Licenses

[marksworld]

Put the year 2009 in your diary fella's - the licence is coming, no doubt about it!

still dont say i gotta pay for it




cheers
mark

[loopy]

We all have the vote! I wonder how many of us have used it in local or general elections? the national turn out is very low about 35% in the North East. !

We must use our democratic rights and contact, write to our local MP.

We need one voice to represent all angling organizations on a national & political front, to include coarse and game.

The anti blood sport's with people power and there non stop lobbying of this government over fox hunting succeeded. Could we with several million potential voting anglers in this country?

Sea licensing is not the only issue we will face as Anglers, there are many organization's committed to banning our sport,salt or fresh.

The Marine Bill will come, it is up to us as individuals and then collectively to influence the content's of this Bill to the benefit of all sea angler's.
We will have no right to moan if we do nothing.
I for one would be happy to meet,organize and join with like minded Angling voters.
Together we might make a difference.

[treeboa]

The anti blood sport's with people power and there non stop lobbying of this government over fox hunting succeeded. Could we with several million potential voting anglers in this country?

as an ex firearms holder, ex reptile breeder i have seen the same arguement used each time, one actually with defra, getting the trade involved, guess what, few bothered, i have no doubts like in every other venture where people power would make a massive difference that few will be bothered and then will moan like hell when the issue comes about and bites them in the arse, , the great british public may moan but in general are content to drive there heads in the sand believing if they cant see it then it wont affect them

ostrich syndrome -- the great british malady

[marksworld]

Same with TV licence - some pay, some don't - up to the individual to take the chance I guess.

but take it from me - when the licence comes in and I'm next to someone WITHOUT a licence, rest assured I will be making a phone call!

it won't be one rule for some and one for another - ALL anglers.

I wouldn't worry too much anyway, it will probably be the people who leave cr@p everywhere, bait wrappers, old line, hooks, fish guts on promenades, piers and beaches, who won't pay a licence! and as usual, the good guy gets it in the neck!

If we truly want to stop this going ahead and make our feelings known to such an incompetent govnt. who can't even safeguard 25 million people's personal details from going astray - then it's no good discussing it on a forum. Make a difference and let your feelings known direct to Downing St.

Imagine if all of the UK sea anglers marched to Downing St to protest - AND THAT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE TACKLE DEALERS / MANUFACTURERS AS THEY WILL BE AFFECTED TOO.

it would be headline news believe me - make a noise now UK sea anglers - before it's too late.

i agree we should all stand up and be counted....its about time we fought back against our incompitent (spelling) gov
i also hate the messy anglers who leave there crap behind

can i ask you though are you going to ask every angler you meet if they have their licence? and if so are you going to ask to see it?. what if they say no you cant see it, what then??


cheers
mark

[ray]

im sick to death of paying for licences the two i need for work have gone from 190 to 250 quid in the space of a year is the sea angling licence going to be the same really got no choice but to get one but would like to see the price capped instead of increasing all the time.

[ray]

i agree we should all stand up and be counted....its about time we fought back against our incompitent (spelling) gov
i also hate the messy anglers who leave there crap behind

can i ask you though are you going to ask every angler you meet if they have their licence? and if so are you going to ask to see it?. what if they say no you cant see it, what then??


cheers
mark

lol mark if anyone one asks to see my licence and there not a bailiff or a copper they will be told to f**k off

[Jaguar]

Ask some of the chav's on blyth or shields pier if they have there licence and i hope you have a floatation suit on. cause there is only one place your going.

[loopy]

Re asking for licence I presume you mean that as a licence holder you in law become a bailiff and have the right to ask to see another anglers licence as is with all current EA licence holders, the only problem currently with that is you can not do anything about it if they refuse or have no licence ,you do not have lawful authority or powers of a constable. So Common sense must come into play, you have to trust the person next to you has paid unless they are acting in an anti social manner. In that case I would say something or make the appropriate phone call depending on the situation as you would in any other public place, would you not?

[NOSOLE]

"License" eventualy you will be restricted were you can fish. Conservation groups are popping out the woodwork just waiting to grab various bits of coast line "Because it needs protecting". They are trying it on to get the solway in Cumbria a no go for any type of fishing.

The license money, no doubt will end up funding these "experts" who know best to drive 4x4s and buy expensive boats for research.

[Charlie_Thompson]

I wrote to my local MP through the on-line thingmebob a while back about concerns over the licence and quotas. Can't remember her name but she represents part of washington, she wrote back personally and was extremely positive about the kind of arguments put forward here regarding conservation and the licence. I'm sure she mentioned taking concerns further - I mentioned a bit about income generated by anglers and jobs created but also said a bit about how famous this part of the country is/was for it's Cod fishing and a bit of blether about kids off the streets beautiful coastline etc.

It was so easy everyone just do it

TheyWorkForYou.com: Are your MPs and Peers working for you in the UK's Parliament?

[Vamp]

whats the diff if the person next to you got a licence or not if he or her hasnt it he or her who will be fined and gear conviscated not you as long as you have then your safe

got to be a brave or stupid man to go up to a group of people especially this day and age and ask to see there licence just cause you have one,some people wont buy one out of principle,and some wont buy cause they dont really care there the ones you gatta watch

i wont be interested if the man or woman next to me has one as long as i have,
ive had a coarse one for 9yr now and i still think thats a waste of my money as i have not seen any benifits,but i still have it so i dont get fined or loose my gear,as cant afford to replace

[davem2005]

Thats certainly the next thing to do Charlie.

It takes about as much time as putting a post on here and is far more productive.

There are many organisations representing anglers sitting down to discuss things with defra and speaking to MP's. What was very clear from the meeting with defra is they are all against any kind of license scheme untill the anglers see some benefits.

The one thing that has united everyone is Defra's backtracking on the Bass MLS and then promising us improvements...all agreed that defra's promises can not be trusted.

The offer to come out and meet anglers and explain whats happening is the best they could come up with for now.

Its realistic to expect the introduction of a license in 2009, wether you choose to pay for it is another matter, I know which way I will be going when it comes in.

With regard to us catching more and bigger fish here in the NE its good news according to ICES with regard to cod stocks, potentially they could recover to a breeding stock of 150,000 tonnes by 2009 if the government follow their advice. From a current figure of 36-50,000 tonnes...that has to be good news...but someone has to stop the government pandering to the commercials who want to increase the quota now to wipe up this slowly increasing stock. The justification for the increase in quota is to REDUCE bycatch.

Of course it will reduce bycatch because there will be no cod left to catch accidentally. Back to square one.

The only way to stop this is to make MP's aware of how many of us there are and get their support because we vote for them.

One of the most up to date sites with very regular updates as to what is happening and how it can affect our sport is

Sea Anglers' Conservation Network

Cheers
Dave

[loopy]

Martin Salter MP for Reading I belive, Part of his speech to chalange the U turn on Bass size limits, House of commons 22nd November 2007.

"There is an argument for a sea licence, although I absolutely agree with the National Federation of Sea Anglers that it could be implemented only if sea anglers see a significant improvement in the sport available to them."

"The decision that has been taken��"this extraordinary U-turn��"drives a coach and horses not only through the recreational sea angling strategy, but through any attempt that I or others could make to create a consensus on a sea rod licence.”

[davem2005]

Loopy that was certainly the impression I got.

I will see if I still have the link to the telivised debate, ( i think they take them offline after 14 days)if not the I will post the written debate.

Martin Salter is the labour angling representative and our best friend in government.

Although not a sea angler he spends many hours fighting our case and meeting sea anglers and putting their case forward..I have to say he does it very well. We need to get more mp's on our side fighting our case. Then maybe we will get our say.

Cheers
Dave

[Hedley]

Lobby your local MP. He /she will be wanting your vote soon !!!!

As I have said before - this proposed "licence" will simply be A TAX which the Exchequer will take in and dispense on other things - that's how it works, folks!!!! Forget fish conservation etc - the fact that no formal benefits are being put forward by the Govt says it all. Do not be naieve - The Chancellor, no matter what his political persuasion, will happily take your money. (EG does all money paid for road tax go on the roads/transport infrastructure???? I rest my case!!)

Who will administer it? Who will police it? Penalties for non payment? An administrative nightmare for The Authorities.

From someone who knows - there is more than enough financial resources to tackle fishing stock preservation - just a lack of political muscle. Lobby your MP!!!