Access - SFFF SG 3-4
Arrangements for access in E&W vary widely, linked
to fisheries ownership. This ranges from private, state to
club or national governing body.
Rod licences are another emotive issue. However, most
of our European friends have some sort of licencing system.
Personally I'm a great supporter for various reasons -
keeping a data-base of anglers is one important argument;
another is funding. The EA would be in a poor state
without their £16m from rod licences, but of course most of
that comes from coarse fishing and they have to ring fence
it for that purpose and use GiA for salmon work. I don't
have to tell you that the system in Scotland is quite
different, with work on salmon funded by the Boards. Maybe
there's an opportunity for licencing to raise money from
trout and coarse anglers? Difficult and controversial, but
most foreign anglers visiting Scotland for the first time
express surprise that their is no licence. Another
opportunity would to use licences, or part of licence
income, as a way of funding the administration of angling
i.e. the governing bodies. The French do this very
successfully. Every angler must have a licence and I or
2€ goes to the governing body. The EA have recently
proposed a recreational sea angling licence to help fund
Sea fisheries committees and marine Enforcement. There are
some interesting if controversial ideas here which I think
are well worth exploring in detail.
(European Anglers Alliance )
Before embarking on this and perhaps raising
expectations I really think we need to make some assessment
of what is actually really wrong with the existing PO
system. We also may need to start thinking about some
fundamental principles such as property rights, retention
of high quality experiences etc. Clearly the PO system is
not ideal and has its critics but what are its flaws and
how can they be rectified and should be we consider taking
evidence from those who actually manage and run them. To
echo the Minister's words, an evidence based approach to
this would be helpful. I have just given a presentation to
Highland Council and we discussed what the real issues of
access, or lack of it, might be. They are interested in
doing some work on this in the Highland Area looking at
what the real constraints on access are i.e.) is it lack of
access to fishing, lack of access to information about
fishing or lack proper infrastructure or services e.g.)
hotels/guides/boats etc. This might be an interesting
exercise for the group as it may home in on the constraints
to growing the fisheries economy.
(Association of Salmon Fishery Boards)