Labour's Angling Spokesman Martin Salter MP has backed Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw in his decision not to proceed with a sea angling rod licence at the present time.
Mr Salter arranged a number of meetings between sea angling organisations and Mr Shaw and has drawn attention in his Commons speeches to the promise in Labour's “Charter for Angling” to only introduce a sea angling licence alongside other conservation measures aimed at improving coastal fish stocks.
Recently Mr Shaw announced his intention to create more nursery areas to aid recruitment and further restrictions on inshore netting. The Marine Bill, due to be published next month will also include measures to establish Marine Conservation Zones. The National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA) has long argued that a sea angling licence should only be acceptable once anglers saw tangible improvements in fish stocks.
Mr Salter said:
“Whilst I remain committed to the principle of a rod licence for all forms of recreational fishing I congratulate Jonathan Shaw on having the good sense to listen to what sea angling organisations have been saying. Let's first get in place the conservation measures necessary to stop the over exploitation by the commercial sector and give Britain's sea anglers a chance of a decent days sport before we ask them to pay to catch fish that might not be there.”
Richard Ferre, Chairman of the National Federation of Sea Anglers, welcomed the announcement, and said:
"For some time now the NFSA has been working hard to honestly represent to Government and the Minister the views of its members on the question of licenses for sea anglers. The minister is to be congratulated for listening to these views of Sea Anglers from up and down the country. Any possible benefits to be gained from an unpopular licensing scheme on a sport already badly hit by declining fish stocks would have been far outweighed by the deterrent effect it would have had on the thousands of families who try sea angling on holiday at our seaside resorts, bringing joy to children and benefit to local businesses in the process. We are particularly pleased that such a decision will not stop the efforts to improve the future of a sport enjoyed by 1 million people in England and Wales each year spending £640 million in the process. Well done Mr Shaw."
Text of Martin Salter MP's question to Jonathan Shaw and the Minister's answer:
18 Mar 2008 :
Angling: Licensing
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to proceed with the introduction of a sea angling licence; and if he will make a statement.
Jonathan Shaw: I met sea angling representatives at the Angling summit on 18 February where a number of concerns were raised with me regarding the introduction of a chargeable licence for sea angling. I have also discussed the issue direct with anglers around the coast, as have my officials. In view of the concerns expressed, including the extent to which sea anglers expected to see benefits from the charge, I have decided not to proceed with enabling powers in the Marine Bill to introduce a sea angling licence.
I will, none the less, continue with a package of other measures that aim to provide benefits for anglers, including a review of nursery areas for the protection of bass stocks and of inshore netting, and a pilot study on area-based restrictions to support sea angling. I have also recently announced measures to increase protection of tope, a key species for anglers.
I will reconsider the arguments for introducing a recreational sea angling licence at some stage in the future in the light of progress on the aforementioned measures.
- Extract from Labour's Charter for Angling
“Labour agrees that whilst a sea angling rod licence could deliver valuable income the current organisational arrangements are not in place which might make a licence acceptable to recreational sea anglers. We acknowledge the arguments put forward by the National Federation of Sea Anglers ... that many of the following actions would need to take place alongside the introduction of a sea angling rod licence: The proper enforcement of regulations and minimum landing sizes; the replacement of the Sea Fishery Committees with an agency charged with marine ecology management—possibly by extending the responsibilities of the E.A - or vastly improved representation by sea anglers on reformed Sea Fisheries Committees;restrictions on gill nets in inshore waters and around some wreck fishing grounds; the creation of recreational sea fisheries where commercial fishing is excluded and increased protection for fish stocks from over exploitation.
However, there is a balance that needs to be struck since measures necessary to improve fish stocks for recreational sea angling would also require enforcement. Any enforcement action would require a revenue stream, some of which could come from a sea rod licence.”
- From Mr Salter's speech (19.04.07) on the Marine Environment
I do not think that the recreational sea angling sector is wholly hostile to the idea of a rod licence. However, given the problems that sea anglers have faced for a long time, which have been caused by other sectors and our collective failure to manage this precious marine resource, they are entitled to see some improvements first. Personally, I am content for the Marine Bill to go ahead with the power to create a sea rod licence. However, we should be very clear about the pre-conditions and circumstances under which such a licence would be introduced.
Sea anglers have to recognise that the freshwater sector is better able to make demands of the Government by virtue of paying for a licence and having an automatic involvement in stakeholder groups and other representative bodies. Many sea anglers realise that “no pay, no say” is, in part, a problem for the recreational sector.
