Carp on the Menu

I have just seen this press release and i think it needs our support. What are your views?
Basically, it seems that fish stealing is getting worse with non-anglers taking coarse fish away for eating or anglers who buy a rod license are 'entitled' to take them away no matter how big. We know this has been going on for a long time but now there is a chance to get the law changed to stop it.


Date posted: 25-1-2006

Source: Martin Read NAFAC Press Officer

Subject: Change in bylaws sought to protect fish stocks

Content of Press Release:

The National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives, (NAFAC) is supporting a proposal being put forward by the Upper Ouse Fisheries Consultative Association, (UOFCA), which seeks a change in Environment Agency bylaws to make the unauthorised removal of fish from rivers, drains, canals, and still waters illegal.
In a memorandum to member clubs and other interested parties, UOFCA point out that under current bylaws in the Anglian, and some other regions, the Environment Agency are powerless to get involved with fish removal in many instances, because current bylaws allow the removal of up to two fish without approval.
As a result UOFCA are asking other Consultatives, clubs and individual anglers to write to the Environment Agency seeking a change to the law to enable the unauthorised removal of fish to become a criminal offence.
UOFCA Chairman Trevor Johnson said, ?The time to write to the Agency is now, because they, together with Defra, are currently reviewing the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act which is the foundation upon which regional bylaws are based?
Terry Mansbridge, NAFAC?s Executive Chairman, commented, ?NAFAC support UOFCA?s appeal because there are problems in some parts of the country with fish either being taken to illegally restock elsewhere or for the table. This is an ideal opportunity to tighten up the regulations?

Anyone wishing to support a change in bylaws should write to,

Mr. A Taylor,
Environment Agency National Fisheries Policy and Process Manager.
Rio House,
Waterside Drive,
Aztec West,
Almondsbury,
Bristol
BS32 4UD

what with all the netting we have been hearing about this can only be a good idea. fishing suthorities are unable to do anything and police arent interested.

is there an email we can use?

about time to, but how the hell are we going to get our''eastern european brothers'' to recognise any new laws that are introduced?
can see a major problem with enforcing any new laws/ regulations myself..
what about predator anglers taking lives/deads extra ? do we know if they will be taken into account?

This is an outdated bylaw which allows people to put food on their table,,I think it was rightly meant to help the poor at the time.
We are now in a catch 22 situation ,we have angler`s who take the odd fish for the table,i.e.,trout ,small jack grayling ect and to me that is fine and then we have the people who are takeing everything that they catch or net and of course what we are talking about really are the carp that are being taken illegally ,so what do we do,knock that bylaw on the head and make the takeing of all fish illegal and deprive the honest angler ?
And if we do that will it stop the illegal removal of fish ,I don`t think so .
I think the only way is to reword the bylaw down to the size (weight ) of the fish plus to the limit (1or 2)with heavy fines or prison for breaking the law .
Whatever is done with this bylaw it won`t stop the poaching ,who going to police it ?

Billy ,we can buy deads in the tackle shop and lives you catch when you get to your water .

true Les, but i thought you could only kill/ take a coarse fish above a certain size ,even if you are going to use fish on same water it has been caught from?
don't know myself always use shop bought deads,and dont fish l/b, prefer wobbled deads so was only asking so some of you predator men could answer?/put some input into arguement?

Billy ,Never head of that one mate ,I don`t use lives ,they are banned on our waters ,but I would use them if I could ,but then only small roach ect .

i am sure there is a minimum size limit on coarse fish you can take....
same as applys to game and sea fish.
i will have to check up on it, that is unless some-one can answer question for me?

But if there was Billy ,these scrote`s are not interested in minimum size are they ?

no Les true ,but how many predator boys would be bothered if there was?
and if there is how many have broken regs by perching with a 2" roach or similar sized fish as bait?

Billy ,I think that most piker`s have thier guide line on size of live`s ,I have seen in the past ,large lives being used and I mean large ,but that was years ago ,useing big lives defeats the objeck ,small are better ,does the job ,so why use big .

right just spoken to my man at e.a.,
size limits are determined by controlling bodies of regional e.a. offices,
example;Yorkshire:18cm limit on pike,perch,bream,carp,tench,barbel,chub,and eels,trout and salmon also. the taking of any other species below this size is permited as long as they are only taken for baits to be used on the water where caught.

very helpful e.a. man says this will vary from region to region.
point is how many predator men are already breaking these laws without knowing?

if we as guardians of our country's waterways don't know and understand our laws and by-laws what chance do immigrants who struggle to speak our language have of knowing and understanding them?
obviously the cretins who transport lives around the country,and deliberately use immature fish of above mentioned species knowing that they are breaking laws can be discounted,they know what they are doing!

Billy ,news to me mate ,never had anybody check what size lives I had been useing .
The transporting of live`s is a no no and irresponsible in this day and age ,no excuse .
We have had immigrants in this country for over the last 100 year`s and as far has I know ,never had this problem on this scale untill a few years ago ,the bottom line is that there is very little information outside of the angling circle ,most non anglers think that we are a bit odd at best or that we kill all fish we catch and are cruel at worst.
Evan magistrates must think that we are a bit of joke judging by the fine`s that they dish out for not having a e.a.licence.
More money must be ploughed into the right information by the people who make a LOT of money out of angling ,i.e. the manufactories of fishing tackle ,let them put something back which may benefit angling has a whole .

Here is a model letter that i have copied below for you to send to the E.A. You can scroll, copy and print it off. Change and add to it, to personalise it as much as possible, and make sure you ask for a response. If and when you get one, write back again and enter into a debate. Let the guy know how strongly you feel about it. Put your name and address and seek a reply which is important...Ray

If you want more ideas, then the full UOFCA 4 page document version can be viewed on the NAFAC website: http://nafac.co.uk where you click on Read Press Releases, then click on Nafac Press Releases, and scroll down the inner window and click on UOFCA letter to the EA. From there it will open itself as a PDF file.



Mr A Taylor
National Fisheries Policy & Process Manager
Environment Agency
Rio House
Waterside Drive
Atzec West
Almondsbury
Bristol
BS32 4UD

Date:


Dear Mr Taylor,


The Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act is currently under review and I wish to have a say in that process.

Allowing rod licence holders to take away or kill a number (varying from region to region) of coarse fish from any water everyday, no matter how large those fish are, is unnecessary in modern times and can only help lead to serious reduction of fishery stocks, especially in specimen sizes.

This may not have happened on a national-scale, yet, but it is a rapidly emerging problem with potential for enormous growth due to the influx of people from cultures where it is everyday practice to help your self to fish and eat them.

Even in lakes where fish are normally the landowner?s property, current law (and frequently lack of police interest,) give the owner little chance of dealing with the problem. Fish in rivers, classed as wild creatures, have even less chance of protection and the EA no grounds for prosecution.

Anglers trying to change bylaws in all Agency regions are unlikely to produce a country-wide consistent, easily understandable, result.

I want to see the SFFA changed, making it an offence to take or kill coarse fish without Agency consent (which would be granted for, say, stock management or fish farms supplying the food trade).

Regional bylaws would then have to change, making taking of sizeable fish a crime for which the Agency could prosecute in the same way as it prosecutes anglers who don?t have rod licences.

The change would also make it more difficult for people to illegally move fish in ones and twos from water to water. The change needs to cover all types of waters, not just rivers.

I don?t wish to change the law relating to limited numbers of small fish being used as bait.

Thank you for your attention and I would appreciate your reaction and a reply to the ideas I have contributed.

Yours Sincerely



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