PROPOSED SEA ANGLERS LISENCE

[samuel-cox]

IM DISLEXIC WINTER, SORRY IF THIS OFENDS YOU KENT ANGLER. SPELL CHECK DOES NOT WORK HEAR.

[samuel-cox]

and its xmas hols iv had a drink or two. you got the jist didnt you?

I also bunked a lot of school to go fishing.

[Leon Roskilly]

All organisations collect baggage, and the longer they exist the more baggage they collect.

 

But organisations have to respond to a changing world, by changing themselves to meet the new challenges and the new opportunities.

 

In a commercial world those that do not respond to a changed environment quickly get overtaken by new and more responsive competitors.

 

But politics isn't like that.

 

The NFSA has been around for quite some time and is recognised by Sport England as the governing body for the sport of angling.

 

Now there is a lot of confusion over that term 'governing body' and it doesn't mean what a lot of people think that it should mean.

 

But, when officials, authorities, beuracrats, managers and politicians are alerted to issues that prove to have legs, they start to worry if they are talking to the right people.

 

So, initiatives kicked off by other groups, eventually get referred to the NFSA which can proudly claim to be the 'recognised governing body of the sport of sea angling' and who have a history of representing recreational angling interests since the year dot.

 

However much anyone feels that the NFSA isn't doing the job it should be doing, the fact that it exsists is a huge barrier to putting up a replacement.

 

Many will simply wish it away, and see with a stroke of a wand another organisation, perhaps modelled on the USA Recreational Fishing Alliance, simply replacing it.

 

Dream on!

 

To remove the NFSA, and all of it's residual influence, would take decades of bitter and frustrating political infighting.

 

Energy much better spent by joining the NFSA and reforming it, however unwilling the 'old guard' may prove to be, from within.

 

But then again, anyone attempting that may just find that 'old guard' only too ready to hand over to new blood with fresh ideas and a convincing way forward.

 

I've listened to plenty of criticism from those outside of those in office within the NFSA, but who of them would be willing to step forward and take on the responsibilities of current post holders?

 

Who fancies themselves as chairman of the NFSA?

 

An executive level job demanding total commitement, travelling around the country, visiting associations, dealing with the media, etc etc etc. No time for family life or fishing?

 

Who fancies themselves as development officer, working through the details of child protection legislation, and the disabilities act, preparing reports for Sport England to meet next year's funding requests.

 

Membership secretary, dealing with 5,000 plus members, phones ringing, emails coming in.

 

How far do you think that £10 from each angler goes when just a tiny proportion are prepared to fund all of that and so very much more?

 

The only way that we are going to get the organisation that sea angling deserves is to join the NFSA, pay your dues, become part of it and GET INVOLVED!!

 

If you don't like the NFSA you have now, become part of it and change it!

 

There really isn't an easier solution.

 

There is no THEM to blame, it's all down to YOU!

 

(And I never said that it is going to be easy!!)

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 28. December 2004, 12:08 AM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Leon Roskilly]

Davy Holt:

As I said in my previous post, the federations are a joke and it's hardly surprising they are loosing members hand over fist. It's time they woke up and smelt the coffee.. we need change and we need it NOW!!! before it's too late

Needs somone to make it happen Davy, and I elect YOU.

 

Now , how are YOU going to do it!!

 

 

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Norm B]

Leon Roskilly:

 

Leon Roskilly:

As I said in my previous post, the federations are a joke and it's hardly surprising they are loosing members hand over fist. It's time they woke up and smelt the coffee.. we need change and we need it NOW!!! before it's too late

Needs somone to make it happen Davy, and I elect YOU.

 

Now , how are YOU going to do it!!

:cool: Touch'e

 

 

Tight Lines - leon

:cool:

[Socksy Squirrel]

@winter@:

Dont worry sam, they used to pull me up all the time about my spelling and grammer. Now they just ignore me      

I have always written in a civil way to you. Everyday English is the norm on these boards, as long as you write in such a way as your spelling is comprehensible and your punctuation makes your meaning clear then no one will complain.

 

[ 28. December 2004, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: Socksy Squirrel ]

[DCB]

Can I suggest that you broaden the issue and think outside the box, for a moment.

Accepting that before a sea rod licence could be introduced the marine anglers would want to see more bangs for their bucks, how about looking at a wider concept?

Freshwater anglers have a rod licence and get a pretty good deal from the EA.

Why not, as a first step, campaign for the EA to take over the marine fisheries out to 12 miles. They, unlike the SFC's, have a better understanding of recreational fishing needs.

Unification of the conservation of the total aquatic environment at a stroke, I would suggest?

We now need to move forward to what could be achieved.

ALL anglers buying a rod licence with a small levy, say 3 per cent, going to fund a totally unified, all embracing, professional governing body.

For the first time, the potential to create what we really need, I would suggest?

Please don't say we can't have it - it's impossible.

Just say it's difficult and needs a bit of effort!

Let us be firm, and make the effort.

This Government professes to support our sport, why not tell them what we really want, and our terms and conditions.

Food for thought?

Regards

DCB

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

 

I'm not for one minute suggesting the NFSA needs to be replaced, as you rightly pointed out Leon.. it cant be easily replaced. What it has to do is evolve into a UK wide governing body. The first stage of which would be the creation of an English Federation, just like the Welsh & Scottish Federations. The NFSA would take on the political & Conservation side, only this would now be at a UK wide level. The rest would be handed over to the English Federation.

 

Tis really a quite simple change when you look at it and it puts Angling in a win win situation.

 

As for taking over Jobs.. well I'll put my money where my mouth is and say yes I'd be more than happy to muck in.. cause let's face it if we dont do something soon there wont be any point in going fishing

[dale]

i would pay the fee no problem.

i won't pay it to an angling body though. past monies that have gone there tend to get diverted to pet projetcs generally self interest.

the fee must be payable to a government appointed body, there be real meaningful powers given to anglers and it must be collected/policed properly.

 

sadly, none of the above will ever happen and the fee will still be introduced.

[Leon Roskilly]

dale:

i would pay the fee no problem.

i won't pay it to an angling body though. past monies that have gone there tend to get diverted to pet projetcs generally self interest.

One problem has been that to run any organisation that employs people, has premises, and has to do a certain amount of work to maintain its status as a Sports Governining body, is that most of the membership fees disapear into necessary general administration etc rather than being concentrated on those things dear to the membership's heart.

 

The majority of the NFSA membership have indicated that 'conservation' is their number one priority, but to properly undertake that work requires a significant amount of funding.

 

To cover all the necessary boring stuff and still have an effective 'conservation' fund to do what the membership would want, would entail perhaps a doubling (or more) of the current NFSA membership fee, something that is felt to be unacceptable when the NFSA is struggling to meet it's membership targets (the more members the NFSA has, the more notice will be taken of what it has to say, and the more credible the claim that it represents the interests of all anglers), and even then the amount for conservation work would still be at risk from other unexpected calls on the NFSA general fund.

 

So, what was agreed at the last AGM was the creation of a seperate and ring-fenced 'NFSA Conservation Fund' which would give the membership (and anyone else purely interested in taking forward the conservation work) an opportunity to donate an additional amount on top of their NFSA membership fee, secure in the knowledge that the money would only be used for conservation work.

 

So, get your cheque books out and send your cheque, made out to the NFSA Conservation Fund, to NFSA Head Office!

 

Tight Lines - leon