Issue 178  MARCH 2010

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POLITICIANS FISHING FOR YOUR VOTE

The Angling Trust has launched a campaign strategy to highlight the concerns of Britain’s 3 million anglers in the run-up to the General Election.

The comprehensive strategy includes calls for the government and its agencies to:

• Protect fish stocks from commercial overfishing by reforming the Common Fisheries Policy and enforcing existing legislation;

• Implement the Water Framework Directive to address diffuse pollution, low river flows and habitat damage;

• Allow greater controls of cormorants by anglers suffering excessive fish predation on their waters;

• Provide more accountability about how anglers’ £26million from freshwater rod licences is actually spent;

• Stop the march of non-native invasive species such as signal crayfish, giant hogweed and floating pennywort;

• Ensure that none of the thousands of new hydropower installations planned on our rivers damages fisheries;

• Protect the rights of anglers to go fishing and to access piers, ponds and to park near beaches;

• Support efforts to encourage more people to get into fishing;

• Protect fish from diseases imported from abroad.

Angling is more popular than ever, with freshwater rod licence sales soaring last year to 1.5 million from 1.3 million in the previous year. The Trust is aiming to sustain and continue this growth and ensure that there are plenty of fish to catch and safe and clean places for people of all ages to catch them.

Six Members of Parliament recently signed up as Parliamentary Supporters of the Angling Trust, the organisation which represents anglers in England, at a meeting of the All Party Angling Group at the House of Commons. The Group is chaired by Martin Salter MP (Reading West), a long-standing supporter of the Trust and the Labour party spokesman for angling and shooting and includes Richard Benyon (Newbury), the Conservatives' fisheries spokesman.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust said “We are very grateful to these busy Members of Parliament for agreeing to support the Angling Trust. Millions of anglers in England need a listening ear in Parliament to hear their concerns about pollution, over-abstraction, commercial over-fishing at sea, access restrictions and a host of other issues which affect the quality of our sport.” Mike Heylin, Chairman of the Angling Trust said: “We look forward to working closely with these parliamentarians to ensure that the anglers’ voice is heard. In the run-up to the General Election, the Angling Trust will be working hard to ensure that issues affecting the nation’s anglers are taken on board by candidates of all political parties.”

A British MEP has taken a lead in persuading the European Parliament to push for a total ban on trade in blue fin tuna. The huge Mediterranean fish, beloved of Japanese sushi eaters, is the most expensive food in the world.  Individual fish can sell for more than €10,000. WWF, the Worldwide Fund for Nature, claims that stocks of blue fin tuna have collapsed and that the fish will become extinct if controls are not introduced urgently. Organised crime is also said to be involved in the lucrative business, flouting all EU controls on the fishery. Euro-MP Chris Davies, speaking in the Strasbourg debate, said the Mafia had become involved because there was so much money to be made. The Liberal Democrat said that unless trade was halted there would be no blue fin tuna left. “It is time to protect this fish before they disappear from our seas.”

Ministers must now agree a European position to take at the next meeting of CITES (the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species) that takes place next month. The UK Government has already indicated that it supports a total ban.

Kevin Williamson with his 32lb blonde ray caught aboard Mistress Linda out of Poole. The fish was released safely back to the sea. Congratulations, Kevin, our Shakespeare Boat prize winner this month.

Alderney angler Frank Cusado with a fantastic plug shore caught Bass of 12lb 14oz. Our Shakespeare shore prize winner this month. Full competition details here

The Angling Trust is delighted to announce a new sponsorship package for Team England Shore Angling with Tronix, the West Sussex based tackle company. George Cunningham from Tronix attended a recent Angling Trust Marine National Team & Competition Group meeting where he met with Mike Heylin, Chairman of the Angling Trust to seal this deal. All of the Angling Trust Marine shore teams will be given product support while the England World Junior Shore Team will get a £1,500 cash injection for the next three years. Without such support it would not be financially possible to send teams to such events.

The Angling Trust can also confirm that Fox International is supporting some of the England Teams with product support: those attending the World Junior Shore Championship will each receive a top of the range multi-tip 16ft rod which should prove ideal for the Championships being staged in Portugal. Kamasan UK are once again providing the Home International junior and youth teams with top of the range Kamasan hooks which could well give them the cutting edge during their Championships, which will be staged in Scotland during July. Angling Trust Chairman Mike Heylin said: “The Angling Trust is committed to securing funding to support Team England in game, coarse and sea angling disciplines. This will enable the best participants to represent their country and will raise the profile of competition angling to attract more participants to matches at all levels.”

Sponsored by SAMALITE & ZZIPLEX, Supported by DENNING TACKLE and THE SEA ANGLING NEWS

* Samalite & Zziplex prizes *100% League entry cash payout * Prize Table

Dates Venue Times HW T

6th Mar West Bexington 6pm - 11pm 22.25 1.6, 3rd April Burton Bradstock 6pm - 11pm 22.30 1.9, 15th May Abbotsbury 5pm - 10pm 20.44 2.1, 12th June Ferrybridge 6.30pm - 11.30pm 19.45 2.1, 17th July Cogden 7pm - 12pm 23.50 1.9, 14th Aug Ferrybridge 7pm - 12pm 22.51 2.2, 4th Sept Cogden 6pm - 11pm 15.14 1.5, 30th Oct Masonic 7pm - 12pm 00.22 1.6, 27th Nov Abbotsbury 6pm - 11pm 22.22 1.6, 11th Dec West Bexington 5pm - 10pm 21.53 1.5

No matches will be cancelled, back up venue to be Preston Beach. Angling Trust rules apply. Payment: 1st , 2nd, 3rd in each zone / 1st 2nd 3rd overall. League membership will be limited to 100. Membership to league no later than 20th February 2010. £20.00 to join the league will go to end of season payout along with sponsorship prizes. 100 percent payout. Non league members will not be eligible for the end of year prize table. Match fees £10.00 entry plus £1.00 heaviest fish. Last entry on the night will be 1 hour before the match starts. Pre-book only. Any other information please ring Denning Tackle 01305 783145.

Discount Fishing Tackle supplied by Tacklebargains

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