NE Anglers Meeting with Defra 4/3/08

[davem2005]

North east anglers are to be given an opportunity to hear directly from Defra with regard to the proposals for sea angling and ask the questions we want answers to.

The meeting has been arranged for

Tuesday 4th March
Bank House Club
7 Front Street
Newbiggin
Northumberland.
7.30 for an 8pm Start.

As well as Defra, we hope to have a short talk from the Fisheries Patrol officers who cover the Northumberland coast as well as from the NFSA.

You will probably all of heard of the proposals for Licenses, bait digging, bag limits and closed areas etc, well this is your opportunity to hear it directly from the people who drafted those proposals and ask them your own questions.

I hope to get another meeting arranged for a bit further south, but for now this and a meeting at Scarborough Angling Club on March 10th are the only opportunity anglers will get.

Don’t miss this chance to have YOUR say to those who are setting policy that could affect your hobby for many years to come.

 

[ryanlee]

any chance of some body guards.

 

[loopy]

Dave, we will all be there from Amble and some Alnwick lads, I know how hard you have worked for this, plus your trip to London on Monday and another one coming up, all on our behalf. We have a long way to go and you have given us all good notice about the possible things ahead. Getting very close to our last chance, get your RSA strategy response in and come to the meeting.

 

[davem2005]

any chance of some body guards.

Who for?

 

[willywetegg]

Why on earth would you want bodyguards ryanlee.

Jim.

 

[Topfly]

Nice work Dave, if anyone needs a lift to get there just p/m me.

 

[davem2005]

Had an email today from the Sea Fisheries Committee.

They will be sending two fisheries officers to give a brief outline of the workings of the SFC and how it affects what you catch.

You may ask why is that important.

The answer is simple. The SFC have set the rules for the last 120 years.

The marine bill includes proposals to reform the way they work...so it makes sense to let you know what they do before Defra outline their proposals for how it will be different.

These are the guys who enforce the rules not set them so they are on the frontline in terms of enforcing fishery policy...so you may have a question or two on that to ask them.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Topfly]

It makes me laugh Dave, i have fished for fifty years now without ever seeing a fisheries officer. i'll not be changing my ways. lets hope some good comes out of this meeting.

 

[davem2005]

Topfly,

I can agree ...in 30 years of buying a coarse license I have been asked for it twice.

The point is that Defra propose to change something that anglers have never heard of as part of the changes to the way our fishing may improve. This is why I feel its important that the someone from the NORTHUMBERLAND SEA FISHERIES COMMITTEE ...yep our local rule makers...comes along and says what they have been doing for the last 120 years.

Then the people from Defra come along and say how they are going to change things for the better.

Thats the only way that us anglers get a more informed idea as to what is ACTUALLY happening now...and how we want it improved.

Far more worrying is the fact that the NFSA ...the angling representative body have not actually confirmed who they will be sending.

So as it stands ...you can have a meeting chaired by the NFSA who have been representing sea anglers for years...but if they dont turn up it will be me ...a painter and boat angler who has never done it before!

I will be contacting the NFSA on this over the weekend (sorry been away all week). Perhaps affiliated clubs may like to ask them directly.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Topfly]

I'll be there Dave, it's no good wingeing after the changes.

 

[Oblickta]

Any word from the NFSA yet Dave? It seems to me they're sitting on the fence waiting to see what happens.

 

[davem2005]

Just got in from work and not checked emails.

I will be writing an open email to the NFSA questioning their intentions as to the NE. There is a place kept open for a speaker from a national body who have been more than keen to represent anglers in London.

Seems its too far north for them to be intrested to make the reverse journey of the one I have been making on a regular basis in an attempt to find out whats going on. It would be nice to hear from the NFSA people who have been speaking up for us in Westminster as to exactly what they have been saying on our behalf.

If they dont send an informed representative to state their case I can only assume they would be happy for me to comment as a non member of the NFSA on my personal perceptions of what has been said on behalf of NE anglers.

I will post the email here and any reply.

With seven days to go its time the gloves came off and all NE sea anglers got to know what is going on because after all this is the whole purpose of the meeting " To discuss issues relevant to the NE".

Cheers
Dave

 

[LeonRoskilly]

Hi Dave,

I spoke to Richard today, he should be contacting you soon

 

[Hook_Line_And_Sinka]

Hi Dave,

First of all, Gutted that I personally can't make the meeting but, If poss, when you go to meeting could you ask one simple question ( sorry to go on a bit ). The question being - Is it illegal to use a mackeral that I have purchased from a wet Fish Shop for shore fishing bait, as we all know it has a commercial value...? When they answer - No, ask why it is illegal to use a legal size (6" ) Brown Crab for shore fishing.. Please can you ask them for an explanation regards to this matter..
To be honest it's like saying you can buy pie & chips from the fish and chip shop, but not give them to the Dog !!!
Good luck and thanks very much Dave.

 

[davem2005]

hl&sinka,
You have touched on a small (and important part ) of what is wrong with our fisheries today.

The laws set have been very one sided and in a lot of cases without any scientific evidence or reason behind them. You happen to have chosen one of the better ones that has no reason other than the SFC's wanting to shaft anglers.

The meeting with defra is not the place to discuss individual laws , particularly since the SFC not Defra set that law, there are more impotant issues to discuss at a one off meeting. The bylaw you refer came into force in 1968 and if it was that high on the agenda with regard to local anglers I am sure it would have come up before now and wont hurt to wait for a few more months to get it discussed.

Having said that I will personally promise to bring up that matter in April at the next meeting of the people who set that law...the Sea Fisheries Committee. I can bring it up as a personal query or preferably can bring it up as an enquiry on behalf of an angler in the Northumbrian Region ( I assume you live/fish there) but from memory I think you are in the brid region. For me to do that you would need to pm me your name, address etc as its a bit hard to raise a question on behalf of a Mr Hook Line and sinka...I ask you ...who would swallow that one?

Cheers
Dave

 

[LeonRoskilly]

There's a comprehensive write-up of the Buckfastleigh meeting on Mike Concannon's website.

Down the page a bit at:

How's it fishing?

 

[Oblickta]

Thanks for the link Leon

"Trevor Hutchings said that the Commercial lobby is well organised and backed its proposals with well researched science and evidence in the form of data to support its case."


Where is this science and evidence stored and can it be downloaded?


​

 

[davem2005]

Thanks for the link Leon

"Trevor Hutchings said that the Commercial lobby is well organised and backed its proposals with well researched science and evidence in the form of data to support its case."


Where is this science and evidence stored and can it be downloaded?


​

I can only think he is refering to the data provided by CEFAS who as far as I am aware provide scientific data on commercial stocks....paid for by guess who...the government..ie the tax payer...ie everyone.

The in between lines reading of that is that they are suggesting that anglers fund a survey of inshore catches...or at least contribute to the surveys. A figure of 38 million pounds a year paid by Defra to cefas annually sticks in my mind for this well researched scienceand evidence. Funds paid from government funds to support a very minority industry.

Anglers survey the beaches in minute detail every Friday, saturday and sunday night in the form of competitions. They record their catches to the nearest 1/4 oz. Unfortunately they dont collate that detail into nice pie graphs because if they did it would have shown falling numbers and catches.

What they do is repond by not attending matches and spending money due to falling stocks. I hear stories of 1000 plus anglers paying to fish NE sea matches...I am told the Amble open is possibly the biggest attendance open this year with 490 fishing.

This is the first report I have read from Defra's "uk roadshow".

Time to phone Defra and the Northumbrian SFC to put the finishing details on next tuesdays meeting. Thats always assuming the "meeting organisers" havn't already done so.

Cheers
Dave

 

[LeonRoskilly]

Where is this science and evidence stored and can it be downloaded?

Mostly at:

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

CEMARE | CEMARE | University of Portsmouth

(CEFAS and CEMARE are due to undertake a 3 year study of Recreational Sea Angling starting in April 2008. Looking at what species are of benefit to RSA and how RSA impacts on them, and how they could be better managed for RSA etc)

On a European level ICES supplies much of the research and fisheries advice (and CEFAS etc input into that)

see: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea - Index Page

The Scottish Fisheries Research Service also provide a lot of information.

see: Fisheries Research Services

(Well you did ask!)

 

[Oblickta]

Thanks again, I've been trying to get my head around all the organisations and jargon for a couple of years now and it seems a jumbled up mess but it is becoming clearer.