Hi Peter
No, I am afraid we will never agree about the place, or not, of CA in angling.
I don't ever see the CA working with the rest of us on water pollution, water resources, alien species, Marine Bill, Aquatic Animal Health Directive, KHV, river fly life, Animal Welfare Act, fish transport regulations, Common Fisheries Policy, cod recovery programme, bass minimum landing size, fisheries accreditation or the 1001 other issues which national angling bodies deal with every day of the week, every week of the year.
The existing bodies do all that and more and as a consequence, IMO, are best placed to serve angling and anglers.
CA comes to the table after the event and tries to score political points off the government using the opposition to do so. The national bodies are non party political and will seek to work with whatever government the people elect to represent the interests of anglers. Little is acheived by scoring points, we achieve through engagement and debate.
PS
I was a member of CA for some time, until a certain bearded angler, also empoyed by ACA, spoke in public about the issue of livebaiting and no one was any longer certain as to whohe really represented. The answer I got from CA when I approached them about his appointment was unhelpful in the extreme and led to my leaving.
BTW, It should have been hardly, so we agree on something.
Mike
