In an article in the Latest Issue of Tackle and Guns, veteran RSA Campaigner Bob Cox asks the Fisheries Minister, Ben Bradshaw a series of probing and no-holds-barred questions regarding the relationship and attitudes of the Minister and his Department (DEFRA) towards the Recreational Sea Angling Sector, and what the future might hold.
In an interview covering many issues such as bag limits and licenses for Recreational Sea Anglers, Ben Bradshaw makes a point of saying:
"I think the politicisation of sea anglers is very important. If I had one concern about the sea angling community it is that it doesn't very often speak very effectively as an interest group.
Its importance to the economy and the number of people involved is not reflected by the loudness of its voice compared to the commercial sector.
But you have some very strong supporters in Parliament such as Robert Key (Cons) and Martin Salter (Lab) and the profile of sea angling in fisheries debates has been increasing year on year.
But if I had one plea to make to the sea angling community it would be try to develop a more effective lobbying strategy: to me it is the commercial sector bludgeoning RSA on sea fisheries committee and that isn't acceptable.
The commercial sector has got to learn to live with, respect and treat as partners the sea angling community.
A full report of the interview will also be printed in next month's Total Sea Fishing, out next week.
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