Maverick Martin Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 EU want to give anglers quotas If you want quotas for RSA's do nothing and it will happen. If you value our historic right to fish for the table responsibly then start writing to you MP, MEP and anyone else who will listen Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Licence, Satelite tracking etc. I think I'll be priced out considering the few fish I catch anyway. I can't really justify the cost now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Fox Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 I tried leaving a 300 letter response (all that was allowed) about banning the dumping of over-quota bycatch, with massive fines for contravention, and zero profit for landed over-quota fish. Am certain this would prevent over-quota fish being caught in the first place, and contribute to stock recovery. The site didn't store/print my response. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Fox Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 It did save - along with comments from other club members too. Keep them coming chaps! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 Typical.........we (commercial fishing) caused the problem - you can pay the price. See how long it takes to get a sea fishing license mandated now!!! and then see what little difference is made. Other than driving people away from RSA Neal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 I've added my comments, although I can't see tem yet, I assume there's a delay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coddy Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 I have had this sent to me from the skipper of Lady Godiva who hails from Weymouth: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Dave Please see below the contents of a letter that I have sent to the following MEP's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted December 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 Heres a petition started on the No 10 website RSA quota petition Sign it if you can Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted December 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 Also received an email from a friend of the club which is copied below. It give details of who you might consider addressing your concerns to: Dear Martin After sending out my last email suggesting putting pen to paper over the rediculous proposals by Joe Borg, European commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, I have been inundated with requests for more information on who to write to. What is important is that we tell them the difference between 'RSA's' and 'Recreational Fishermen'. That's why the term 'Recreational Sea Angler' as opposed to simply 'Sea Angler' was coined. To separate Recreational Seas Anglers (who fish purely for recreation, only retaining fish for private consumption), from rod and line fishermen who fish with the intention of selling. They may think of themselves as Recreational Sea Anglers, and others might describe them as such, but they are not. (And they do genuine RSAs no favours at all) Unfortunately many of those involved in fisheries management and commercial fishing do not appreciate the difference. Here are some suggestions: DEFRA will be contacting stakeholders within the next few days to consult on these EU proposals. Why not register your position as a stakeholder by contacting them? Area 2C Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR Telephone: 020 7 238 4435 Fax: 238 4699 Email: julie.fitton@defra.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.defra.gov.uk Joe Borg, European commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries wrote to proposals...contact details below. European Commission DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maritime Policy Task Force B-1049 Brussels Your MEP or MP should listen to you...here are ways of finding them: Your MEP... find their contact details here: http://www.writetothem.com/?keyword=mep&cr...CFUwb3godBgVUCg Your MP:...find their contact details here: http://www.writetothem.com/?keyword=mp&cre...CFcsa3godrFOJCQ Whatever you do or whoever you speak to will have an impact, especially personal letters. Also use web forums to post your comments...we know that the powers that be keep a close eye on them! Best Regards Chris Caines Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 Just received this today:- have you two minutes to save your sport? Dear Members, If you care about the future of recreational sea angling then please visit the Government web site through the link below and sign this very important email petition opposing the EU Article 47 proposals to control and regulate Sea Angling from boats. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/rsa-eu-proposal/ Thank you in anticipation of your help. Yours faithfully Richard Ferre Marine Director Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted January 23, 2009 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 I've signed the petition but can I please make another point. With this type of persecution, and there will be more, we need a professional organisation to fight for us. Now that the Angling Trust has been established we might just have that professionalism. But they will need funds, so I beg everyone to join Angling Trust to get our voice heard in this crazy EU fantasy world. The subscription of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted January 23, 2009 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 I've signed the petition but can I please make another point. With this type of persecution, and there will be more, we need a professional organisation to fight for us. Now that the Angling Trust has been established we might just have that professionalism. But they will need funds, so I beg everyone to join Angling Trust to get our voice heard in this crazy EU fantasy world. The subscription of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coddy Posted January 23, 2009 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 (edited) Sadly I can't see anything that the angling trust can do for us. So far they are no more than waggler wobbling coarse anglers. If you can show something that makes them look like they take the 1.4 million sea anglers seriously, then maybe I'll take note. (Third hand) An article on a group of Cardiff Kids going coarse fishing taking precidence over worries over Article 47? No thanks.... Tom, I can understand your thoughts, however; Sadly I think the numbers who joined or continued to be a member of the NFSA have been declining for years and those who did belong felt that they were not the body that was good at representing the average sea angler and so left. The problem now, as I see it, is that sea anglers have become a suspicious lot and want to see what the Angling Trust will do for them before parting with money. I can understand this, however if the numbers joining are low so will be the support from the Trust, so for once I would suggest that if as many sea anglers as possible joined the Trust their money would provide a good fighting fund which will be needed. I am one who left the NFSA but will join the Trust to see what they can offer me as a sea angler. If they fail to impress then I may make my feelings known by not re-joining but I am willing to give them a chance. It is easy to complain and criticise if one does not belong, but if you have paid a stake in something you want your money's worth or you vote with your feet! So I would agree with Martyn (Osprey) and help give the new Angling Trust our full support. (off soap box now) Coddy If you want to look at the angling trust's web site click here http://www.anglingtrust.net/default.asp Edited January 23, 2009 by Coddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 (edited) Tom I emailed the Chief Executive of Angling Trust yesterday (Sunday) to find out what they are doing about it and got a very positive response by return. This link shows the relevant news page (unfortunately in the 2008 section as they posted it in December!) http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?section=29 Edited January 26, 2009 by Osprey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petesnr Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Just two points chaps. Firstly if you don't join the Angling Trust who are you expecting to represent you in discussions with government? ( Not Steve Coppello thats for sure!). If we have no representation we will get exactly what we deserve from future fisheries regulations--absolutely nothing! This alternative is too bleak to contemplate so the past needs to be put behind us and we need to unite. If anyone has a viable alternative then I would like to hear it. Secondly on a more positive note it does appear that pressure from individuals and our much reviled representatives there is to be a review of the idea that we should be subject to quotas. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 The BASS society also have commented on these proposals and I have been asked to update their website as you can see here :- BASS Homepage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 an interesting blog from WSF that covers the response to the EU proposal http://www.worldseafishing.com/blogsdiarie...ell_2ndfeb.html PJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 This is one of the more positive responses I have received from the many emails I have sent out. Dear Mr Wright, Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding Article 47 of the EU Common Fisheries Policy Control Regulation and your specific focus on recreational fishing. I apologise for my delay in getting back to you. I have looked at the Article which unfortunately is not clearly drafted. From what I can understand, the European Commission intends it to apply only where there is a multi-annual (recovery) plan, for stocks outside safe biological limits. As such, this would implicate cod and blue fin tuna and where fishing is done from onboard a vessel. This therefore means that it would not affect most recreational sea fisheries, including any done from onshore, or angling on inland waters. From my reading I understand that the Commission's concern is with the substantial amounts of fish that is caught by some recreational fisheries in relation to the species covered by the multi annual recovery plans. For example, it is estimated that in Italy during 2007, 800 tonnes of blue fin tuna were caught by recreational fishers whilst the national quota is around 4,300 tonnes. The Article is intended to prevent commercial fishing under the guise of recreational fishing. That said, Article 47 sets a precedent of which we should be very wary. Please be assured that this point has already been raised with some force by my colleague, Elspeth Attwooll, during discussions on the subject in the Fisheries Committee. It seems clear that amendments will be made from committee members asking for the Article to be deleted or substantially changed. Finally, I should add that under the current procedures, Parliament can only give an opinion on such matters as the final decision is taken by the Council of Fisheries Ministers. I would therefore also suggest you write to the UK government so that they are directly aware of your views on this issue. The contact address is: The Rt. Hon. Jane Kennedy Defra Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR I hope that this provided you with come clarification. Please do not hesitate to contact me again on this or any further matter. With kind regards, Sharon Bowles MEP As you can guess, I have now written to Jane Kennedy. email defra.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk More letters the better, I think! Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Just received an email that contained a link to the following: 10 Feb 09 - From a speech today by Jo Borg Member of the European Commission - Responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction...&guiLanguage=en Before I come to the end of my intervention let me say a few words about our proposal to reform the way we control fisheries activities in the future. The most famous words contained in our proposal must be the words "recreational fishing". In some Member States our proposals in this regard have been misinterpreted alarming citizens that the Commission wants to start controlling millions of hobby anglers and impose quota restrictions on them. This would obviously be a crazy thing to do, and it is therefore not at all our intention to implement such a ludicrous system. Let me make clear once and for all that the hobby angler who catches a few kilos of fish every time he goes out fishing and uses it for his private consumption, will not be covered by the control regulation, even if he catches fish like cod which is under a recovery plan. There are however facts and figures in abundance that show that certain forms of so called recreational fishing have a dangerously considerable impact on certain vulnerable fish stock. We cannot just keep restricting severely professional fishing on those stocks but give the recreational fishermen a free ride. They have to contribute as well to the conservation effort. It is with this balance in mind that the Commission will approach the issue in the context of negotiations. We look forward to working with you on this question, on the whole control regulation and of course also on the reform of our policy. In any event, I know that we at the Commission can always rely on the Parliament to stimulate and support us in improving the lot of Europe's citizens. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Just received an email that contained a link to the following: 10 Feb 09 - From a speech today by Jo Borg Member of the European Commission - Responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction...&guiLanguage=en Before I come to the end of my intervention let me say a few words about our proposal to reform the way we control fisheries activities in the future. The most famous words contained in our proposal must be the words "recreational fishing". In some Member States our proposals in this regard have been misinterpreted alarming citizens that the Commission wants to start controlling millions of hobby anglers and impose quota restrictions on them. This would obviously be a crazy thing to do, and it is therefore not at all our intention to implement such a ludicrous system. Let me make clear once and for all that the hobby angler who catches a few kilos of fish every time he goes out fishing and uses it for his private consumption, will not be covered by the control regulation, even if he catches fish like cod which is under a recovery plan. There are however facts and figures in abundance that show that certain forms of so called recreational fishing have a dangerously considerable impact on certain vulnerable fish stock. We cannot just keep restricting severely professional fishing on those stocks but give the recreational fishermen a free ride. They have to contribute as well to the conservation effort. It is with this balance in mind that the Commission will approach the issue in the context of negotiations. We look forward to working with you on this question, on the whole control regulation and of course also on the reform of our policy. In any event, I know that we at the Commission can always rely on the Parliament to stimulate and support us in improving the lot of Europe's citizens. Martin Martin Having now returned from a week of freezing my tender parts off in a Scottish Salmon river, I can return to the fray! From your email, it looks as if some common sense is seeping through which is good news, although I wonder how charter boats will be treated. I still think we need to press on with the campaign though. Got to keep our guard up! So thanks for the glimmer of a light in the tunnel. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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