Meeting with DEFRA tonight in Scarborough

[Glenn Kilpatrick]

Significant points.

1. Poor turn out of 7 anglers from the whole region
2. Discussion on bass fishing took up a large amount of time
3. Marine bill consultation closed last week. Now waiting for Ben Bradshawes thoughts.
4. RSA strategy consultation will hopefully take place by late summer
5. Defra acknowledged that communication with anglers is currently poor. They requested that anyone wanting to recieve information from them about RSA strategy etc should provide contact details either an email address or home address. It was suggested that defra contact all tackle shops with future details of consultations.
6. I suggested DEFRA pay sea angler magazine to carry an article about the rsa strategy and suggested they employ someone to write the article in laymans terms. I suggested they pay as it is unlikely that sea angler will run their press releases free of charge (based on them charging BASS organisation £2000 to publish their press release on bass consultation).
7. North eastern sea fisheries committee representative spoke out saying he believed anglers catches should be restricted and that bag limits for anglers should be introduced.

Sure there was more than that but cant remember. If you were there and think I have things wrong then please tell me. Also please add anything I missed.

[Topfly]

Rsa

Hi Glenn, does that mean that anglers have to get in touch with DEFRA to make sure they are fully up to date with all the information regarding recreational sea angling, or do we waste our money buying sea angler until we find out mr Bradshaw's thoughts,and little wonder the sea fisheries commitee member proposed bag limits, he was probably a commercial with his own interests at heart. thanks for the info

[sless]

who in the north east is bothered about bass

not me

only 7 anglers turning up

wow thats a crowd


get ya wallets out lads

[codseeker]

not much about then i see, but still better than sitting in the









pidgeon duckets

[T.C.]

OK - I know I said that I wouldn't - but............lol.......finally broke my silence.................but on such an important issue for anglers, I had to ask.......................................

Glenn: -
First off - thanks for the report of the meeting
1.who was there representing DEFRA?
2.do you have contact details for them?
3.rather than employ (and pay) somebody to write an article "in laymans terms" for submission to Sea Angler mag, do you think they would (or an alternative DEFRA spokesperson) be willing to answer questions posed direct by NESA members?

Dunno if you watch BBC's "Question Time" but they have one of the panel respond to viewers e-mailed questions.............was thinking that something similar could be set up for "NESA questions (?)

Elton / Jim / Mark................sorry if I'm stickin' me nose in where it's not really necessary (and tell me to "butt out" if you like) - but do you think (if there's a willing DEFRA spokesperson), that something could be set up for the posting of questions by NESA members and any subsequent replies from DEFRA ??

I think something similar was discussed a few years ago (although - not with DEFRA), but nothing really came of it. Given that the issues raised are now much more to the fore, there may be less hesitence in setting up such a "discussion forum" or Q&A facility...............just a thought - if it falls flat, then so-be-it.

If it IS possible - and there IS a willing DEFRA spokesperson, then it MUST be realised that it's NOT just a forum (or an opportunity) to slag off DEFRA - they MUST be valid and relevent questions, which - hopefully - would result in valid and relevent replies from DEFRA.

[Glenn Kilpatrick]

Hi TC,

The lady representing DEFRA was Miss Nicola Clarke (Policy advisor, coastal water management, fishing industry management division). Sorry I am unable to answer your third question but this is her email address, maybe she would be the best person to answer .

nicola.clarke@defra.gsi.gov.uk

For what its worth TC I think your idea is a good one and now is a good time to get involved. A lot of people are thinking we will get involved when the time is right and something concrete is on the table. To be honest I don't think that time will come and the only thing concrete will be when there is a law saying you must now pay to fish in the sea, your catches are restricted and half the bait beds are shut. I had an interesting phone call with a fishing pal last night and his summary of the situation was "confusion by design". I think he was right.

All the best - Glenn

[Topfly]

Nice to see you back Tony, it's a good idea, because any answers we got back from the relevent bodies could be pasted on to other forums, so we would get more input on RSA

[sless]

jim

we wont get any input
you can be sure of that

sad but true

[Topfly]

Your right Graham,still getting over the masterstroke by Mr Milliband & Mr Gardiner proposing to open up all of our coast to the public, this means anglers. Just like it says in the RSA strategy proposals, more and better access. they are getting the public on thier side. moan moan

[codonly]

more f*****g tax

why dont we all stick together and tell them to shove this licence thingy up tha hoop

[zippie]

they might employ people with two yellow bands arond their hats to enforce the licence you know like them hated species the fcukin traffik wardens !!! lol

[Topfly]

Methinks they should start building the jails right away.

[alan]

why dont we all stick together and tell them to shove this licence thingy up tha hoop

Thats what they said when the Poll Tax was introduced..........we still paid it,granted some people took longer than others and some went to prison but they still got there money............because they can

[Glenn Kilpatrick]

2 week suspended sentence for me Alan and they still haven't got a penny from me. Times have changed now I work for local government and would loose my job if prosecuted for anything. Would love to be in a position to make a stand but have wife and 2 kids to think of now - will have to pay if they bring the damn thing in.

[willywetegg]

"why dont we all stick together and tell them to shove this licence thingy up tha hoop"

I know where your coming from stevie, problem is, what you gonna do with all of your gear, throw it away, burn it, doesn't really matter what you do with it as it will be worthless. "They" know that we won't do that "They" know that we will pay or stop fishing.

"Thats what they said when the Poll Tax was introduced..........we still paid it,granted some people took longer than others and some went to prison but they still got there money............because they can".

Dead right Alan, we don't hear of quite as many pensioners going to jail now for not paying their poll tax. Why? because either they pay it,or it is'nt a great news story any more.

I have let this thread run for a while now to see if anything new would appear or anyone would show any interest in it. I was going to leave it untill Monday to see what the response would be but now that it is getting a wee bit more attention.................

It seems to me that just about everyone is just ready to pay for their licence when it comes up? This has been talked about now for quite a few months and it still hasn't moved on one inch. Graham and Dave had a meeting with David Milliband, nothing came of that, well done again to the two of you for spending your own time trying to get us some answers.

I have had words with DEFRA also, I got a reply also, more than I did from Mr. Milliband who I think is a total waste of time, space and tax payers money. Unfortunately when I got my reply from DEFRA I sent an Email straight back asking if I could post it on NESA, guess what, yes your right, no answer.

It is very hard to fight the government when they are intent on bringing a new law in, especially when they will not give us a right of reply and the people that are trying to help us are getting slagged off by some of the people they are trying to help.

I thought that Tony's idea of having DEFRA answering questions on here was a good one, then I read the post about the angler that tried to weigh in 60 Mackerel at a competition, not the best of plans, but I wasn't there and don't know the facts. Good job we don't live in the wild west, he would have been hunted down and strung up by now and why, because we read a story from the press that was printed from hearsay yet again. As I have said on NESA lots of times don't believe everything you read in the papers, some "reporters" are good at stirring up things like this on a steady basis,"Why let the truth get in the way of a good story"

Well then, where do you all think that we should go from here, do you think we could manage to engage DEFRA in dialogue without ranting and raving at them, are there any more questions that they could deflect back at us without giving us a straight answer?? I wait with baited breath.

Jim.