Fish Welfare Group.

At last the E.A. are now going to clamp down on over stocked fisheries. I only hope that they are going to be monitored efficiently.

Equally as important if not more so, is the organisation of some of anglings specialist anglers and fisheries groups who have now formed the Fish Welfare Group.

Their aim is to educate clubs and commercial waters into better water management.
In my opinion, it is a crime for a club or commercial fishery to secure a hole in the ground, stock it with the proper amount of fish stocks, and then simply say, there it is lads get on with it.

Fishery management to some people is to slap a few pegs in here and there, cut a few trees down, and throw a couple of wheel barrow loads of hardcore down for cars to drive along. Very little thought is given to the water its self, if any at all.

I am more than unhappy when I see people walking about with logo?s emblazoned on their sweat shirts with words such as Water Management Team, or Fisheries Officer stamped across their fore heads, when all they know is how to pull the starter cord on a chain saw.

More emphasis should be put on aquatic habitat, and improving water quality, to encourage spawning.
One day hopefully, the practice of good water management will become compulsory.

DIRE WARNING

We recieved advanced warning last night that if we do not get above-average rainfall in this next 3 months there will be severe water shortages.

Not only that, but some lakes and ponds, in particular "commercial" fisheries, that tend to overstock could face many fish deaths due to a lack of fully oxygenated water.

If you or your club has any lake or pond that is likely to suffer in a drought, take action now in procuring some oxygenating equipment.

This is a serious notice! The EA are preparing a Press Release in the next few days.







And mind those barbel!



(Or, you could let the paddlers use you fishery 24/7) - Joke!

We have oxygenating equipment Woody, and readings are taken frequently through the day and night when required.
The biggest problem being, is to get people to man the equipment 24/7. Although we have done quite well on the volounteer front in past years.

If we have a warm Spring/Summer coupled with low levels, It will probably lead to an upsurge in the dreaded blue/green algea.
Barley straw seems to be the best solution, but it needs to be in place well before the warmer weather arrives.
Unless you know of any other cost effective measurements.

that barley straw liquid extract is exellent baz,might be expensive ,but a lot less hassle than bales and bunds of barley straw.
combined with good ariators you should not have problem.

Will anyone take notice of the warning? I doubt it as we hear it every year!

Oh No! Not another group of goody-do-gooders. Do we actually need yet another group of well meaning chaps to get together and tell us what is best for this and that and to form some sort of legislative body. Surely there is already a group in place that can cover these issues. Anglers are split enough as it is, what we really need is a single national body with the right mix of experts that they cam call on as required. Please tell me I'm wrong.

The more the massage gets put around, the better Terry. Better still if somebody actually does something about it.

Terry D

Hardly a group of goody-do-gooders. The Fish Welfare Group comprises government agencies, commercial water operators, the Institute of Fisheries Management and most of the key non-governmental organisations which organise or effect your sport, including the existing governing bodies, NAFAC, SAA, BW, ATA, AF, Sparsholt College etc. .

It is probably the most unififed body in angling. If there is another body in place which can cover these issues, none of us know about it!

What you have is a single national body, FACT, utilising the resources of many other organisations, inside and outside FACT, to advise and determine policies which will have a dramatic beneficial effect on the quality of the waters you fish in years to come.

Mike

It does appear the the Fish Welfare group is another seperate body Mike. All I'm getting at is why can't this function be done by the existing bodies under their own title. I honestly feel we have too many differing bodies representing angling as it is, that's all.