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Sea anglers to be heard at last
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
20th May 2004
NEW proposals from a Government body could at last give sea anglers a voice in the management of fish stocks around Britain's coasts and the creation of Sportfishing only areas.
The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report on Fisheries suggests a number of revolutionary measures, including voluntary licensing and a catch-record scheme.
The licensing could fund more research, which at the moment is limited, into assessing the effect of trawling on fish stocks.
Unlike freshwater angling, there is currently no licence money to fund any extended research and in addition the money raised could also be used for the conservation of rapidly dwindling fish stocks.
The report outlines what sea anglers have been saying and asking for years as David Rowe, development officer for the National Federation of Sea Anglers explained: "The voice of sea angling has been heard. It vindicates all the views we have had and the time spent by the federation's conservation group in putting forward our opinions and attending numerous meetings."
The new report also says that those representing sea anglers at a national level should work with the national fisheries department to look at the case for designating specific species such as bass for wholly recreational use.
This comes as welcome news to anglers who have seen productive grounds targeted by commercial fishermen.
"Spawning bass stocks are being hit by Scottish trawlers around the Channel Islands and the South West Peninsula although it is difficult to prove they are doing it deliberately. We are now eagerly awaiting the socio-economic study into the impact of sea angling on the economy. Exciting things are going on at the moment," added Mr Rowe.
In addition to a licence, additional funding could be raised by a voluntary levy run by sea angling organisations. For example, a £10 per year levy among an estimated 40,000 anglers would fund £400,000 worth of annual research.
Malcolm Gilbert, who represents the National Federation of Sea Anglers and the Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society on conservation issues, describes the Government report as a remarkable outcome for recreational anglers.
The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign calling for a closed season for bass fishing and an increase in minimum landing size.
The proposals call for a closed season for the retention of bass from January 1 to March 31 in all United Kingdom waters, plus a phased increase in the minimum landing size of bass from 36cm to 55cm in those waters.
The first proposal aims to stop trawlers targeting bass shoals in UK waters during the main part of the spawning season when all bass caught would have to be released. The second proposal aims to increase the average size of bass in UK waters over a period of time.
The launch of the Liberal Democrat proposals were supported by the National Federation of Sea Anglers, Bass Anglers, Sportfishing Society and other angling bodies. The move, which offers a high profile platform for an issue of wide interest to sea anglers, comes in time for the elections in June to the European Parliament.
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