I really need your support

[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

 

[Mad as a fish]

Done,

 

[Stores]

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

Thanks for that Ali. It's easy being the graceful swan fronting this thread...............OK, ugly duckling before anyone else says it, but it's the paddling under the water that makes it all work. Shouldn't the acronym for the group be NAG not CAG? lol. Anything come out of it ?

 

[ambleangler]

E Mail sent this morning.

cheers.
aa.

 

[Geordie-UK]

Over the past few weeks I've tried to keep the work done by NIFCA in the spotlight. Recently there's been the chance to respond to their consultation document on the new bylaws regarding seagrass and rocky reefs. I've just done so and I believe the number of responses is now.......1.

We need to respond before 5th November but I realise that you would find it really difficult to get up to speed with this or even understand half the things they talk about (I certainly struggle). Here's 2 reasons why you should respond:

- firstly the bylaw aimed at protecting seagrass around Budle Bay is aimed just at anglers, not birdwatchers or tourists or wild fowlers, just you. So what, I hear you say, Budle Bay is not an area I fish. Nor me, but recent reports say that seagrass may be common around Beadnell and Newton and Embleton. How many of you fish there? Soon you might not be able to.

- secondly the area between Coquet Island and St Marys Island is the next possible target with bait collecting bans on the cards. So no crabs or worms, maybe.

The less we do the more Natural England and the RSPB will push us out. Please don't let that happen. I've constructed a generic form that you can copy and paste into an e-mail and send directly to NIFCA. All you need to do is sign it and send it. This is open to both NESA members and guests to the site. I sent mine today and I'm happy to either e-mail it to you or post it so you can read it (it's quite a long rant I must confess). Anyway here goes:

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.

Give it a name and send it to [email protected] (feel free to add to it)

I can't attach mine to a pm so if you drop me your e-mail I'll send it.

Thanks for taking the time. Remember we've only got until 5th November.

Its not going to stop people fishing in those area's, as per http://www.nifca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Number2.pdf

But it does affect bait digging...

 

[Ian Alexander]

Hello Dave, email on it's way. A big thumbs up from me too for driving this Dave.
It's people like Loopy, Alan and yourself that are a credit to sea angling.

Regards Ian

 

[pop65]

Email sent Dave keep on pushing this good work mate
cheers phil

 

[Stores]

Had an interesting conversation with a chap on WSF regarding seagrass and our "campaign".
This was his reply:

"nice one david .they seem very good at pushing things through the back door,but more and more people are keeping an eye on all these proposals via the net,so it is easy to challenge them.
there is plenty evidence once these people are challenged they tend to back down,im sure an organised campaign in the north east will sort the issue out.
the north east anglers are the most passionate i have met when it comes to their fishing,i certainly would not want to be an IFCA official telling a group of anglers to get off a beach in the north east !"
cheers

Let's keep the pressure on NIFCA until the 5th November deadline eh? Just send:

"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."

to [email protected]

 

[davep]

email Sent

 

[Stores]

Thanks to everyone who's replied since I last said thank you. No replies from Mr NIFCA for yonks and still no minutes of their last meeting, last time I looked.

 

[MickA]

email sent

 

[Bigfoot]

Reply

Reply

Just had a reply.

Our Ref: MH.dc

Dear Mr Davidson

Thank you for your email regarding the above. I am grateful for your interest in the work we are doing and particularly our proposed seagrass protection byelaw.

Regarding what you say in your email, I would say on behalf of Northumberland IFCA that the byelaw does not penalise sea anglers unfairly. It is intended to protect features, which IFCAs are required to do under the Habitats Directive and Defra led EMS Revised Approach. The byelaw does not affect either the right to continue to explore under boulder communities or the right to roam in order to fish, as long as there is no contact with seagrass as referred to in the byelaw.

I hope that the above is helpful and we will continue to put information on the Northumberland IFCA website.

Yours sincerely
M.H. Hardy


M.H. Hardy LLB, Chief Executive
Northumberland Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority
8 Ennerdale Road
Blyth
Northumberland NE24 4RT

Tel. 01670 797 676
Fax 01670 797 678
Email [email protected]
Website Welcome - NIFCA

This message is intended for the use of the addressee only and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you have received it in error please notify us and destroy it.

All efforts have been made to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus free.

 

[CHOPPER]

Just had the exact same reply as Bigfoot!

 

[moocher]

here is mine Fisheries & Conservation Authority [[email protected]]Actions
To:MGRAEME ARMSTRONG - U367043
30 October 2013 14:00


Our Ref: MH.dc

Dear Mr Armstrong

Thank you for your email of 11 October the content of which is noted.

I also note what you say regarding collecting marine worms from the area known as Low Hauxley and what you say in the remainder of your email.

Finally, I confirm we are replying individually to each response to this consultation.

Yours sincerely
M.H. Hardy



M.H. Hardy LLB, Chief Executive
Northumberland Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority
8 Ennerdale Road
Blyth
Northumberland NE24 4RT

Tel. 01670 797 676
Fax 01670 797 678
Email [email protected]
Website Welcome - NIFCA

This message is intended for the use of the addressee only and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you have received it in error please notify us and destroy it.

All efforts have been made to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus free.

 

[waldof]

Email sent,

 

[SteveG]

Got my reply from NIFCA today

Cheers

Steve