Angling was the subject of parts of the Fisheries Debate in Parliament on Thursday 14th December.
"We need to take account of the very diverse range of interests in our marine environment. For example, sea anglers make a significant contribution to the UK economy, but their interests have not always been sufficiently recognised in fisheries management. We have therefore tried to make sure that their interests are better represented on inshore fisheries management bodies, for example, and we are currently working closely with recreational sea angling interests to produce a sea angling strategy for England. Again, that strategy will appear in the new year."
"We promised management of fish stocks, such as bass, wrasse and mullet, specifically for angling, and we had a commitment to a marine Bill in DEFRA’s five-year plan.
The Labour party should be proud of the fact that it has been the first political party to acknowledge and quantify the tremendous economic benefit of recreational sea angling. I was delighted that the Minister announced that we will have a sea angling strategy, but a strategy will not mean a lot unless it exists in the context of a marine Bill and of ensuring that fish stocks that have been decimated by the over-exploitation of the sea•as graphically outlined in “The End of the Line” by Charles Clover•have at least some protection in those areas of the sea that come within the ambit and control of the Government."
More on angling issues can be read in the full debate here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2006-12-14a.1048.0 (recommended)
or as recorded in Hansard at:
14 Dec 2006 : Column 1048
Fisheries
1.32 pm (towards bottom of page)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm061214/debtext/61214-0009.htm
(Keep hitting the 'Next Section' Button at the bottom left of the page)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SEA ANGLERS
CONTACT: Alan Brothers, hon. public relations officer.
Tel 01273 471 496, mobile 07957 870 616, abrothers1037395@aol.com
Date: December 15 2006
New bass rule will benefit all fishermen
Commercial fishermen and recreational sea anglers will all benefit equally from the new landing size for bass from next April, Ben Bradshaw the fisheries minister told parliament last evening (Thursday).
Defending the new 40 cms minimum size he said that if female bass were allowed to grow to 42 cms at which size they began spawning, there would not only be more fish, there would be bigger fish.
“I think in the short term this will involve some pain for some fishermen, particularly inshore fishermen in the south west.
“In the medium to long-term they will benefit from the increased landing size and the increased numbers of bass in exactly the same way as the recreational fishermen will.”
The vast majority of the beneficiaries would be British fishermen “because the bass are moving within our own waters” where foreign fishermen did not have access.
Opening the annual fisheries debate Mr. Bradshaw announced that in 2005 the value of landings by British commercial fishing vessels increased for the second year running to £571 million a rise of 11 per cent. Exports had risen by four per cent to £925 million.
He said recreational sea anglers also made a very significant contribution to the UK economy but in his view their interests had not always been sufficiently recognised in fisheries management.
“We have tried to make sure their interests are better represented, for example on inshore fisheries management bodies and we are currently working closely with recreational angling interests to take this approach forward with a recreational sea angling strategy for England in the New Year.”
Bill Wiggin, the Conservative fisheries spokesman, said recreational sea angling in the EU, including that in Britain, was worth up to €10 billion and that both angling and commercial fishing were entirely reliant on the same natural resource, the publicly-owned fish stocks in inshore waters.
The overarching issue confronting both sectors was the need to stop over exploiting fish stocks in inshore waters and develop conservation programmes to improve the quality and quantity of fish in the sea.
The fishing industry, he said, looked vulnerable and fragile as ever. The government and the EU had not yet struck the balance between the environment and the economic needs of British fishermen.
“An atmosphere of gloominess and pessimism has once again descended over our fishing communities as they await the outcome of the EU December fisheries council and their future for the next 12 months.”
Anthony Steen, MP for Totnes, said that while the picture might look rather gloomy in many parts of Britain, in Brixham fishermen were rather optimistic and were having “a booming trade with lobster and crabs in abundance.”
END
National Federation of Sea Anglers
Hamlyn House, Mardle Way, Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0NS
Development Officer: David Rowe
Tel: 01364 644 643 Fax 01364 644 486 e-mail: ho@nfsa.org.uk
www.nfsa.org.uk
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FishUpdate.com - New bass rule will benefit all fishermen, says Bradshaw
"Opening the annual fisheries debate, Mr Bradshaw announced that in 2005 the value of landings by British commercial fishing vessels increased for the second year running to £571 million a rise of 11 per cent. Exports had risen by four per cent to £925 million.
He said recreational sea anglers also made a very significant contribution to the UK economy but in his view their interests had not always been sufficiently recognised in fisheries management.
“We have tried to make sure their interests are better represented, for example on inshore fisheries management bodies and we are currently working closely with recreational angling interests to take this approach forward with a recreational sea angling strategy for England in the New Year.”
Bill Wiggin, the Conservative fisheries spokesman, said recreational sea angling in the EU, including that in Britain, was worth up to €10 billion and that both angling and commercial fishing were entirely reliant on the same natural resource, the publicly-owned fish stocks in inshore waters."
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