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Post by OAA on Jul 5, 2007 18:30:14 GMT
The Ogmore Angling Association in Conjunction with Allan Cuthbert (Highplains) of the Clwyd Federation of Angling Clubs and others has began an official campaign to highlight the plight of Fisheries in Wales due to a lack of Environment Agency Enforcement Officers.
Our campaign basically has one aim - that is to get more Bailiffs back on Welsh fisheries.
In taking this campaign to the politicians responsible, we urgently need your support. Although the Association is a co-signatory of this campaign we are also looking for individual names to add to the list of support.
Please private message Highplains from the forum so that your name can be added to the list of supporters.
Remember that no river in Wales has suffered as much as the Ogmore with illegal poaching and angling.
Please take a couple of minutes of your time to do this!
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Post by tonymorris on Jul 10, 2007 10:56:41 GMT
I would like to add my name to this campaign Tony Morris One of few OAA bailiffs I've had a guts full of the problems we are experiencing with no support from the EA. I have written to T&S magazine but they may not print my views for a ban on the purchase of licenses and clubs employing their own teams after all who is going to police it
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Post by OAA on Jul 11, 2007 18:34:49 GMT
Thank you Tony for adding your name to the campaign.
How about helping me to persuade the remaining 448 adult members to join us!
Apologies to anyone who has already sent a message of support to Highplains.
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Post by highplains on Jul 31, 2007 22:12:51 GMT
Copied from the sea trout forum Re: EA PRESS RELEASES « Reply #101 on Today at 9:19pm » -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just received this from the EA this afternoon: As a salmon and sea trout rod licence holder in 2006 or 2007, we thought you might be interested in our new draft 'Sea Trout & Salmon Fisheries Strategy' and 'Review of the National Spring Salmon Byelaws'. We hope you may feel that these are relevant to you. If so, please take a moment to read the consultations and consider giving us your feedback. ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Sea Trout and Salmon Fisheries Strategy ------------------------------------------------------------ Following on from last year's consultation exercise on 'Delivering Better Salmon Fisheries' our draft Sea Trout and Salmon Fisheries Strategy is now on our website at: cts.vresp.com/c/?EnvironmentA...0ca/6202e35d3bThis strategy sets out our proposed new direction for conserving, improving and managing these fisheries for the next decade. We have developed our approach with the benefit of comments and views received from many people during consultation over the last 12 months. This is your opportunity to comment on the draft Strategy. Please follow the instructions on the web page to find out how. The closing date is 30 September 2007. ------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Spring Salmon Review ------------------------------------------------------------ The current national byelaws to protect spring salmon are due to expire in December 2008. We remain concerned about this component of the salmon run and we think byelaws will still be needed after December 2008. Our review of the status of England and Wales spring salmon stocks together with the options can be viewed on our website at: cts.vresp.com/c/?EnvironmentA...0ca/8c06540f22To find out how you can comment on this informal part of the review process, please click on the following link: cts.vresp.com/c/?EnvironmentA...0ca/820126f45eThe closing date for comments is 31 August 2007. We look forward to hearing from you. You will have to look hard to find any reference to poaching or protecting the fish from poachers. The EA are like a giant ice breaker, on and on. They take no regard of any of our views. Left to them our rivers will be fish less in no time. Sign up for the campaign for the protection of Welsh fisheries. Just email or PM me and pledge your support. We need numbers to give credibility to the campaign. Highplains
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Post by OAA on Aug 12, 2007 17:59:23 GMT
Just to provide members with a quick update on the campaign - We are currently awaiting for a review of fisheries enforcement to be published. This has now been presented to the Minister by the Environment Agency. To date we are unaware of it's contents. We are awaiting the outcome of the reveiew before the campaign is officially launched.
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Post by OAA on Sept 8, 2007 20:37:14 GMT
Just a quick update on the campaign.
The review of fisheries enforcement has now been presented to Elin Jones AM, the minister responsible for fisheries. She is currently digesting the contents and implications of the review.
Poaching of migratory fish usually is well underway on the ogmore during september and I have already been given reliable intelligence that some large sewin/salmon have been poached from the spawning grounds.
I would appeal to members to keep their eyes open for any signs of poaching on the river and if anyone is interested in becoming a club bailiff please contact myself.
In the meantime members could write to their local assembly members expressing their concern regarding thge lack of enforcement on the ogmore.
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Post by highplains on Oct 14, 2007 17:37:56 GMT
This is an extract from a FERAC paper that relates to the infamous 0800 80 70 60 reporting line.
I know from the forums that anglers are still not using this number to report incidents and by so doing reinforce the EAW argument that there is no poaching. Please use this number and report all incidents and get an incident number. I find it hard to believe that only a little over 30 fishing related incidents have been reported. Most of that number must have been made in connection with the Ogmore debacle.
Please fellow anglers use the 0800 80 70 60 free phone line. Being a bit of a cynic I really wonder how true this is, after all the Trusts are being given their own "private" numbers to report incidents. Perhaps somebody from the EAW would be kind enough to inform us if these are included. If they are one is bound to ask what use the Trusts are?
I will post this on the other forum and ask Gethyn if he can have the matter clarified.
The report item is as follows:
3.4 Reported Incidents
A total of 66 incident reports have been received this year with approximately 50% being confirmed as relating to fisheries offences. This compares with 59 reported during the same period in 2006 and 49 in 2005.
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Post by markryan on Oct 16, 2007 17:44:43 GMT
please add my name to your cause, I reported 6 incidents this year, 4 on the ogmore and two on the taff, not once would they give me an incident or reference number for a variety of excuses.
mark ryan
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Post by Nocturne on Oct 16, 2007 18:23:03 GMT
It would seem it’s not only enforcement the EA are attempting to avoid taking responsibility for. Here's a recent article from The Angling Times.
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Post by highplains on Oct 17, 2007 20:51:53 GMT
Thanks for the support Ryan, it is much appreciated.
I would really like to know when and where you made these reports and did you use 0800 80 70 60?
I hope you can let me know.
All the best
Highplains
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Post by highplains on Oct 18, 2007 10:01:19 GMT
It would seem that we are getting, as a society, what we deserve. If so many are apathetic then the government and its quangos and the like will walk all over us.
This new age with computer and Internet power will allow those that actually care to try to wake up the public to what is really happening. It is for this reason that the Campaign is running and will continue to run until something positive is done to address the issue. We have the chance to make a difference. Please sign up for the campaign.
Regards,
Highplains
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Post by highplains on Oct 19, 2007 10:35:43 GMT
The following items are taken direct from a paper to be presented to FERAC.
3.0 Enforcement Activity Report
3.1 Enforcement Review Update
We have received confirmation from WAG that we can proceed with some of the low cost/quick win recommendations made in the Enforcement Report to WAG. We are progressing actions relating to the following :
• Improved incident response • Greater awareness of 0800 number. • Training for club bailiffs • Greater inter-Area co-operation • Joint working with other organisations • Tackling fish theft.
We are considering the Ministers response in respect of other recommendations.
3.2 Rivercall/0800 Launch
The expanded Rivercall service in Wales was launched by WAG Minister, Jane Davidson, at the Royal Welsh Show. The service now includes 34 rivers in Wales and will generate some additional income for the function that will be reinvested in fisheries projects. The promotional card also doubles as an Aide Memoire for reporting suspected illegal fishing incidents through the 0800 80 70 60 hotline.
It is interesting to note that the EAW are obviously well aware that the 0800 80 70 60 number is not used in the way it should be and is in fact looked upon with derision. I therefore welcome the initiative to increase awareness of the number. It is a shame there is no initiative to increase response times to meaningful levels. I do hope that when the report is given and reference is made to the 66 calls they say were made nationally on the 0800 80 70 60 line that they will make clear to those to whom the report is addressed that the fishery related numbers of around 30 are far from representative of the situation because of the fact that the 0800 80 70 60 number is perceived to be a waste of time by those who should be using it.
It is no good raising awareness of the number when they can do little to respond to calls. They should be adding a genuine incentive to the angling community by saying something like - "use the number to show us there is a problem and we will provide a meaningful response". They must realise that their platitudes are no replacement or alternative to actions. It seems to me the whole system is currently set up to prove what they have been saying for years; that there is little poaching, not establishing the true facts.
The season is now over and we can turn our efforts to applying pressure to the EAW and to the Assembly to provide more funding. However the Assembly are less likely to listen to us if their advisers (EAW) are singing from a different hymn sheet.
Come on EAW start to work with us. We share a common interest or at least we should???
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Post by OAA on Oct 19, 2007 19:11:07 GMT
I would like to know how the 'low cost' options above will prevent sewin and salmon from being ripped out of our remote spawning streams this winter?
Only one thing will prevent that ..............bailiffs getting out there on the beat!
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Post by highplains on Nov 1, 2007 21:25:15 GMT
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Post by highplains on Nov 1, 2007 21:42:30 GMT
Fellow members please note that if the EAW are to provide poaching figures the chances are they will use the 0800 80 70 60 calls as the basis.
We will have words to say about that wont we?
When the review is published we will really need your support and that of as many of our fellow anglers as we can.
Keep on keeping on!!
Regards.
Highplains
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