NFSA (WHOSE FOOLING WHO?)

Message from Richard Ferre, Chairman of the NFSA.

I have received a copy of your note saying that the NFSA will disband in July. Can I please give you the exact position, which is nothing like that.

The NFSA has agreed in principle to support the concept of 6 angling organisations merging to create one, strong, organisation better able to both provide benefits to anglers in the way we do now and fight for the changes anglers need to see to protect and improve their sport.

To this end we, the NFSA, have signed a letter of intent, which is non binding but serious, to that effect, and contributed some funds to assist with the legal, financial and marketing work needed to be sure that what we are thinking about is both practical and worthwhile.

Before the NFSA finally commits itself it will seek approval of its membership via an AGM.

The target timeframe is to create a new legal entity this year into which the participating organisations can integrate if and when the timing is right. The integration will not happen this year.

If and when integration occurs, all the things the NFSA does today will be carried out by the new organisation.

An update for NFSA members will be included in the next NFSA journal, due out shortly.

If the planned merger does not strengthen the things that can be done for NFSA members, the board of the NFSA will not recommend it to the membership.

I hope you are able to distribute this to the same list your original note went to, as it is important that people know the exact position.

Regards, Richard Ferre.

Reply from Trevor Sutch, ISAC.

Thank you for the update. My original message was taken from the FACT website which details the information sent to ISAC members. £10,000 is a huge financial commitment. Based on your statement last year that £26 per member would save the NFSA for the long term, it appears to me, that it was a way of closing down and transferring the running to the new organisation. Certainly, from what I read, FACT believe they will be the governing body from January 2009. Having spent such a large amount of membership money without the approval of the members may raise some questions at the AGM. In 2009 there would be no reason to join the NFSA. Personally, I believe sea anglers need a separate organisation and your recent successes dictate little need to affiliate to a single body, especially heavily loaded with freshwater anglers. Their sport is totally different to ours. If any of your senior board members had walked the beaches of southern England every month over the past decade, they would have realized that. However, although your statement doesn't really clarify anything, I will print it on the News link of our website for all to read as you requested. TS.

BLACK FISH HI-TECH FIGHT AGAINST THE CHEATS

The fight against illegal fishing is a hi-tech operation. At sea, the Royal Navy's fishery protection squadron, the oldest frontline squadron in the navy, leads the battle, supported by spotter planes. From its headquarters in London, the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) tracks via satellite the position of all vessels more than 15 metre's long, and inspectors patrol the major ports making sure "black fish" are not landed.

Last month, February, the ringleaders of a black fish racket agreed to pay fines and confiscation orders totaling almost £1m. Valuable species of quota fish such as plaice and sole worth hundreds of thousands of pounds were landed at ports including Newlyn, Padstow and Falmouth in Cornwall and Workington and Whitehaven in Cumbria. The skippers, who worked for TN Trawlers, failed to declare the landings and the "black fish" was sold on illegally through merchants and disguised in records as non-quota species such as turbot, brill and lemon sole.

Elizabeth Stevenson, president of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, is one of 17 owners, skippers and agents from Newlyn awaiting sentence in a black fish scam. Black landings were once endemic in Scotland, distorting the fish market and devastating conservation efforts. But since 2002 every trawler has been tagged with a tracking device and every landing logged and monitored.

In England and Wales, which the MFA polices, it is common knowledge black fish remains a problem. One well-placed agency source said: "We do what we can, but in Cornwall and Devon alone there are hundreds of miles of coastline, scores of tiny ports. We can't be everywhere at once."

The Guardian newspaper study revealed that: Around 1,000 small boats have disappeared from UK ports in the past 12 years, with England bearing the brunt; in the same period, the number of fishermen in England is thought to be down by about a third. Some fishermen claim they can catch their yearly share of some quota species in a day. If they catch more they have to throw it back, usually dead, or try to land it illegally. Industry leaders and officials fear the crisis is leading to an increase in criminality among fishermen - including illegal landings - and causing social problems. Fishermen also report that small boat skippers are taking more risks to make a living, steaming out in rougher weather and fishing single-handed to cut costs.

In Newlyn, Cornwall, Mike Mahon said he caught his full year's share of haddock when he hauled up his first net of the new year. He picked out the best specimens and threw the rest back dead so he would still have some quota left. In the Channel, the cod fishery was closed to "under-10" boats last month from Kent to Dorset just six weeks into the new fishing year because the annual quota of 55 tonnes had been reached. Many skippers insist that stocks of cod and other valuable fish are healthier than the scientists and government believe. They joke in Hastings, East Sussex, that there is so much cod in the Channel they could walk to France on a bridge of fish. The Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), agrees there is more cod, but says this is because of the quota system.

The government is setting up a £280,000 study to work out the environmental impact of the inshore fleet - the first project of its kind. Vessels will be fitted with systems to monitor information such as their position and skippers will be asked to record what they caught - and what they threw back. The government is also prepared to spend £3-£5m on a new decommissioning scheme, under which some of the most profitable smaller boats would be put out of action. But Nutfa has already taken legal advice over whether it can take the government to court. Following a meeting between the fishermen and the government last month, the talk was of a port blockade. "Desperate people take desperate measures," said Cuthbert.

The Guardian Newspaper 25.3.8.

GOVERNMENT ABANDONS SEA ANGLING LICENCES

The government today abandoned its current plans to impose fishing licence's on a million sea anglers in Britain. The move follows several years of campaigning by the NFSA to convince successive fisheries ministers that because fish stocks were so seriously depleted by commercial over fishing, the few fish left for anglers were not worth buying a licence to catch.

A provision enabling licence's to be imposed has been withdrawn from the government's big new Marine Bill due to be published shortly. The news came in a written parliamentary answer to Martin Salter (Labour, Reading West) from the fisheries minister, Jonathan Shaw.

A survey of NFSA members showed that only eight per cent supported the idea.

The case was argued by the NFSA in its responses to government consultations, face-to-face with civil servants and last month directly with the minister at a "meet the anglers" session in Penzance, and at a meeting in Westminster.

Richard Ferre, chairman of the NFSA said today: "The NFSA and anglers throughout the country have worked hard to honestly represent to the Minister their view that a licence would have been unfair, financially unviable and detrimental to the sport.

"The minister and his civil servants are to be congratulated for listening to and analyzing our arguments and now for taking this decision."

Mr Salter who is the Labour spokesman for angling, said that he remained committed to the principle of a rod licence for all forms of recreational fishing but added: "Let's first get in place the conservation measures necessary to stop the over exploitation by the commercial sector and give Britain's sea anglers a chance of a decent days sport before we ask them to pay to catch fish that might not be there."

Mr Ferre said he believed it would herald much needed improved relations between the government and the million-strong recreational sea angling industry which was worth nearly £600 million a year in England and Wales alone and supported 19,000 jobs.

"our aim is to expand the sport and sustain the thousands of businesses dependant on it. Many of those businesses would have been badly hurt by an unpopular licence scheme deterring thousands of families who go sea angling on holiday every year often introducing their children to a fascinating, close to nature, outdoor activity."

Anglers were particularly pleased that the minister has clearly indicated his intention to continue with the action program they have been lobbying for to improve sea angling which has been seriously affected by declining fish stocks.

"High on our priority list is the need for new minimum landing sizes to stop commercial fishermen and anglers alike taking fish before they have even spawned once and much improved netting restrictions around our shores."

NFSA Press Release 19.3.8.

ANGLERS BATTERING THE FISH HEADS OF EUROPE

After ten years of stubbornly refusing recreational sea anglers any say in managing fisheries, the European Council has given up and agreed that the £6-8 billion they generate each year now qualifies them as a genuine part of the community's fishing industry.

Sea angling has been denied a role in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) since it was set up 25 years ago to regulate commercial fishing.

Jan Kappel, who represents European sea angling interests, including those in Britain, through the European Anglers Alliance in Brussels, found the charged policy tucked away in a little noticed European Council Regulation issued on February 25.

This stated, for the first time, that Europe's "fisheries sector" now includes both commercial and recreational fishing which it defined as "non-commercial fishing activities exploiting living aquatic resources for recreation or sport."

Mr Kappel said that while this level of recognition for angling was welcome, it was not the same as being fully recognized by the CFP and the EU Treaty.

"We still have work to be before we're properly recognized at the highest level as a legitimate stakeholder in Europe's fisheries policy," he said." However, this new regulation gives us new hooks to use in the waters of the Brussels fisheries directorate."

The regulation set up a Community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy.

The NFSA is pressing the British government to insist on the CFP embracing angling as well as commercial fishing. In evidence submitted to a House of Lords committee shortly to review the CFP, the federation puts the case for the CFP to commit to the regeneration of fish stocks to a healthy and sustainable level in a given timetable.

Richard Ferre, chairman of the NFSA said: "We need the CFP to endorse a sensible scale of minimum landing sizes to stop immature fish being taken.

"This would substantially increase the brood stocks which is an essential step in building-up fish stocks from the present perilously low level caused by years of carefree commercial over fishing."

Commenting on the European change of heart, Malcolm Gilbert, a long time NFSA campaigner, said that unless Brussels fully recognized RSA, anglers stood no chance of exerting influence in fisheries management.

He recalled that on a visit to Brussels ten years ago he was met by a senior official in the Fisheries Directorate who stonewalled: "The activity you represent doesn't exist with us, I don't even know why I am meeting with you as the CFP doesn't recognize recreational angling or sportfishing."

NFSA Press Release 18/3/8.

2008 ENGLAND TEAMS.

The National Teams and Competition Group wish to thank all team members over the past five years for gaining the following World Rankings: Team - Men's Shore, 3rd, Men's Boat, 2nd, Youth Shore 5th, Ladies Shore 5th, Junior Shore 5th. Individuals - Men's Shore, Ian Golds 1st, Ladies Shore, Sherryl Belfield 2nd, Men's Boat, Bob King 3rd, Junior Shore, Jamie Morgan 14th, Youth Shore, Tom Wells 5th. A lot of hard work has been put into achieving these positions and the squad/development system is working well.

Secondly, they wish to announce the International Teams for 2008 as follows:

Home International Shore Championship hosted by the NFSA at Dover from the 3rd to 6th July.

Men's Team will be Dave Chidzoy (new cap), John Lintern (new cap), Rob Marshall, Julian Shambrook, Andy Young, Bill Lindfield (reserve), managed by Norman Berry.

Youth Team will be Callum Richardson, Scott Hesling, Robbie Taylor, Aedan Palmer (new cap), Neil Hargreaves, Paul Lingham (reserve), managed by Joe Hyde.

Junior Team will consist of Jake Butcher (new cap), Oliver Hopkins, Jamie Morgan, Adam Smith, Daniel Warman, Steven Rathbone (reserve) managed by Joyce Rogers.

CIPS World Shore Championship in France from 21st to 28 September.

Men's Team will be Colin Carey (new cap), Chris Clark, Ian Golds, Saul Page, Paul Stevens, Malcolm Stote (reserve), managed by Richard Prosser.

A team from SAMF will be fishing the CIPS World Club Championships which will be held in France from the 24th May to the 1st June.

A new competition will be held in Italy this year, the CIPS World Float Fishing Championships, and applications for selection for this team is now required. The event will be fished in November, but the team will need to be selected by the end of June.

Chris Clark, Chairman, National Teams and Competition Group.

Messaged posted 11.3.8

SAMF Members Newsletter - January 2008

The following is an extract from the January Newsletter sent to me by Andy Steele, Tel 01772-611597. Call him if you want a full copy or to join.

Once again, at the AGM we had to report the lowest number of members for many years, down to 247, and the lowest ever entry for the Masters at 70. Because of this and the fall in income we have had to take a number of measures to keep us financially stable. I have also sent a copy of the Newsletter to everyone on my records, not just to last years members, to encourage ex-members to rejoin. For those people whose membership has lapsed and they want to re-join, the re-joining fee of £5 will be waived, don't forget it is worth joining for the third party public liability insurance and the peace of mind this brings.

The following are the bullet points from the AGM in Pwlhelli:

1. The accounts showed a loss of £2128.02 for the year. A 13 month period and 4 challenge matches had contributed to the increase in expenditure but income was down by £1310 because of the fall in memberships.

2. Subscriptions remain at £20 but sponsorship for the Individual League final has been cancelled, at least for one year, and sponsorship for the challenge matches has been reduced to 25%.

3. A lack of qualifying events around the country has contributed to the falling numbers fishing the Masters, and members are reminded that they can run qualifiers, it does not have to be committee, and they can be done in conjunction with other matches such as opens.

4. The Masters final for this year 2008 will be at Eastbourne over the weekend of 15th and 16th November, HQ will be the Eastbourne Angling Centre.

Discussions took place regarding the rotation around the country for the Masters Finals. It seemed that quite a lot of people were unaware of the format. The general idea is to have 5 geographical areas and fish them in rotation. This is not to say that we will return to the same venue every 5 years, but certainly to that area. For example, for the North West, we could be selecting from such as: Pwlhelli, Merseyside, Blackpool, Silloth, Stranrear. A couple of years ago we dropped the North East from the list, as the rivers did not fish well enough to host a Masters, and the anglers did not feel that the NE beaches were suitable. At the AGM it was suggested that the North East area could encompass Lincolnshire, and this was accepted.

It was also pointed out that under the current format we would be fishing the South East in 2008, and the South West in 2009, meaning that northern competitors would have long treks in consecutive years. We therefore agreed to revise the list and have agreed the following order:-

South East in 2008 - Sheerness round to Brighton, North East in 2009 - Tweed to Skegness, South West in 2010 - Would include Chesil but could go to South Wales, Anglia in 2011 - The Wash to the Thames, North West in 2012 - North Wales to South West Scotland.

We will then repeat the schedule. If more than one venue was proposed in an area at the preceding AGM it would be put to the vote, but we would have to be sure we had men on the ground locally to assist in running the event. As I understand it, the National Sea League (teams of 5) would follow our schedule but one year behind, ie in 2008 they would fish in the North West, which is where the Masters was in 2007.

Message posted 7.3.8

SEA ANGLERS LOOK AT A MERGER

Organisations promoting sea and freshwater angling in Britain are considering a merger to increase their influence on government, expand the two sports and eliminate administrative duplication.

The lead body for English sea angling, the NFSA will shortly sign a letter of intent to participate in the early stages of the plan (with the working title of Angling Unity) following a unanimous vote in favour of doing so by its board and regional representatives at the weekend (February 16).

richard Ferre, chairman of the NFSA, said the letter of intent would be non-binding indicating only a desire for Angling Unity to succeed.

"Becoming a full member (there are none yet) would be a significant move and our membership would be fully consulted. Such a step would only be taken if there was overwhelming approval for it at an agm."

The letter, however, does enable sea angling to participate fully in the process of finalizing how a new joint body might function. It is anticipated it would not be ready to begin operating before 2009.

"Meanwhile it is business as usual" Mr Ferre said. "Our activities continue unchanged and we ask our members to continue to support us."

The expectation was that Angling Unity would ultimately be a strong, well funded professional organization with a powerful voice for British angling interests in Europe and at national and local level in the UK, and offer a wide range of improved membership benefits.

"We would retain our dedicated focus on sea angling, including the dialogue with the government over saving coastal fish stocks, organizing England's international and national championship teams this year and in the future, and our existing development, education and training program," Mr Ferre said.

The project was started by the Fisheries and Conservation Trust (FACT) an umbrella organization of which the NFSA was a founding member in 2004.

The freshwater fishing organisations involved in the Unity plan are the Angling Conservation Association (ACA), the National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultative's (NAFAC), the National Federation of Anglers (NFA) and the Salmon and Trout Association (S&TA).

It is anticipated that other specialist angling groups would be eligible to join the new body.

Message posted 7.3.8

ANGLERS URGE MINISTER: TO THINK AGAIN ON LICENCES

Recreational anglers on Monday 11 February 2008 urged the Fisheries Minister, Jonathan Shaw, to reconsider his controversial plans to make them buy licenses to fish ion the sea.

The minister met a delegation led by Richard Ferre, Chairman of the NFSA, and David Rowe, its Chief Executive, at Penzance Pier during a visit to the fishing industry in the region.

The meeting was arranged by the NFSA at the ministers request and included charter boat skippers who take anglers to sea, owners of fishing tackle businesses and anglers who fish from the shore or from their own boats.

The fishing tackle and charter business owners told the minister that much of their trade came from holidaymaker's. If they had to buy a license to go fishing for a day their trade would be lost.

Mr Shaw also watched an NFSA coach giving practical instruction on the pier to a group of young anglers.

Mr Ferre explained to the minister that there was little support for a license because years of carefree commercial over fishing permitted by the present and previous governments had so damaged fish stocks that anglers seldom caught specimens anymore and any fish they did catch were often too small to take home.

He urged the minister to legislate to protect the run down fish stocks so they would regenerate and recover to the point where they would benefit both sea angling and commercial fishing.

The proposal for a sea angling rod license is expected to be included in governments draft Marine Bill next month. The NFSA believes that such a scheme would not generate enough cash to allow any to be reinvested in developing sea angling.

Mr Ferre thanked the minister for spending more than an hour listening to and discussing, the problems of sea angling. The NFSA, he said, looked forward to continuing to work with him and his officials to solve the problems of both licensing and the devastate fish stocks in coastal waters.

Message posted 7.3.8

NFSA WESSEX DIVISION

The 39th Annual General Meeting of the Wessex Division of the National Federation of Sea Anglers will be held on Friday 4th April 2008, at the Ringwood and District Community Centre, Greyfriars, Christchurch Road, Ringwood at 7.30pm.

The Chairman Geoff Knight will be standing down at the meeting so if you want to give it a go, now is the time to apply.

Message posted 7.3.8

MESSAGE FROM AUSTRALIA

Gday Trevor

Hope you are well and ISAC is still going strong. I have to say I am seriously missing it and most of its members. After five months I have only just started to catch fish here after months of gathering information from the locals. Haven't caught any whoppers yet but I'm working on it, will send photo's when I do.

Well its been five months since I left England and a lot has happened in that time, I applied for jobs 2 days into my arrival to Australia although it took 10 weeks to get a job. Got myself registered with all the government bullshit, got a driving licence, car and bought a 2 bedroom house 10 minutes walk from the beach and fishing hotspots. The house is on a 520sq metre plot of land with garage. I paid cash for it, so with no mortgage and working the money just keeps building up, I've never been so better off.

Anyway, won't rub it in anymore, just thought it was about time I made contact with you to let you know how I'm getting on. Please send my regards to Dave Ware, Mark Vinter, Jim Baldwin, Ian Dancey, Tony Methven and all that know me.

Cheers, Mark Carmen. 200 Shellharbour Road, Warilla 2528, New South Wales, Australia.

Message posted 7.3.8

FIXED ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES

Fisheries Administrations would like your views on a proposed system of Fixed Administrative Penalties (FAP) which will be offered as an alternative to criminal prosecution in certain circumstances if fishermen break the law. The decision on whether to offer a FAP will involve assessing the facts of the case against certain criteria.

We've been discussing the scheme with stakeholders for about two years and propose to introduce the new arrangements from 6 April 2008.

Please email comments by 15 February 2008 to adminpenalties@defra.gsi.gov.uk or write to Eileen Ashamu, Defra Marine and Fisheries Directorate, Area 2C, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR. You can read a letter to stakeholders, the draft Statutory Instrument, an Explanatory Note and the Regulatory Impact Assessment at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/penalty-fish-offence/letter.htm If you have any questions please contact Eileen Ashamu on 020 7238 4437 or e-mail adminpenalties@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Fishing Focus No9 Winter 2007/8

 

A PARLIMENTARY GOODWILL MESSAGE: SEA ANGLING PROVIDES LIVELIHOODS AS WELL!

The two main political parties spoke up for recreational sea angling (RSA) in the House of Commons annual fisheries debate.

In the midst of the debate on December 6, Robert Goodwill (Cons. Scarborough and Whitby) reminded MP's that recreational sea angling was "not merely a hobby: people earn their living from (it), and it is very important that they are supported."

Many former fishermen, he said, now take recreational anglers out to sea. He warned against conservation areas being no-fishing zones or restricting sea angling from the shore "an activity that many people enjoy."

Significantly, sea angling came up in the first five minutes of the three hour debate which centered mainly on commercial fishing.

Not just once, twice or thrice but four times in his opening remarks the new fisheries minister, Jonathan Shaw, seemed anxious to launch his sea angling credential because he is regarded by anglers with some coolness since reversing his predecessor's undertaking to increase the minimum landing size for bass.

A shared plan - Fisheries 2027 - was developed, he said, "with fishermen, anglers, processors, retailers, customers and environmental groups" so that "we can achieve sustainability together."

Sustainable fishing meant rebuilding stocks and the right regulations "to enable the fishing industry, sea angling businesses and others who depend on this vital resource to operate efficiently, profitably and in an environmentally responsible manner."

Then on the need for everyone to have access to fishing, he said it again. "We must make sure that the economic and social benefits from fishing, whether commercial or recreational, are shared fairly," he declared.

Just in case any anglers were still fishing from the public gallery for further indication that he really was their friend, he tugged their lines a fourth time.

"Our seas.... sustain extensive fishing industries as well as tourism, angling, diving, boating and other activities. We need to conserve these ecosystems to provide rich resources today and for future generations."

Bill Wiggin, the Conservative shadow fisheries minister, swiftly confirmed his party's support for the £1 billion sea angling industry and the 19,000 jobs it brought to the UK economy.

"We want anglers to be given greater representation on sea fisheries committees, and most of all we want effective management that will deliver more and bigger fish."

A Marine Bill was, Mr Wiggins said, key to the sustainable management of the seas. "We were supposed to get a Marine Bill in draft form two years ago.... Now we know that there is only a draft Bill penciled in for the coming spring."

Could the minister give a commitment it would be on the statute book before the next general election? The minister didn't take the bait.

The Bill, Mr Wiggin continued, must deliver real reform of sea fisheries committees to ensure a million recreational sea anglers were involved in fisheries and marine management.

Labour, he said, had let sea anglers down. The "Net Benefits" report (of 2004) recommended developing the inshore sector including managing recreational sea angling interests. A recreational sea angling strategy was promised last year, but it was published only on the day of the debate.

Little progress had been made with the "Net Benefits" recommendations and little was likely to be made with the new strategy.

It would, he said, be difficult for Britain's sea anglers to trust Labour when they had already been let down over bass, or when plans to introduce sea angling licence's, bag limits and no-take zones could reduce RSA by 60 per cent, as happened when similar measures were introduced in Portugal.

Andrew George, the Liberal Democrat MP for St Ive's, noting there was "clearly a strong bandwagon campaigning in favour of sea anglers" asked if Mr Wiggin could reassure MP's about what the Conservatives did to support sea anglers during their 18 years of custodianship - by giving them a seat at sea fisheries committees, for example?

Mr Wiggin regretted he could not for he was in the House ten years ago but "we have called for strengthening of those sea fisheries committees."

NFSA Press Release 10.12.07

 

GOVERNMENT PLANS "MORE AND BIGGER FISH" TO CATCH

New measures to maintain and grow the £1 billion recreational sea angling (RSA) industry and provide "more and bigger fish" in the sea to support it, are revealed by the government today 30.11.07.

It follows a four-year campaign by anglers to put recreational angling high up on Whitehall's problem agenda for the fishing industry.

The twin objectives of Defra's Recreational Sea Angling Strategy for England are to "provide more and bigger fish within a healthy and sustainable ecosystem and environment" and "maintain and increase participation in RSA on a sustainable basis.... across all groups in society to provide socioeconomic benefits."

It is seen as a positive move to assuage anglers who were outraged last month when the fisheries minister (Jonathan Shaw) dumped his predecessor's commitment to increase the minimum legal landing size for sea bass to conserve the species.

Instead the minister consigned this valuable stock to continued and almost unrestricted commercial predation allowing the slaughter of huge numbers of immature fish before they were even big enough to spawn.

Today's strategy is intended as a guideline, primarily for the 12 sea fisheries committees which regulate the marine environment, including fishing for six miles out around the coast of England and Wales.

Defra says it wants to "realize real improvements" for anglers before any control of their activities, such as licensing. It concedes that "large and sustainable fish stocks and a healthy marine environment are the primary elements which affect the angling experience.

Defra says there should be better access to angling sites, more boat launching facilities, artificial reefs to attract fish and areas of the sea reserved for angling or where only limited commercial fishing was allowed.

The strategy admits that angling is under-represented in sea fisheries management despite its increasingly significant social and economic contribution to the nation. Managements at national, regional and local levels should recognize the needs of RSA alongside other stakeholders.

The strategy idea came from the conservation group of the NFSA in 2004 and a wide group of sea anglers helped draft it.

"Ministers and civil servants had no idea then what a sea angler looked like, what they did or how valuable their activities were," said Richard Ferre, chairman of the NFSA. "They have little doubt about that now."

The anglers strategy was taken up by Defra's coastal waters policy group and presented in detail to all the main stakeholders including commercial fishing, sea fisheries committees and environmental organisations.

"Discussions were vigorous but professional and a document with real positives for anglers has now emerged," said Mr Ferre.

"It calls for management plans at a local level for the species of fish most important to RSA, makes a strong case for better control of trawling and gill netting close to the shore and anglers desire for the "golden mile" concept of no netting within a mile of the shore."

He said the strategy calls for sea fisheries committees to be given the objective of developing sea angling, a duty they do not have today, and to make decisions based on socioeconomic factors not just on concerns for commercial fishing.

The strategy contains some potential threats to angling, notably licensing and limits on the number of fish anglers could take home. However, these, can only happen under the Marine Bill due to be published next year.

It also calls for co-operation between anglers, sea fisheries committees, local authorities and others in developing voluntary sea angling codes of conduct and best practice.

Mr Ferre urged all sea anglers to support the NFSA in its continuing engagement with government to achieve its goal of improving sea angling mostly through "more and bigger fish."

NFSA Press Release 03.12.07

 

SEA ANGLING WELCOMES FRESHWATER INITIATIVE

The move by the four main UK freshwater recreational angling organisations to work together to create a single body representing their interests is strongly welcomed by the NFSA.

The NFSA has been involved in the early stages of the discussions but following a cut in funding from Sport England earlier this year is currently introducing a new subscription structure to ensure financial viability.

By this spring the NFSA 's financial position will be clear and they will formally consider joining the new body (FACT) after consulting their membership

During the intervening period the NFSA representing sea angling interests intends to work closely with the new body.

In the meantime the NFSA is seeking closer co-operation between the various specialist sea angling organisations and will continue to concentrate on RSA issues, particularly the critical need to conserve and rebuild fish stocks.

NFSA Press Release, 27.11.07

 

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN ANGLING UNITY

Leading angling bodies have agreed in principle to establish a powerful new body to represent all anglers.

The boards of the Anglers Conservation Association, National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultative's, National Federation of Anglers and the Salmon and Trout Association have agreed to their Chairmen signing a letter of intent committing them to the development of the new body. The full membership of each organization will be consulted before final agreement. The NFSA has been fully involved and will formally consider joining next Spring. Other fisheries organisations will also be welcome.

The new body will build on the benefits the four organisations already deliver to their members and become a unified, powerful voice to protect fisheries, the sport they offer and the environment on which they depend.

The development has been led by FACT, the Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust, which already acts as an umbrella body for angling. FACT Chairman Jim Glasspool said:

"This is a major step forward towards a unified organization which will be able to provide an improved range of services to millions of anglers and be an effective voice for them. Much remains to be done but there is an enthusiasm and commitment from everyone to achieve that goal."

FACT Press Release, 27.11.07

 

MINISTER ABANDONED FISHERIES SCIENCE, SAYS MP

The government has "flown in the face" of its own fisheries advisers, Cefas (the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) in refusing to increase the minimum landing size for bass.

The decision looked after the short-term interests of the inshore commercial fishing fleet rather than the long-term interests of the species and the environment, according to martin Salter, the government's own parliamentary spokesman on angling.

He told the House of Commons (on November 22) that just two years ago Cefas had recommended the size should be increased.

"It is incumbent on us to take the long-term view. The science shows that, although increasing the minimum landing size for bass would mean a short-term depletion in the fish available to be caught by the commercial sector, there would be long-term increases."

Thanking him for expressing the angler and dismay of sea anglers at the decision, Richard Ferre, the chairman of the NFSA said in a letter: "We are not naive enough to expect an immediate U-turn but hopefully it will encourage the minister to take some other rapid actions to rebuild confidence."

Mr Salter said increasing the landing size to 45cm would double the weight of sea bass which was a valuable recreational fishing species. "Just as people spend a lot of money to catch quality salmon - far more than salmon would ever fetch on a fishmonger's slab - people will spend a lot of money to enjoy quality recreational bass fishing."

The optimum spawning size for female bass was 42cm. It was simple conservation to give every species the opportunity to breed once to promote sustainable fishing.

Mr Salter said he had tried to make a case for a sea angling licence but he absolutely agreed with the NFSA that this could only happen if there was a significant improvement in the sport available to sea anglers.

The minister's decision had "driven a coach and horses" through the government's new strategy for recreational fishing and through any attempt to make a case for a licence.

NFSA Press Release 25.11.07

 

MINISTER'S "HEARTBREAK" OVER COD - AND OVER BASS, TOO

The fisheries minister (Jonathan Shaw) said today (20.11.07), on BBC Breakfast as "heartbreaking" that EU rules were forcing fishermen catching cod in the North Sea to throw them back dead.

Richard Ferre, chairman of the NFSA, said that a month ago Mr Shaw himself in a scarcely publicized move, committed an equally heartbreaking act telling fishermen that they were free to go on slaughtering in the sea and then selling, huge numbers of small "plate size" immature bass.

"It is ironic that at the first sign that cod stocks may be recovering the first thing the minister wants to do is to take more fish out of the sea," he said.

"The same philosophy no doubt guided his decision to allow the bass slaughter to continue. In the longer term such actions threaten fish stocks and the livelihoods of commercial fishermen and the 19,000 people employed in the sea angling industry."

The bass fishermen are now allowed to kill 36cm (14 inches) long bass not big enough to spawn.

"He completely reversed a decision by his predecessor (Ben Bradshaw) who after months of deliberation had agreed to protect baby bass from over fishing and raise the landing size to 40cms (nearly 16 inches)," said Mr Ferre. "It was part of a plan to raise the size to 45 cm's (nearly 18 inches) by 2010 by which time the fish caught would all have spawned."

It was to have been part of a program to regenerate bass stocks, allowing them to grow much bigger and develop valuable fisheries for both commercial fishermen and sea anglers. The recreational sea angling industry is worth £1 billion a year and there are a million sea anglers.

But Mr Shaw said he could not back the measure because the brunt would have been borne by the inshore fishing fleet "given its current pressures and the present healthy state of the stock."

His short sighted action has been condemned by the government's own parliamentary spokesman on angling (Martin Salter MP) who said he had seen nothing to suggest, as the minister did, that raising the size limit would have a "significant impact" on commercial fishermen. Mr Salter added that the survival of any species was dependent on its ability to breed at least once.

NFSA Press Release 20.11.07

 

ANGLERS SAY LICENCES A POOR CATCH

A controversial scheme to licence sea angling in the draft Marine Bill to be published around Easter 2008, could become bureaucratic, covering only its own costs and not bring any benefits to sea anglers. Although the bill was not specifically mentioned in the Queen's speech to parliament, the government confirmed that it was still committed to bringing it before parliament during the next term.

Angling organisations predict only a quarter of the country's one million sea anglers would pay up for licence's. That would generate up to £3.5 million a year and just about cover the cost of administration and enforcement, leaving no funds to develop the sport.

In a summary of public responses to the proposed licence's, the environment department (Defra) says the main reasons behind the opposition were that the impact of recreational sea angling was considered much less significant than commercial fishing. Licensing was not needed to control it and other recreational users of the sea were not licensed.

"The public responses to this licensing proposal reflected much that the NFSA have urged on Defra for the last two years," said Richard Ferre, chairman of the NFSA.

"Of 271 comments on ideas for modernizing sea fisheries management, 55 were from recreational sea angling," he said. "That shows the depth of feeling against arbitrary licensing and we will continue our determined opposition."

Defra said a number of respondents considered that occasional sea anglers would be put off by the need for a licence and that might have an adverse effect on the angling boat charter business. Mr Ferre said this would particularly affect those on holiday with children.

Anglers and others who conditionally supported or were neutral towards licence's, said fish stocks would have to be significantly improved to make them acceptable. Any revenue must be returned to the angling sector otherwise they would be seen as an additional tax.

Respondents who supported licence's saw it as a means for sea anglers to influence government fisheries policy and increase financial support for sea angling.

Defra's summary said many respondents supported the ability to apply set bag limits on the number of fish which can be retained under certain conditions, such as essential conservation, but applied proportionately to all fishing. Recreational sea anglers said imposing bag limits on them to reserve fish stocks for others was unacceptable.

NFSA Press Release, 6/11/7