how do we save our sport?

Member Joined: Oct 27, 2006 Posts: 18

how many anglers go fishing on a regular basis? half a million? perhaps a million. what about including coarse and game? 4 or possibly 5 million? a good portion of those are multi discapline anglers like myself. convert that to how many voters! far too many to ignore. my fishing bud is a mullet maniac. he has spent all spring/summer fishing a local (essex) mark from which he caught last year the record mainland shore caught mullet as registered with the national mullet club, and he saw many bigger fish. this year not 1 fish was sighted. gill netted, legally i might add. for the price of a few pints someone wiped out an entire generation of mullet and took away a working mans sport. we figure if everyone was to mail a standard letter on a weekly basis, amde available from your local tackle shop to your local mp sooner or later they would get sick of it before we do and perhaps something would happen. this is our idea but we need to fund this, anyone got any ideas? by the way fishing aldborough next weekend for the first time, tips would be welcome. river thames bream fishing this week!

Guest

Hi doneblankin.

The NFSA badgers politicians all the time and tries to keep the commercial side of things in check. The problem that they have is that there are approx 1 million sea anglers and only 30, 000 have bothered to join. There seems to be a bit of apathy going on. If you want to help, join the NFSA and encourage all your mates to do likewise. It's about £16 a year and it does work-pressure from them is what is driving the catch size increase for bass. I think I put a link to the NFSA site on a post in the general forum called EU to ban cod fishing.

Cheers

Member Joined: Oct 27, 2006 Posts: 18

hi dunc
all sounds gret but how long have the nfsa been going? weve got trawing within casting distance NOW they aint going away till all the fish have gone so the pressure the nfsa exert is obviously too weak to make an impact. people dont want to pay more money to yet another bunch of farts with great ideas but cant agree amongst themselve the way forward while the trawlers get closer and closer and lets have another meeting and another vote! we need some whooparse going on, i already pay hard earned cash for a nra rod licence and they do jack as well, surley we can do better than another commitee. were in trouble now mate, i pay a s**t load of tax in vat in the tackle shop so do you its time we got ours from the government every minority sport get a fairer deal than the single most popular sport in the country. the tail is wagging the dog

Guest

Thats the whole point doneblanking. 1 million sea anglers-30,000 members. It gives the impression that sea anglers don't really give a toss. Now if all 1 million sea anglers all join, the NFSA can say that they represent a majority rather than a minority. Political pressure is simply down to numbers. Other than another comittee as you put it, what would you suggest? The problem is that as a country, we are generally apathetic, as in "I'll go along with it if everybody else does".

Member Joined: Oct 27, 2006 Posts: 18

i dont disagree with the apathy sentiment mate, i dont even disagree with the mobilisation arguement. but i just dont see that the nfsa are the answer. these are the people that actually suggested a no take rule on the anglers! sorry but i dont see that we are the issue here. in the unlikely event that i have a red letter day, i take one meal possibly two, everything else goes back. even mackerel fishing i only took a couple for bait and a couple for tea. how does that impact? i do agree though that if we cannot regulate ourselves them our arguments for commercial regulation seem a little shallow. pick up any angling paper and you have to say yes nice fish but why did you kill it? look into the story of herring fishing on the north devon coast, they fished it and fished it and fished untill there were no more left, then they stopped. wrasse are being taken for net baits now and the commercials are never gonna stop until either they are forced to or there are no more fish to catch. you are totally right though the general theme people like us are up against embarress me sometime to be associated with the sport, it seems they are more interested in moaning and less interested in self regulation and and action. we will keep plugging away and if i get the better idea you will be the first to know! by the way have a listen to keith arthur on talksport he has been banging on about one govrening body for all angling........... sounds graet but you know the rest

Guest

And here endeth the lesson! Unless theres a general sentiment on something, nothing will get done. Have you had a really good look at the NFSA website? I had a poke around and decided to join because they do a lot more than you'd think and while it may be a talking shop most of the time, at least if there is something going on, I get to vote on it and add my opinion. It may not change anything, but at least I will have tried.

Member Joined: Oct 27, 2006 Posts: 18

couldnt agree more, i will take a better look as you suggest and you are right as individuals we can only do our bit and hope that others see the light. what about "sponser a torpedo and sink a trawler" campaign!!!!!
ill stop banging on now and go fishing instead