Ray Wood 1
Well-known member
Dear All,
The rivers close season is fast approaching and the Angling Trust have not updated UK angling regarding its apparent call for a change to the existing closed season on rivers along with some so called "Names" within angling who are also calling for the close season to be altered or axed completely.
The AT started a debate on*05/03/14. That debate appears on face value to have fallen flat on its face and come to a standstill. There has been no recent updates either on FM or on the AT website. Does the angling majority agree that it is about time the AT gave us some idea of just where it is on this subject as we are the ones they claim to be representing? I had noticed that the "Names" have been conspicuous by their absence save for one among their number who called for change originally only to find himself having to do a u turn presumably due to pressure coming from a membership he claims to represent.
Flooding in particular coupled with predicted forecasts in climate change were put forward as the main reason for altering/scrapping the rivers close season, some presuming that they were to become a yearly event that would leave rivers virtually un fishable during the winter months. Well so far this year river anglers are enjoying a bumper year with January throwing up some magnificent*catches with some really big fish being caught up and down the country. It would appear that the scare mongers who stated that river angling would be lost within ten years if the rivers*CS was not changed were way off the mark. Perhaps their own individual and collective commercial interests blinded them*into believing this? I am also particularly concerned that commercial angling interest and opinion seems to be influencing what direction the AT takes over this issue.
Are we yet again to go through the yearly arguments for and against the rivers close season or can we at last put this subject to bed once and for all?
The rivers close season is already enshrined and protected in law. The Environment Agency, the government and a massive amount of conservation and wildlife organisations already support the retention of the rivers close season in its current form. Will the AT attempt to change the rivers close season against all this overwhelming support by acting on the whims of a handful of commercially based anglers? Or will it stand shoulder to shoulder with other sporting, conservation, wildlife organisations not to mention the majority of angling in support of our rivers close season? Its high time that the AT nailed its colours to the wall over this issue once and for all. They should either be for it or against it and say so firmly and concisely so that wider angling can know exactly where the AT stands. Allowing Martin Salter to air his own opinions on the AT website merely fuels conjecture as to what the AT stance is?
Angling is a sport like so many other sporting pastimes. We catch fish for pleasure. We catch fish for sport. And like every other sporting pastime we owe it to our quarry to help protect and preserve stocks not only for those who come after but to enable the species itself to flourish and survive. We should not let the opinions of a few commercially based anglers with their biased views on conservation sway this issue. Our rivers close season is based upon the precautionary principle to uphold the conservation and protection of our rivers habitat and all the wild creatures that dwell within it and NOT for a few more bums on seats that bring in a few more quid each year for the selfish few.
Ray Wood.
The rivers close season is fast approaching and the Angling Trust have not updated UK angling regarding its apparent call for a change to the existing closed season on rivers along with some so called "Names" within angling who are also calling for the close season to be altered or axed completely.
The AT started a debate on*05/03/14. That debate appears on face value to have fallen flat on its face and come to a standstill. There has been no recent updates either on FM or on the AT website. Does the angling majority agree that it is about time the AT gave us some idea of just where it is on this subject as we are the ones they claim to be representing? I had noticed that the "Names" have been conspicuous by their absence save for one among their number who called for change originally only to find himself having to do a u turn presumably due to pressure coming from a membership he claims to represent.
Flooding in particular coupled with predicted forecasts in climate change were put forward as the main reason for altering/scrapping the rivers close season, some presuming that they were to become a yearly event that would leave rivers virtually un fishable during the winter months. Well so far this year river anglers are enjoying a bumper year with January throwing up some magnificent*catches with some really big fish being caught up and down the country. It would appear that the scare mongers who stated that river angling would be lost within ten years if the rivers*CS was not changed were way off the mark. Perhaps their own individual and collective commercial interests blinded them*into believing this? I am also particularly concerned that commercial angling interest and opinion seems to be influencing what direction the AT takes over this issue.
Are we yet again to go through the yearly arguments for and against the rivers close season or can we at last put this subject to bed once and for all?
The rivers close season is already enshrined and protected in law. The Environment Agency, the government and a massive amount of conservation and wildlife organisations already support the retention of the rivers close season in its current form. Will the AT attempt to change the rivers close season against all this overwhelming support by acting on the whims of a handful of commercially based anglers? Or will it stand shoulder to shoulder with other sporting, conservation, wildlife organisations not to mention the majority of angling in support of our rivers close season? Its high time that the AT nailed its colours to the wall over this issue once and for all. They should either be for it or against it and say so firmly and concisely so that wider angling can know exactly where the AT stands. Allowing Martin Salter to air his own opinions on the AT website merely fuels conjecture as to what the AT stance is?
Angling is a sport like so many other sporting pastimes. We catch fish for pleasure. We catch fish for sport. And like every other sporting pastime we owe it to our quarry to help protect and preserve stocks not only for those who come after but to enable the species itself to flourish and survive. We should not let the opinions of a few commercially based anglers with their biased views on conservation sway this issue. Our rivers close season is based upon the precautionary principle to uphold the conservation and protection of our rivers habitat and all the wild creatures that dwell within it and NOT for a few more bums on seats that bring in a few more quid each year for the selfish few.
Ray Wood.