deffra meeting

[sam harris]

Can I just correct something that was mentioned in Ryanlees article regarding the DEFRA meeting held in Newbiggin on Tuesday night. He says that the only publicity given was on the NESA site.
I was asked by Dave Morton if I could help by putting the information regarding the meeting (this was the first I had heard of it) in my column in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, this I did, three times. I also gave the details out on in the B.B.C. Radio Newcastle angling programme, again three times.
I went on air on B.B.C. Radio Tees and spoke about it, where I also said that the anglers between the Tyne and Tees had been ignored, and considering that there are more anglers between these two rivers than on either side of them this was a disgrace. I spoke to the Hartlepool Mail who printed an article mentioning the points I have just made. I spoke to Tyne Tees T.V. and B.B.C. T.V.who typical, promised to cover the meeting but, as usual didn't.
I spoke to committee mambers of the Seaham S. A.C. who weren't aware of the meeting at Newbiggin. I suggested to them that if a meeting could be arranged South of the Tyne, their new club H.Q. would be the ideal venue which they agreed would be possible.
I telephoned Nicola Clarke at DEFRA to suggest this, her reply was that she was "getting many calls from all over the country regarding meetings, and that there weren't enough staff to cover all of the places being suggested to her". I know that the committee of the Seaham S.A.C. also myself are still pushing DEFRA for a meeting at their H.Q.
One thing that wasn't mentioned at the meeting is that the licence will only apply to English and Welsh anglers as Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own parliaments and so far neither have made any attempt to "jump on the bandwaggon".
Tight Lines.

[davem2005]

Many thanks for your help with the publicity Sam. The newbiggin meeting announcement was actually delayed by the wait for Defra to confirm a second meeting.

The whole timing of the meetings was in my opinion carefully planned to not allow time for any publicity in the angling press due to their long lead times. The meetings were announced on Nov 15th with a promise of press announcements, printed leaflets and a publicity drive.

Did any angling publication recieve anything from Defra, any angling club or tackle shop get any leaflets. They were supposed to be sending some up for distribution at the Northumberland and Amble open...they never arrived. There was a mention in Tackle and Guns magazine but I would hardly classify that as a mainstream angling publication.

With regard to Seaham hosting a meeting they need to contact defra by email requesting one. I will contact the secretary tommorrow and discuss this with him.

I know that both the MP for Stockton North and Phil Wilson the MP for Sedgefield have written to the minister on this subject in the last 24 hours. This is as a result of anglers in those constituencies contacting them. Its the only way to force the issue with Defra and not get fobbed off by "we can't make it"

On Nov 15th they promised to meet anglers "anywhere anytime"... its up to us to ensure they keep that promise.

If it helps anyone I would be happy to post the email I sent to my MP and the reply I recieved LESS than thirty minutes later. If the defra get contact from clubs and representative bodies, and the Minister gets letters from MP's something will happen.

Cheers
Dave

[sless]

get ya money out
its coming in and wild horses cant stop it

[matchman]

What everyone is forgetting here is, the British government again are doing what the EU tells them to do...

[ryanlee]

think defra were quite shocked at how many turned up,giving that it wasnt actually advertised other than a few members on here that took the the time to inform anglers,i would like to say a big thankyou.

sam forgot to mention you and your paper.sorry for that.
many thanks,what the thread was actually ment was that defra didnt do as they said they would do,what they promised davem and others didnt actually happen and as i said if it werent for people in here the meeting would not of be as successfull as it was,thought you would of had a say from the nfsa sam.

[loopy]

Well this goverment have given us no choice on the EU issue thus the water framwork directive, that was made quite clear in the house of commons last night.Dont forget the large back page article in the Northumberland Gazzete
Sea anglers caught in wrangle over plan to impose licences - Northumberland Today

[matchman]

Originally Posted by loopy

Well this goverment have given us no choice on the EU issue thus the water framwork directive, that was made quite clear in the house of commons last night.Dont forget the large back page article in the Northumberland Gazzete
Sea anglers caught in wrangle over plan to impose licences - Northumberland Today

Any chance you could forward me that mate - or give me a link to the page..?

[LeonRoskilly]

Originally Posted by matchman

Any chance you could forward me that mate - or give me a link to the page..?

There's something in the The Whitehaven News


Whitehaven News

[alf]

At the meeting at Newbiggin the Defra presenters quoted fresh water fishing licensing and making a comparison with the proposed Sea Angling License.

Does this look familiar

1. Government involvement in the conservation of salmon and freshwater fish and the management
of salmon and freshwater fisheries should have three principal objectives:
• to ensure the conservation and maintain the diversity of freshwater fish, salmon, sea trout
and eels and to conserve their aquatic environment;
• to enhance the contribution salmon and freshwater fisheries make to the economy,
particularly in remote rural areas and in areas with low levels of income;
• to enhance the social value of fishing as a widely available and healthy form of recreation
Defra, UK - Fisheries - Salmon and freshwater fisheries - Review

In 1998 they also set up a review group which put their recommendations to the government and in 2001 the government implemented the recommendation made by the review group with devastating effects on the Anglers for the following reasons,

1/ Under the local licensing the licenses were issued from January to January to coincide with the start of the Salmon fishing season on the 1st of February.
The license period was changed no doubt to suit the financial year April to April. So unless you have a continuing license, to fish on the start of the Salmon season the 1st of February you would have to buy last years license.

2/ To conserve Spring run fish no Salmon may be kept until the 16th of June which just so happens to be the start of the course fishing season. However the commercial boats can keep Salmon on the 1st of June and Sea Trout before that.
As a result of these conservation measures hardly anybody starts fishing until June the 16th.Who would want to catch the fish of a life time when the fish are in their prime and have to put it back.

3/On the River Eden a limit bag of two fish has been implemented and they must be Cock fish ,all Hen fish must be returned.

4/ Lastly under the local licensing the Salmon License was £27 and over the years has crept up to £66.50 and guess what it’s going up to £68 in April 2008.

Ask any Salmon Angler how Defra and the Environmental Agency have improved their sport over the last 10 years and I think you will find they feel as though they have been let down badly.

So as you can see these agencies have not got a very good track record. Making legislation for rivers and other inland waterways must be comparatively easy when compared with the mammoth task of trying to make legislation and the policing of any such legislation on Sea Angling considering the massive area of the coast line.

[Topfly]

Thanks for that info Alf, just goes to show how crafty they are.