seen any evidence that I'm wrong on this point, so I'll go with it until I do. Let's look at the information we do have.

 

Following the meeting DEFRA agreed to re-write the draft strategy document. There was mention of the last draft not being worded positively enough. DEFRA have said that if all are in agreement with the new strategy document at their next meeting in March, it will then go out for public consultation. I have to say that I find this timescale very worrying. Between now and March, DEFRA have to re-write the strategy document and get it out to the RSA reps. The RSA reps then have to get copies of the amended strategy document out to their members. The members then have to get their comments back to the RSA reps, who then have to let DEFRA know whether the members find this version acceptable or not. All by March? Can you see this happening? I can't. What I can see happening is DEFRA re-writing the draft strategy document, (it'll be basically the same but the wording will have been tweaked to make it read more "positive". Watch out for that one, it's almost a dead certainty), then it'll be presented to the RSA reps at the next meeting, along with the commercial fishermen and everyone else who also sit on the sub group. There will be alot of pressure to get the strategy agreed at that meeting and it could be pushed through to public consultation stage without any of us even seeing it.

 

The excuse given will be that we will all get our chance to comment on the strategy during the consultation stage. This would be a total cop out. By the time this RSA stategy, the thing that will shape the future of our sport, gets as far as public consultation stage it will already have been decided. Experience has shown just how little notice is taken of public consultations, ie, none. If the strategy is agreed at the March meeting, the comments you can look forward to reading in the summary following imposition of the new RSA strategy will include, "there was support for this strategy from RSA representative bodies." , or words to that effect. The time to thrash out the detail for the strategy is now, not March and certainly not during the public consultation.

 

Another thing that worries me is this. DEFRA have just released their plans for the future of our fishery. It is a 20 year plan! Yep, 20 years! They seem to think they've got 20 years to sort everything out, but if the last 20 years are anything to go by it'll all be well screwed up by then! The DEFRA 20 year plan looks like a childs letter to Santa, and I think they'll need the help of David Blaine to make it work, or appear to work. So, they've given themselves another 20 years breathing space with regard to the future of the fishery, but only until March to nail the future of sea angling. That is so worrying that it's well worth repeating. They've given themselves 20 years to sort out the fishery, but only until March to sort out RSA. Why?

Hi Steve,

I am glad that at least a few RSA are now realising that DEFRA is the nemesis of all who fish.

 

Unfortunately, as you say, the ‘catching sectors reps’ will be allowed to comment on this issue. They are experienced, having been involved in this political game for thirty-odd years now. And whereas once they had no axe to grind against RSAs, and an alliance may have been feasible, this may no longer be the case. Due to recent events, like petitions against them and, to an extent, the writings of anti-commercials on this very forum - which clearly is being monitored - the catching sector may now be classing RSAs in the same group as ‘The Greens’ and DEFRA.

 

It’s no longer anything to do with conservation. It’s all become a political game and as far as DEFRA is concerned, it’s all about creating jobs for the boys.

 

JB

[Steve Coppolo]

Hi Steve,

I am glad that at least a few RSA are now realising that DEFRA is the nemesis of all who fish.

 

Unfortunately, as you say, the ‘catching sectors reps’ will be allowed to comment on this issue. They are experienced, having been involved in this political game for thirty-odd years now. And whereas once they had no axe to grind against RSAs, and an alliance may have been feasible, this may no longer be the case. Due to recent events, like petitions against them and, to an extent, the writings of anti-commercials on this very forum - which clearly is being monitored - the catching sector may now be classing RSAs in the same group as ‘The Greens’ and DEFRA.

 

It’s no longer anything to do with conservation. It’s all become a political game and as far as DEFRA is concerned, it’s all about creating jobs for the boys.

 

JB

 

Hi JB

I don't think we'd have achieved anything from forming an alliance with the catching sector anyway.

[JB]

Hi JB

I don't think we'd have achieved anything from forming an alliance with the catching sector anyway.

Whether or not RSA reps and commercial reps would ever wish to form an alliance is, as you say, debatable. However, at this crucial time the last thing RSAs should be doing is cultivating enemies.

 

JB

[steve good]

Hi Steve,

I am glad that at least a few RSA are now realising that DEFRA is the nemesis of all who fish.

 

Unfortunately, as you say, the ‘catching sectors reps’ will be allowed to comment on this issue. They are experienced, having been involved in this political game for thirty-odd years now. And whereas once they had no axe to grind against RSAs, and an alliance may have been feasible, this may no longer be the case. Due to recent events, like petitions against them and, to an extent, the writings of anti-commercials on this very forum - which clearly is being monitored - the catching sector may now be classing RSAs in the same group as ‘The Greens’ and DEFRA.

 

It’s no longer anything to do with conservation. It’s all become a political game and as far as DEFRA is concerned, it’s all about creating jobs for the boys.

 

JB

 

Hi John and Michele

 

Thats a very fair assessment, and you have a really good understanding of the situation

 

steve