ANGLING NEEDS A FAIR DEAL

The Angling Trust wants sea angling to get a fair deal in a new UK Fisheries Bill.

In a briefing sent to Fisheries Minister, George Eustice MP, the Trust urged the Government to recognise the potential of developing worldclass recreational fishing in the UK now that the country will no longer be constrained by the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

The Trust wants to see management objectives, or recreational fishery development goals, which support and grow recreational angling. It says measures designed to support and develop angling would motivate the angling public to fish more often and spend more money supporting coastal communities and businesses throughout the UK.

Despite the evidence of the importance of recreational fishing to people, communities and the economy, Defra still focuses its efforts on managing stocks for commercial fishing, excluding the recreational sea angling from participating equitably in the process of formulating management policy or measures.

In a number of recommendations, the Trust is calling on the Government to recognise the public’s right to access publiclyowned fish stocks and to allocate fishing opportunities based on the social, economic and environmental benefits to society.

See page 39 for more details.