Rod licences are going to be a disaster to angling as we know it

[big_cod]

My lord i would never have thought i would have seen the day when a man has to pay to fish in the sea with a rod and line my feeling are so strong against this crazy proposul it makes my blood boil but what makes it so crackers it is that our so called angling reps only represent such a small proporsion of anglers throughout the uk have the right to change what anglers for generations have done to fish with a rod and line to fish in the sea .

I have fished in the sea from the age of 5 and by the sounds of it the guys who have helped this crazy situation come to fruitition arent real anglers they are glory hunters and i can only tell you by the feed back i am getting the backlass will be massive you glory hunters do not represent the majority of anglers throughtout the uk and when the licence thing becomes public wait for the **** to hit the fan.

[Steve Coppolo]

I also predict an almighty backlash when anglers finally find out what's been decided for them, as well as licences, behind closed doors. All this secret squirrels is well out of order. Even my local SFC want to consult local anglers before deciding what to do about bag limits and a strategy, yet certain so called angling representatives couldn't give a **** what anglers think. Something is dreadfully wrong.

Edited March 6, 2007 by Steve Coppolo

[big_cod]

Steve you are so right these pillocks and that is just what they are are changeing the course of angling as we know it and for what NOTHING if they think they are going to get something for there woes with the commercial sector they are gravely mistaken like i said in my earlyer post 99% of anglers dont know about about rod licences the local tackle shop owner who has purchesed the local tackle shop for a great deal of money is horrified all the cheap gear coming in from china a rod and a reel for a days fishing on the peir for a vistor instead of £10 now becomes £30 or even £40 with his rod licence now he is worried and who can blame him charterboats are also in the target line all for a bunch of pillocks who think they know best.

Just as a matter of knote there seems to charterboats left right and centre for sale at the momment looks like the word is out.

Edited March 6, 2007 by big_cod

[thedogs]

Who are these so called representatives? If feelings are so strong then surley they need to named and shamed. Has anyone gone to the press about this (like the sun). Angling is the worlds largest participent sport, surley the people need to or even have a god damned right to know who these people are!

[glennk]

That 10 becomes £18 pound Paul. Or that is the best guestimate for a weeks licence which holiday makers would have to purchase. But you can also add £18 for insurance. So that would be £36.

 

Have you directed the new tackle shop owner owner here ? I bet he doesn't believe you. I mean if I didn't know about this lunacy and you came into my shop I would think you were some disillusioned local - high on lsd or magic mushrooms.

 

I think the licence could be the least of your worries Paul. Bag limits will be coming also and avoiding the word won't put of their arrival - Its all set out in Item 5 of the strategy.

 

You should be careful with your criticism of the reps though Paul as they will point out you weren't at the meeting last Wednesday so therefore you have no right to complain. Hope you weren't fishing like me ? Its not the done thing for anglers.

 

Wonder what next weeks NFSA Survey results will say. Apparently they have already told DEFRA that their membership is all for licences and bag limits.

[RobStubbs]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Coarse anglers have had to have licences since the year dot so why shouldn't sea anglers ? It also isn't going to be some extortionate amount of money either. I don't know what this proposed licences funds are going to be used for but if it's to protect our fish then I'm all for it (and I do sea fish as well as coarse).

 

Rob.

[roryh]

Well i know that all this stuff is going to happen no matter what we say here, but let me say this, i for one will not buy a licence and i will continue to fish regardless. I will keep a few for the table but return rather more as before.

 

The only way to beat these idiots is for all to go this way, civil disobedience works when the publics opinion is ignored by those who are supposed to serve us, and sometimes is the only option.

[glennk]

A few interesting links on the subject of a licence

 

Labour Plans To Tax Anglers - Daily Telegraph Report

 

Sea Anglers Concerned Over Licence - Charles Clover

 

£22 for a sea angling licence BBC Report

 

Happy Reading

 

You'd have thought that, when the Prime Minister's strategy unit discovered that a whopping 1.4 million people a year go sea fishing, the Government would do everything it could to butter them up.

 

Not a bit of it. Instead, in the new Environment Agency report, the Government is planning to thwack sea anglers with a finicky, unfair tax. It's also pointless. At £22 a year, it will in all likelihood cost more to administer than it will raise in receipts

Edited March 6, 2007 by glennk

[Steve Coppolo]

I am tempted to ask the charter boat skippers posting here if they fear a sea license being introduced more than anything else no matter how many 'bigger and better fish' that could provide. I think I know the answer and I think this is one of the issues where most RSAs have to realise that customers and service providers (recreational anglers and a charter boat operators that is) cannot share the same interests all the time. This doesn't mean that anglers and charter skippers shouldn't join lobby forces, on the contrary. On the angling license issue the two might be able to co-operate some of the way -e.g. opposing the license as happens now- but if the Gov comes up with a packet for bargain with some real angling goodies in it I foresee the two sectors lobby their interests apart on that bit.

 

If they came up with a packet of angling goodies, there would no doubt be a shift in attitude. Unfortunately, they have given us no reason to believe that they will, hence the attitudes we have now. The first chance they had to show us they were serious was the bass MLS, and they didn't deliver.

[glennk]

So why are they tabling Licences and bag limits in return for a toilet block or 2 ? Doesnt look like they learnt anything to me.

 

If thats going for it what is the sensible and modest option ? A couple of buckets to **** in ?

Edited March 6, 2007 by glennk