The survey HERE aims to profile sea anglers and their experience of, and attitudes towards, coastal safety – giving the RNLI and the Angling Trust a better understanding of how to improve safety advice and ultimately keep anglers safe around the coast. This is the first time that sea anglers have been surveyed about safety on this scale.

David Mitchell, the Angling Trust’s Marine Campaigns Manager said:

“As the national representative body for angling in England the Angling Trust wants to get more people out enjoying fishing, more often. We feel we have an obligation to make sure that those people enjoying our wonderful sport are as safe as possible while doing so. We jumped at the chance to work with the RNLI and raise awareness among anglers about how to avoid getting into danger whilst fishing. The new survey is the first stage in this exciting project and we hope as many sea anglers as possible get involved.”

The RNLI’s Coastal Safety team said:

“Although the RNLI is a respected search and rescue charity, we know we are not experts in angling safety, so we have recently formed a partnership with the Angling Trust and other partners to gain a better understanding of your sport. This alone though is not enough – to be able to really make angling safer we must talk to anglers, and know more about them, and this is where you can help. Please can you spare 15 minutes to fill out the questionnaire, the results of which will provide invaluable insight and help us keep anglers safe around the coast. Help us to help others. Thank you for your time.”

As well as the online survey RNLI volunteers will be carrying out face to face surveys with anglers right around the country. Please take a few minutes to compete the online questionnaire and as well as playing your part in helping keep sea anglers safe you can also be entered into a competition with the chance of winning two nights’ accommodation in Poole (including food) from the RNLI – details on the website and you can access the RNLI website HERE

For more information visit the Sea Angling Safety page on the Angling Trust website