TRUST ANSWERS A CRITIC

I write in answer to the letter from Tony Burman (issue 576) concerning the Angling Trust and its approach to sea angling.

The creation of my role as the marine regions’ coordinator was a start earlier this year to support our current regions and to develop new ones. We have undertaken a survey of our sea angling membership. Nearly 750 anglers completed this in July 2019, and respondents told us our priorities should be focused on:

* Communication – via our sea newsletter. * Supporting angling campaigns – we are doing this regarding wrasse, bass, bluefin tuna and work focused on reforming inshore netting. We have worked hard to get recognition of sea anglers as legitimate stakeholders in the future management of our marine fisheries. In addition, we are lobbying to secure funding for the development of our support through the monies the Government promised to make available to replace the European funding for fisheries development.

* Helping to increase participation – we have volunteers actively supporting participation events and are keen to make greater use of sea angling coaches. * Hosting forums – respondents overwhelmingly wanted us to hold forums across the country. These are now planned across our marine regions of Wyvern,

Wessex/Isle of Wight and Sussex. We are kicking off our series of forums in Cornwall where our survey showed there is real appetite to create a Marine Region. The survey also showed a real interest for forums and our wider work in Eastern, North West and North East England, and we hope we can galvanise this interest in the future.

Tony attributed a statement to our angling development officer that there is no funding for sea angling because sea anglers don’t pay for a rod licence. The reality is that rod licence money does fund our contracted work with the Environment Agency to deliver an increase in participation among existing and new anglers, tackle illegal angling and manage funding to improve angling facilities.

It is not that we are not interested in sea angling. The new National Angling Strategy, ‘Angling for Good’ recognises the importance of sea angling and offers hope for building opportunities for participation and a mass of other sea angling activities. It further recognises that this can only be achieved if significant additional funding, investment and resources can be found.

The Angling Trust is a key member of National Angling Strategy Partnership Board to deliver the strategy. In order to see sea angling issues addressed, we need anglers like Tony to continue supporting us.

Nevin Hunter, marine coordinator, Angling Trust