A question to the E.A

To the E.A.

So here it is......Do You REALLY Give A Toss???

Poaching........What are you doing about it?

Or isn't it happening?

Please enlighten us anglers.

Have you ever wrote to the EA and asked them Steve?

No mate, the internet grapevine is far better!

You won't draw the EA into a discussion here mate, and as such you will not get the answer to the questions you ask.

Ask them via a letter or phone call and it might be different.

Clive had a nice telephone converstation with them today though.

Draw your own conclusions from it.

The Polish thread.

I know you're right Eddie, but they should come onto an open forum and tell us how it is!

They need to make their position known, because I can take them to venues that are being robbed of fish, but they already know it because their employees have told them!

But they are denying that it exists!

Mr E.A e-mail me.

Yes, at the start of the post Clive mentions words to the effect that once 'internet forum' was mentioned the lady clammed up, or words to that effect (apologies if that is simplifying things Clive).

So does this not tell you that a provocatively titled internet based discussion/public slagging off will not get very far with a body such as the EA?

Do you really think that an EA spokesman will take part Steve?

If you want to continue the 'lets kick the EA in the bollocks over whatever' then carry on, if you actually want to try to do something, then perhaps a change of direction might be worth considering!

The EA regions are always looking for volunteers to join their RFERACs (Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committee). If you are interested in what they do and want to help in diciding policies etc, then give your local office a call. They are a great source of information, direct from the horses mouth. I have just finished my stint on the EA's Southern Region. People serve on the committees for 3 years at a time, they meet once per quarter, meetings are kept to 3 hours at most, lunch is provided and they pay you a decent mileage rate for travelling expenses.
Why moan on here when you can actually talk to the people who are trying to do something and help on a load of other important topics as well.

Fair shout Eddie of course you are right, I just got a bit hot under the collar as it all seems to be a waste of time.

I would love to get involved Terry, but it would be impossible for me to commit the time. So that makes me a moaner not willing to do anything about it I suppose.

The EA as a body has too many conflicting roles.

A classic example is the fact that it controls stocking but also runs a fish farm that sells significant numbers of fish.

River fish from that farm are bred from fish sourced from one river but are stocked all over the country. In genetic terms that is like putting all of your eggs in one basket by reducing genetic diversity.

Recently the EA re-stocked Hinksey Lake in Oxford following a fish kill. They had fish left and stocked them in local rivers including the Thames claiming it would provide a welcome boost to fish stocks.

I fish the Thames around Oxford a lot and the stock of all species in the river is already superb. There was no need whatsoever to add further stock and the reality is those fish were dumped.

Steve (D.B) E-mail member
Posted: 11/07/07 00:18:00 AM
To the E.A.

So here it is......Do You REALLY Give A Toss???

Poaching........What are you doing about it?

Or isn't it happening?

Please enlighten us anglers.


Steve, we are all banging our heads against a brick wall, we just have to accept the fact that illegal fishing, fish thefts etc. are low on priorities for the EA, they obviously have more important things to do.

Andy, I understand what you mean but realistically aren't all fish stockings done with fish that are alien to that particular water?

When I was on the committee of our local angling club the EA placed fish in our lake free of charge on three occasions that I know to, these fish were available for a variety of reasons but needed a home!

Can`t graham get an interveiw with an E.A official for either coarse fisherman or fishing magic????

What do you think Graham could possibly achieve Nick?

I`m only putting forward the suggestion that being a high profile type angler with links to both a website and magazine,graham might be able to get a frank and open discussion/debate going with a top E.A official.
What about greg at the angling times getting together a group of anglers from the game fraternity and course disciplines???
It can`t be just coarse angling thats suffering from fish thefts???Surely a meeting/debate could be set up with the E.A???
I for one would find what the powers that be have to say very interesting....wouldn`t you???

Good thread,

Nick your right to ask but the truth is the EA would not get into this debate, one on one or in any other way.

When i was a committee member for a club i used to go to the NRA then EA on Saturday mornings, a few times a year to keep up with what was going on. This would then get reported back to the club.

I will tell all of you now, they will do two things.

1, refuse to get involved in the debate, and try to turn the table and blame us for it.

2, Make no comment.

Could i suggest something.

As i understand it, there are MP's who back angling.

Could Graham set up a thread where we could ask the MP's to take on the EA. As members you log onto the thread give your name, an on line Pertition if you like.

We want it plain and simple.

What are you doing about fish theft?

How are you going to combat Fish Theft?.

Stiff penalties for None Licence Anglers and fish Theft.

And anything else any of you can think of, but keep it clean and to the point.

"I would love to get involved Terry, but it would be impossible for me to commit the time. So that makes me a moaner not willing to do anything about it I suppose."

Glad you recognised it, Steve, and at least admitted it.



There's far too many anglers nowadays that want to kick the pants of organisations like the EA and many a time it's for all the wrong reasons. It just seems to me that in many of these cases it's always 'SOMEONE' else who should 'DO SOMETHING' and although 'ANYBODY' can help 'NOBODY' wants to.

That's why I had a conversation with an old friend the other night, he's 74 now and has been secretary of his club for 35 years and was assistant secretary for many years before that. He desperately wants someone else to take over from him (help given), but no-one younger wants to be bothered doing it, yet they all want to have a good moan about what's right and what's wrong.

We recently had another club in our association of clubs that went t*ts up for that very same reason, writing off 85 years of history and losing a very nice and potentially very good fishery. Fortunately, another club has taken up the challenge and offered all the old club's members membership to continue.

Now you want our Graham to do something, get involved, rope in MPs. He's now over 65 (although he doesn't look it - mail me the cheque) so why the devil should he want to start getting involved?

You are all members of club (presumably) so first ensure that they are involved with a local fisheries consultative group and through them can put forward proposals to the Environment Agency. This is the one way that the EA fisheries get feed back on what anglers want and it's all been cleaned and tidied and should be unambiguous rather than a lump of someone's ranting.

So my message is - get off your backsides and do something yourselves.

How many folk here have sat down and done product reveiws or write ups about fish-ins etc...????
Surely we can find time to sit down and write/type up a letter??? I promise to sit down and write one and of course will let you all know what kind of reply i get,if any!!!
Woody,i`m not demanding graham or any high brow angler do anything on my behalf because i`m too lazy to do it myself.
My way of thinking is this....surely a group of high brow,perhaps more rationally thinking anglers and angling publications,MP`s as well, stand a better chance of being listened to etc... than us normal joe public.
One other thing i`m intrested in knowing....just how many angling clubs bother to go through the correct and proper channels when reporting fish theft and asking for possible help???
If it`s a supposed waste of time like we are all led to believe,then it`s a fair bet that clubs sort the problem out by them selves....the heavy mob go in,catch the the thieving gits,crash bang wallop,don`t bother coming back,problem sorted!!!

Nick,

I am with you on this one, and yes Woody you are right also.

But look at the high profile anglers, Mp's,
Footballer's, Boxer,s.

All of these people will take the lime light for the right reason or fee. MP's to get a vote, Footballer's and Boxer's so people can see they have other interest's. Ask them to come and put their name to some thing like this!!!!.

A march on London?

Sorry but at the end of the day we will be left with what we have now, bugger all.

The only thing i will say Woody, the EA are a waste of or time and money. They dont see it as a problem wont comment further on the matter and wont set up a hot line for us to report to. If your clubs do report it you will be lucky to get a reply.

The reason for that is simple, they would have to get off their backsides and do something.

No ones asking Graham to get involved.

If Graham can set up the thread, we could a least see how many would put their name to it. Then we could take it from there. I would be happy to give it some time to help.

"the EA are a waste of or time and money. "

Not in my book, they're going to spend ?18,000 on one of my pet projects and tomorrow I'm hoping to make contact with another old friend at the EA who's dealing with it. He helped me last time by introducing over 10,000 barbel into Thames feeder streams and that's been a great success. Perhaps you don't see the half of it, but then you never will unless you go looking for it.


"If Graham can set up the thread,"

Just start a thread yourself. Just click where it says "to post a new thread <u>click here.</u>"