Abolishing the rod licence

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Alan Fawcett

Guest
Pg 6 of todays AM in the left hand coloum very top article.

It seems three chaps from coventry have seen fit to get a petition together to abolish the EA rod licence claiming the goverment should fund it.

They have already got support from two NON angling MP's.

Now my question is

Would you sign this petition??
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Now before you decided think carefully about it.
1) while we are paying the goverment will have to think about the amount of money at stake if they abolish angling.
2) If we aren't paying then the anti's will find so much easier to get rid of the "sponging/freeloading" anglers.
3) Why are two non angling MP's interested in helping angling?? (hidden agenda maybe?)
4) while we pay we have a say (well to some extent)
5) While the rod licence exists they will need bailiffs to do checks , so no rod licence no bailiffs & unemployment will go up.
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So there you go i'll let you decide.
I won't be signing it
 
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Mark Frame

Guest
no pay no say thats what I say
look no further than sea anglers stocks being decimated and what do the government do
absolutly nothing!!!!
 
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Richard Drayson

Guest
Mark, I agree with you that sea fish are being decimated, but that is a very different story. Commercial interests are involved for one thing.
I'm quite happy to carry on paying for a rod licence. The EA seem to be looking after the anglers interests and, as you have said, 'no pay-no say'.
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Years ago it was a nightmare, a different licence was needed for the varying river boards.....i was one of those who got nicked for "risking it" for a day in another area......i love the ease of being able to go anywhere in the country for the one fee, i may not agree with every that is done with the licence fee (eg, the imbalance spent on game fish) but they will not be getting my signature.
 
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Laurie Harper

Guest
Hear, hear. While we pay, we can claim a right to be heard. Once we are seen as being in receipt of charity from officialdom, we will have NO rights. What's wrong with the Coventry boys?
 
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Keith Manger

Guest
Whats wrong with these people, If a small payment each year helps our sport in any way then it's worth it. If you object to putting a little back into the sport that you get so much from then you are very tight indeed.
However if the licence ran for 12 months from the day it was bought it would make a lot more sense.
I won't be signing this short sighted petition.
 
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Mark St Jefferson

Guest
I wouldn't sign it either.

I think that as you say, with the fee's coming in we do get some say (no matter how small it seems at times)

But I do agree with Keith, surley running it 12 months from when you buy it makes more sense?

BTW: I still havent seen the reminder for my licence yet this year, nor have I seen this direct debit offer as yet??

With the ease of today's electronic roll's and data flag files, reminders would still be easily sent out and not cause too much of a beurocratic nightmare.
 
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Frank Curtis

Guest
True Mark, it wouldn't be difficult to do but the cost would take a hefty lump out of the revenue raised so less being put back into the sport.
Surely its easy enough to remember that the end of the traditional fishing season means a new licence a couple of weeks later.
Also don't forget the DVLA send out reminders for the road fund licence but there are still over a million motorists driving around untaxed and uninsured.
As far as the main subject of the thread is concerned theres no way I would sign the petition. We might have the occasional gripe about the EA but at least while we're helping to fund them they're on our side.
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
Your alllll mad! Have a look at the most heavily managed and re-built fisheries in the UK..the salmon rivers of Scotland...! No rod license up here lads!!

Having said that..there is also very little recognition for coarse fish...d'oh!
 
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Michael Hall

Guest
I would not sign it and will not sign it as if we want to keep angling as a sport and hobby then we should expect to pay a small fee as thats what it is! We cannoth expect not to pay a penny for a lisecne and still get restocking or rivers, lakes and schemes to promote angling. I think that sea anglers should have to pay for a rod licence! As I see sea fishing now as being a free sport! And this is why the stocks of haddock, cod and other sea fish spieces are getting smaller if they were to pay for lisecnes then they would get restocking of cod and haddock and so on just like us!
 
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Phil Hackett

Guest
Michael
Whilst not wanting to deter you from posting your thought/opinions on this or any other site, I think you’ll find that the problems with sea stocks is a little more complex than you think it is.

Over fishing of sea stocks is not down to rod and line sea anglers, it to do with vast factory ships using unsustainable methods of fishing.

It highly likely that restocking programmes could not, even if we wanted to, restock fast enough to replenish the stocks taken by the boats that are fishing EU/UK waters.
 
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Mark Frame

Guest
I think your missing the point
if sea anglers paid for a rod license then perhaps more would be done to protect the fishing around the coast
i agree that the raping of the sea stocks is down to commercial ships and that if sea anglers payed for a license then maybe the government would stop these ships coming in and decimating the spawning grouds of fish like the bass
maybe if there was one or two sea anglers it would not make a difference BUT if there are one or two million ?4 million quid gives you a lot to shout about
 
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Richard Drayson

Guest
I have to agree with Phil on this.
Mark, do you really believe that if sea anglers bought licences to fish it would make any difference to fish stocks?
Sadly, I very much doubt it, especially now that we're in the EU.
One of the reasons I gave up sea fishing was because the fishing was c**p.
That was about 6 years ago, heavens knows what it's like now.
 
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john conway

Guest
One of the problems affecting sea fish stock control is illegal fishing and or methods and the governments inability to catch the offenders, now ?4 million would go nicely towards nicking a few these pirates and if the fines from these offences were also ploughed back into catching the more offenders it would go someway towards helping the fishing stocks. And if nothing else it would make me feel better. However, back to our licence fee; I must go along with what everyone else has already said, no pay no say.
 
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Phil Hackett

Guest
Mark
Each year the horse trading over fishing quotas comes and goes for EU waters. Like it or not we are part of the EU and the free trading rules that govern it.

Each year the scientists put forward a figure that would if implemented, result over time, in sustainable stock levels for all. Then the commercial fishermen have their say, and each year the EU fisheries ministers (including ours) add approx. half on top of that figure. As each year passes the stocks of fish get near and near the critical threshold of extinction. If such action as proposed by the scientists is not taken in the next 5-7 years, cod & haddock will vanish, as did the Greenland cod.

It may interest you to know that the SAA, NFSA, SACN & NAA did make representations against the over exploitation of sea stocks to the EU ministers fishing conference. They were politely told to ****** off, as it was nothing to do with them because they were hobby anglers. I can't see Government having a change in attitude because some more anglers pay a license fee, can you?

What I can see is Govt. laughing all the way to the bank with XXm pounds of new license paying anglers money.
 
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Ashe Hurst

Guest
This may seem a bit drastic or far fetched,but if every angler had to produce a lisence before the purchase of bait or tackle in a shop,then would it encourage those without to buy a lisence.
The lisence has a bar code,is there some device that the EA could supply tackle shops with that will register an angler with a lisence.No lisence ,No sale of bait and tackle.
Just a thought.
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Good idea in principle Ashe but totally unworkable I think. What would happen come birthdays or Xmas. Granny wants to buy little Johnny a new rod/reel whatever. she goes in to the tackle shop but cannot buy what she wants because she does not own a rod license.

Gift vouchers may overcome this problem but this would in turn bring other troubles. I think that when club officials go around waters with their book of day tickets then the EA license should be produced before purchase. No rod license - no day ticket - no fishing, goodbye. Any trouble call the EA and let them deal with it they are paid to do so after all.

Kevan
 
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Clive Evans

Guest
Kevan,
good idea in principle,but it wont happen because clubs and fishery owners have no incentive to do it.
Years ago when I fished Draycote waters for trout You had to produce a license (or buy one there) before you were issued your permit. The point is Severn Trent WA ran it and made sure you had 'Their License'.
However, if clubs/fishery owners also faced a fine for anglers fishing illegally, there would certainly be a change in attitude, I have no doubt.
 
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Chrisx Ess

Guest
is there anyone out there who's prepared to advocate signing the petition? i know i'm not. as has been frequently said - no pay no say.
 
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Ashe Hurst

Guest
How about a national TV add about rod lisence evaision,that explains the way the money is spent protecting the fisheries and environment?
 
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