deffra meeting

[ryanlee]

what a result in the way anglers from the region actually turned up.
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 and well done to davem, loopy les, and red five,well done lads.think we got our word across to defra,wether they listen is another topic.also a thankyou to all that raised this with other anglers to attend.
my opinion is deffra didnt have a bloody clue what we were on about,or what we actually wanted.did get my say tho.and i asked why should we as recreational sea anglers have to pay for a shore licence to put something right that was caused by overfishing by commercial anglers brought on by the fisheries government,there reply was they now understand it is the commercial angler that has reduced fish stocks throughtout the northseas.
so lets see what they actually do.
lets also see if they take the oportunity raised by a lad to attend a meeting from the tyne down to hartlepool,a very valid point made by the lad.i for one with some of the lads with me will attend that if it ever happens to show support.

 

[treeboa]

there reply was they now understand it is the commercial angler that has reduced fish stocks throughtout the northseas.

ah right so now they understand the whys, and the who`s, i wonder if they can remember it long enough to take it back and actually do something about it, i could not atend for personal reasons but if they do actually get a meeting with defra in hartlepool i would try to make that

so other than this -important that it is what else was gleaned from the meeting other than posturing by defra

 

[Red5]

Nice to meet you last night Ryan. Always good to put names to faces. As you say it was great to see a show of support from so many, with the reps from DEFRA stating that this was the biggest turnout they'd had, I estimated around 100.
Also well done to the lads from South of the Tyne who at such short notice had made the journey up and considering they were representing in some cases 600 club members, DEFRA will get an even bigger shock if they do take the offer up to visit them.
Treeboa, the majority of the points raised, tended to focus on the licence and why it was deemed by anglers as unfair and just another tax.
A very valid point was raised by an Amble fisherman who had surveyed all the clubs catches in the NE and stated that only around 6,000lb of fish had been weighed in over the season which equated to less than a single trawl.
I asked how they could make promises of more and bigger fish when we were part of the EU and tied into the CFP's qouta system which is the main cause of the lack of fish. It would mean coming out of Europe if they were going to follow through on their promise.
Other questions from anglers were did they realise how many people would leave the sport and what that would do for HM revenue.
Why had the consultation been so badly promoted with very few Sea Anglers being aware of it as well as tackle shops and other businesses it would affect.
Why couldn't no trawl zones be introduced to 12 miles out as had been done between Flamborugh head and Spurn point which is beginning to reap more fish for anglers.
The reps from DEFRA were also asked if they'd ever picked up a rod and spent some time on a North East beach when it's blowing a hooley to which they replied 'no', to which they were asked, how can you know anything about fishing then?
They seemed to have very few valid replies to all the questions asked and I think they were probably surprised at how informed many questions were.
Also interesting to hear the SFC lads say how they are constrained by budget and structure, only working from 8.30am till 4.30pm. Bit like having a part time police station and only being able to report crimes during office hours.
Lets hope everyone left last night, spoke to as many of their mates as possible, told them to go to DEFRA's website and reply to the consultation

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

Sounds like a productive evening - insofar that the men in suits got a wake up call about the number of "real people" opposed to the scheme...seems like DEFRA were expecting inarticulate northerners in flat caps and actually got the opposite

Congrats to those who were able to turn up and get their point across

 

[loopy]

Matchman I am sorry you were not at the meeting last night to get the facts for yourself. I chaired the meeting and introduced the Northumberland SFC officer who gave a 25 minute introduction to their role and by-laws on the Nortumbrian coast many of which are different to those in the North East SFC who have jurisdiction south of the Tyne if you have read the Marine Bill white paper and the RSA Strategy document you would now the relevance of Mussel collection along with other baits, this was all about Lindasfarne our source of mussel for bait up here and the possible introductions of Marine protected area's on top of the SSSI and other such designated sites such as Budle Bay. I then left the floor open to questions, The NSFC rep answered the one.
DEFRA then started at 8pm and gave a brief introduction to the RSA strategy aided by a power point presentation, this lasted until just gone 8.30. I then opened the floor to questions every body was given a chance and I stated I would keep it going as long as question kept coming after announcing at 9.35 there would be no more questions despite this I kept on giving people the opportunity to speak until no one put up there hand . The meeting was then left open to discussion with DEFRA on a one to one basis, Many people used this opportunity until 10.40pm when the last person left, DEFRA,DaveM Red5 and I were the last to leave the building. I am sorry your friend did not have an opportunity to speak and apologies if I did not see his hand in the air bur I am sure he could of collected some of the literature DEFRA had on offer along with there contact details and had a one to one discussion with them.
The Marine Bill and the subsequent RSA strategy is not all about paying a licence, that is only a very small part and one in my opinion will not happen for many many years although the legislation may be put in place. The present government have had the power for some time to charge commercials a licence feet but have never had the will to do so, I believe this will be the case with RSA, what we need them to do is to get on top of netting and discards, net design and enforcement. If the Drew report means anything it means potentially we have power in the RSA sector.

 

[Red5]

Matchman,

I took some notes to do a write up for our local paper up here, general notes of how many present, the officals present from DEFRA and SFC's. I also took notes of the questions that were relevant. The trouble with DEFRA's replies were that they were basically non existant. As I said most related to the licence and from their body language I could tell they were uncomfortable and seemed to understand the depth of feeling that anglers have re:licencisng and every response was along the lines of 'well it's only a proposal, nothing is set in stone' and 'we want your opinions. If we are giong wrong with this then tell us'.

I think what is important is that there is better communication from all involved in angling, wether that is individual anglers, tackle shops, clubs and manufacturers and that we all respond to the consultation and if we know someone who hasn't then ask them why?

I understand there were frustrations of anglers in the South re: the meeting being held up north, and I am so glad that there was some fantastic representation from clubs in Ryhope, Seaham, Easington etc and some very relevant questions put forward by those that in some cases represent 600 members....But. As far as I can gather this was an informal meeting, brought about by an idea that a few anglers had to try and get as many anglers as possible together to discuss the consultation. It was discussed on here and support was sought from individuals to try and get something together. There was no reason why another meeting couldn't have been held South of the Tyne. According to the DEFRA reps, the only other places they have visited are Devon, Portsmouth, Felixtowe and Blackpool. It's disappointing to think that anglers all the way down the East coast have been so far been missed out and many other places along the West coast.

I know Loopy took some notes also so PM him for details

 

[loopy]

Matchman if you read the Drew report you will see that the government realize how much the RSA sector has to offer in terms of the tackle trade along with private charter and the tourist industry the jobs and revenue it generates. This is the whole point of this Strategy, I believe they will not cut of the arm that feeds them. They know they got it wrong even mentioning the word licence fee as it has distracted all from the point. Look at the Skate that has been caught and re tagged 6 times by a RSA charter skipper, the fish is worth about £25 dead at market, the RSA skipper has earned in excess of £6000 out of that one fish. The Drew reports that Some RSA area's are Worth more than the local commercial fleet. If they can make it better and that is a big if, that is adjust the commercial sector and the jobs and ancillary trades associated they can make RSA grow along with the associated tackle trade therefore take more revenue from a growth area and then throw in the licence fee. The meeting last night was an informative meeting and not a formal minuted affair, however one of us took notes for our local press of the relevant questions and answers and I also am also awaiting a copy of the Q&A as recorded by DEFRA hopefully I can pick them up next week in Westminster when I will attend a meeting with Natural England over Marine Protected Area's as you would know they have failed twice recently to introduce two such area's due to pressure from local RSA. Lets see what they have to say. If you wish to speak please PM me and I will be happy to have a chat and give you my home number.

 

[sam harris]

Defra meeting.

Defra meeting.

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

 

[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

 

[LeonRoskilly]

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.

 

[davem2005]

Alf ,
Thanks for posting that. I would point out that the Salmon And Seatrout association, the Atlantic Salmon Trust and the ACA are probably the sole reason that NE sea anglers did not get a chance to have their say at the 2008 angling summit.

They quite simply made sure they got their say allowing no time for others to get a word in.

I have since contacted the S&ST assoc with regard to a matter brought up on this forum. It was an item that was in the intrest of both them and sea anglers...got ignored.

So I took it up with the Atlantic salmon association...still awaiting a reply.

So NE sea anglers got screwed in Westminster by EVERY other angling organisation with regard to having a voice, and I do mean every organisation including the one I am a member of.

I would like to thank a moderator here for reminding me of a past thread. I had forgotten I have a pesonally signed letter from the current fisheries minister to say "I have no intention of visiting the NE"...could this be why defra are reluctant to come here...or perhaps it could be because the NFSA, Northern Fed and the clubs themselves have not as yet asked them to come here.

I hope to eventually make him wish he had never signed that letter.

Cheers
Dave