I'm game for a sensible discussion on this topic providing it remains just that - SENSIBLE!
And polite.
For we know, much mischief is afoot here and I'd probably be best off leaving sleeping dogs lie.
First and foremost, a couple of facts. The feature in question was shot during May 2007 with the full knowledge of The Wye & Usk Foundation who are to all intents and purposes, gaurdians of this wonderfulriver. Advice was sought from various local interests, none of which had been made aware that any ban on catching shad by Brussels.
In the only other article I have ever written about the species (2005/6) I researched the shad and made it quite clear that the Allis was protected.
Of course, we anglers welcome all rulings by Brussels and would never question them, would we? After all, they are absolutely correct on the issues of immigration and the protection of all species of cormorant. No angler in his right mind would question either of those policies, would they, and they would never, ever take the law into their own hands...
The Dyfed-Powys police link relates to a shad awareness day held in 2008, a full year after we fished for them and I have to say the site isn't one on my list of favourites. As an awareness day then it clearlyfailed miserably because they didn't bother to put a press release out through the Angling Writers Association in the UK.
I could offer a link to an article in the Independent on Sunday, written by the Chairmen of The Angling Writers Association in which he announces he's going shad fishing and isn't sure whether it is legal or not - after making several calls to relevant bodies, including the EA, no-one could give him a definitive answer, so he was off anyway, confident that his jaunt would have no impact on the survival of the species whatsoever.
As Fred rightly points out (the),"Allis shad is listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention and Annexes II and V of the Habitats Directive. It is protected under Schedule 5 of the WCA 1981."
But what of the twaite? I've had dealings with the quarter-of-a-Century oldWildlife and Countryside Act many times in the past. Most of you who have been out cutting your garden hedges in the past month have contravened it. Did you carry out a risk assessment for nesting birds? Did you document same assessment?
More importantly, has the whole River Wye been designated a tripple SI? I rather hope not as that will have a severe impact on the fishing, I imagine.
Worldwide the twaite shad is pretty widespread and is fished for in many countries. It is endangered in the UK for one reason only, that we have errected barrages in the form of weirs that they cannot negotiate. It was once a common spring migrant to practically every river in the country until the 17th Century when we harnessed the rivers for boat traffic.
Rod and line fishing for them will have no impact whatsoever on the success of the species. Man has chosen boats over shad. It's a little bit pointless to start worrying about the very rare catch-and-release, once-a-year hobbyist, don't you think?
As for holding a police awareness day, maybe a few more hours spent chasing burglars, muggers and drug dealers would be a more fruitful use of their time.
