agrees “There must be quid pro quoâ€
Labour’s Parliamentary Spokesman for
Angling Martin Salter used a debate on the Marine Environment in the
House of Commons last week to outline the steps that would need to be
taken to make a rod licence acceptable to sea anglers.
The Reading West MP reminded Fisheries Minister, Ben
Bradshaw, that licences for commercial boats are currently issued free
of charge and then sold on.
He said:
“There is no revenue stream from the issuing of
commercial rod licences to fund the enforcement and management measures
that we need. The licences are sold on from father to son and from
friend to colleague. That is not a modern, 21st-century regime, so the
situation needs to be resolved.â€
Martin Salter
then highlighted the strong support for the freshwater rod licence
saying:
“Let us consider the thorny issue of
licences for sea anglers. If I were to go trout or salmon fishing, I
would pay a substantial amount for a rod licence, as would be the case
if I were to go freshwater fishing or coarse fishing. Ironically, the
licence is one of the more popular taxes. When the former Leader of the
Opposition proposed getting rid of the freshwater licence, there was a
howl of opposition because anglers are not stupid. Freshwater anglers
realise that no Government will fund the £15 million for fisheries work
and the enforcement functions of the Environment Agency through any
other method, and certainly not with a direct Treasury grant. The
proposal was thus quietly dropped.â€
Mr Salter
then drew attention to the comments on a sea rod licence in Labour’s
“Charter for Angling†which he helped write in 2005. The Charter
said:
“Labour agrees that whilst a sea angling
rod licence could deliver valuable income the current organisational
arrangements are not in place … which might make a licence acceptable
to recreational sea anglers … Labour acknowledges the arguments put
forward by the National Federation of Sea Anglers … that many of the
following actions would need to take place alongside the introduction
of a sea angling rod licence … The proper enforcement of regulations
and minimum landing sizes … The replacement of the Sea Fishery
Committees with an agency charged with marine ecology
management—possibly by extending the responsibilities of the E.A …
Or, vastly improved representation by sea anglers, … on reformed Sea
Fisheries Committees.â€
Mr Salter added for the
government to make clear that measures would be put in place to improve
coastal fish stocks before a rod licence is introduced. However, he
also made it clear that he supported the government including the power
to levy a rod licence in the forthcoming Marine Bill.
He said:
“I do not think that the
recreational sea angling sector is wholly hostile to the idea of a rod
licence. However, as other hon. Members have said, given the problems
that sea anglers have faced for a long time, which have been caused by
other sectors and our collective failure to manage this precious marine
resource, they are entitled to see some improvements first. I would
urge all hon. Members, in a cross-party spirit, to go ahead with the
power to create a sea rod licence. However, we should be very clear
about the pre-conditions and circumstances under which such a licence
would be introduced.
Sea anglers have to
recognise that the freshwater sector is better able to make demands of
the Government by virtue of paying for a licence and having an
automatic involvement in stakeholder groups and other representative
bodies. Many members of the sea angling sector realise that “no pay, no
say†is, in part, a problem for that sector. Sea angling licences exist
in many other countries, in particular the United States.
Recreational sea anglers in this country must also
realise that the enforcement of conservation measures to protect the
fish that they wish to catch costs money and that revenue streams need
to be created. However, we need to give them confidence that the Marine
Bill that will follow from the excellent Marine Bill White Paper will
put measures in place to protect fish stocks.â€
Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw, replying to the debate on behalf
of the government confirmed that the sea anglers were entitled to see
some benefits if they are to be charged for a rod licence at some point
in the future.
Mr Bradshaw said:
“There is an argument, for which there is support in
the angling community, that just as the freshwater angling, or rod,
licence has delivered conservation benefits in our rivers and lakes for
anglers—they recognise that and it is why the rod licence is
popular—there is potential to do the same in the marine area. However,
I take his point that there must be a quid pro quo. There is a duty on
us in government and us as legislators to deliver the benefits that the
sea angling community would like to see if it is to be asked to
contribute.â€
Speaking after the debate Mr Salter
said:
“I welcome Ben Bradshaw’s recognition that
improvements should be delivered before a sea rod licence is
introduced. However sea anglers also need to recognise that they have a
responsibility to make a contribution to protect and enhance the public
fishing on which their sport depends.â€
