I really need your support

[redtop69]

Thats my email sent, did anybody else ask for a reply? Ive asked a few questions and hopefully will get the answers!

[phill_itofish]

Email sent

[Stores]

Thanks to everyone up to now. I've just amended my posts so as to correct my error. The deadline for consultation is not December, it's the 5th November. All the more reason to get your opinions heard. Remember you don't have to be a NESA member - just a concerned recreational angler.

[broon shoe]

We could have a party lol

Email sent Davey love the sound of a party am up for that m8 lol

[Iva-Cod-on]

Email sent we can only try!!
Many thanks to relevant people concerned helping us to continue fishing/bait collecting eg Stores etc.

[finseeker]

...

[keith 48]

Email Sent

[Stores]

Thanks again guys. You're right Ivan we can only try. Here's a couple of paragraphs from their Impact Assessment document - make of them as you will (the link to the whole document is at the end)

"Evidence from Natural England demonstrates seagrass in the NNR (National Nature Reserve) from 2012 but it is understood that the rest of the SAC (Special Area of Conservation) has not been surveyed for seagrass and therefore it is unknown if/where it exists elsewhere in the SAC......which is why the NIFCA are taking the precautionary approach of prohibiting removal of sea fisheries resources from seagrass anywhere in the SAC".

"Bait digging is prohibited to occur in the Lindisfarne NNR apart from designated sites that have been mapped. The bait digging zone is a voluntary agreement between the angling groups and Natural England. According to Natural England it is understood that seagrass has started to move into that area on the southern side".

Wonder what comes next?????

http://www.nifca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DOC030913-002.pdf

Interesting, though depressing, reading.

[Marty.E.]

Email sent, thanks for bringing this to our attention David
Marty

[Stores]

Well I think that there will be a minimum of 50 e-mails waiting in NIFCA's in box in the morning. Can I say thank you to all who have responded. 50 are those who have told me they've replied (please sir, it was me, sir lol) and I'm hoping there's a similar amount who will respond anonimously (the faggers from behind the bike sheds). Either way we will make a difference. Two things:

- please, this is not of NIFCA's making. They have jobs like the rest of us and if the top guy says jump then you do what you're told. This is a political animal.

- secondly, I will continue to badger you all until the 5th November. I apologise in advance if you get fed up of me. I'll try and drip feed you information as we go through this month. Remember if you want a copy of my submission pm me your e-mail addy and if you want to contact NIFCA it's nifca@nifca.gov.uk. The prepared speech is:

As a user of the NESA website I wish to register my opposition to any measures that will unfairly penalise me as a Recreational Sea Angler, relative to other users of our coastal environment. In particular I would wish to see fair play with regard to seagrass areas, I demand the right to continue to explore under boulder communities and the right to roam in order to fish.

[DaveyP]

Email sent.

[eastpierlad]

email sent to nifca, keep up the good work and cheers

[Stores]

Not convinced they'll try to bring this in elsewhere but email sent none the less.

L
I know I replied to this soon after Hugh posted it but having done a couple of minutes research:

Dungeness:
"As the thread title suggests, this is about the perceived risk to birds from bait-digging within the Dungeness Special Protection Area (SPA). I've mentioned before about keeping an eye on European Marine Sites (EMS's) as they sneak up behind us and i think this may be an example of just such a thing happening (or not). Something sneaking up behind us ! We're already seeing byelaws being put in place in certain areas here on the south coast that includes restrictions on gathering bait so who knows how far this is all going ?"

Chichester Harbour:
"This Byelaw prohibits the use of towed fishing gears, digging, collection and hand gathering of marine fisheries resources in specified areas of Chichester Harbour to protect Seagrass (Zostera spp) and therefore help prevent damage or deterioration of the Solent European Marine Site."

Morecambe Bay:
"As well as prohibiting bottom trawling in certain parts, the Byelaw will prohibit bait collection, hand gathering of shellfish and vehicular access from seagrass areas."

Add to that Lyme Bay, Cornwall, Hartlepool in the summer (re potting) and, unlike the Conservative Party (and the Labour and Lib Dems for balance) we anglers are all in it together.

Funnily these areas all seem to have one thing in common - not much fishing and not much bait collecting. Now if I was a bird watching diver where would I begin? Somewhere contentious like Beadnall or somewhere out of the way like Budle Bay?
But once the die is cast and the precedent set........coming to a beach, rock end near you......maybe - I'm speculating now.

Hope it doesn't come to that.

[Topfly]

Thin end of the wedge and all that David, e/m sent, good job mate.

[pottsy]

I was lucky enough to meet NESA member Loopy last night at the Northumbria Angling Action Group (CAG) meeting. Keep up the good work, Les, we really do appreciate the work that you do to keep us up to date and for representing recreational sea anglers at the various meetings you attend.

As this thread shows we are right behind you

Ali