Post by highplains on Nov 23, 2005 22:15:36 GMT -1
The following highlighted text is an extract from the Inland Fishery Stakeholder Group, Schedule of Provisional Recommendations. This has been copied and pasted from the document the whole of which was published on the Forum earlier this month. This thread is to seek your views on the content of the document that relate directly to the poaching of our waters
INLAND FISHERY STAKEHOLDER GROUP
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT: CCW = Countryside Council for Wales: EA = Environment Agency for England & Wales: EAW = Environment Agency Wales: FRAWC = Flood Risk Assessment Wales Committee (formerly Flood Defence Committee): NRA = National Rivers Authority: WAG = Welsh Assembly Government.
D FISHERIES REGULATION
D1 BAILIFFS & ENFORCEMENT.
No single issue has caused so much hostility towards the EA as the apparent lack of an adequate force of full-time fishery bailiffs engaged on active front-line enforcement work to combat illegal fishing in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters.
D.1.6 The EA should be required to substantiate its claim that illegal fishing for salmon is no longer a problem: a) in absolute national terms, b) in specific regional terms and c) (most importantly in view of the parlous state of many salmon stocks) in relative terms on those many rivers that are currently failing to achieve their scientifically based conservation limits.
Just to clarify- this is actually included in the document and indicates that the EAW is stating as a fact, as the EAW sees it, “THAT ILLEGAL FISHING FOR SALMON IN WALES IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM!.” Note that it states illegal fishing under the heading of Bailiffs and Enforcement. IT DOES NOT SAY POACHING IN ITS VARIOUS GUISES (NETTING POSONING SNARING ETC.) IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM. I believe the omission of any reference to poaching directly or indirectly is a ploy. If there is no mention of poaching in its various guises, then the acceptance of the final version of this report, without such reference with leave the EAW free to continue to fail in its obligation to seek out and apprehend poachers and they will continue only to seek licence dodgers!
This really is important!
We need to be able to prove, as best we can, that there is serious and continuing poaching and the illegal obtaining of salmon from our waters, and that it is on going.
Those of us that have used the EAW free phone number will be aware that our calls have not been acted upon and what is more some of the calls are not being recorded as being poaching related. Rumour has it that they are actually being removed from the system as “non EAW business!” This, if proven to be true, would really be a very serious matter!
We therefore have these issues to address.
1. Do you agree that illegal fishing for salmon in Wales, is no longer a problem?
2. Do we agree that there is no poaching for salmon in Wales?
3. If you do not agree, then can we give examples of poaching that we have direct experience of? Hearsay will not be acceptable, we will have to record only those incidents of which we have first hand and or certain experience.
We will have to be able to collect and record all relevant information in a manner which is acceptable and which can be retrieved and brought to EAW’s attention in hard copy. How this is done will have to be discussed with the moderators of the forums and other interested parties.
THE CHALLENGE IS THEN TO GIVE THE LIE TO THE MYTH THAT THERE IS NO POACHING FOR SALMON IN WALES OR CONFIRM THAT IT IT A FACT!
Are you up for it?
I suggest we allow two weeks for views and then when we can gauge anglers opinions act as we all agree to get the details together.
Please note that the Environment Agency Wales is part of the Environment Agency as a whole but is kept separate and distinct from its mother organisation for England. So please Welsh anglers or anglers who visit and enjoy the fishing in Wales are the only anglers who can make meaningful comment on this issue.
So, your comments on the illegal fishing and poaching issue please and your comments on how best to collate the information.
It does not matter if the EAW are monitoring this site it will give them food for thought and remind them that we are not to be hoodwinked!
Any EAW staff out there who would like to comment??? Please, if you care, we are all in the same boat!!
INLAND FISHERY STAKEHOLDER GROUP
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT: CCW = Countryside Council for Wales: EA = Environment Agency for England & Wales: EAW = Environment Agency Wales: FRAWC = Flood Risk Assessment Wales Committee (formerly Flood Defence Committee): NRA = National Rivers Authority: WAG = Welsh Assembly Government.
D FISHERIES REGULATION
D1 BAILIFFS & ENFORCEMENT.
No single issue has caused so much hostility towards the EA as the apparent lack of an adequate force of full-time fishery bailiffs engaged on active front-line enforcement work to combat illegal fishing in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters.
D.1.6 The EA should be required to substantiate its claim that illegal fishing for salmon is no longer a problem: a) in absolute national terms, b) in specific regional terms and c) (most importantly in view of the parlous state of many salmon stocks) in relative terms on those many rivers that are currently failing to achieve their scientifically based conservation limits.
Just to clarify- this is actually included in the document and indicates that the EAW is stating as a fact, as the EAW sees it, “THAT ILLEGAL FISHING FOR SALMON IN WALES IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM!.” Note that it states illegal fishing under the heading of Bailiffs and Enforcement. IT DOES NOT SAY POACHING IN ITS VARIOUS GUISES (NETTING POSONING SNARING ETC.) IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM. I believe the omission of any reference to poaching directly or indirectly is a ploy. If there is no mention of poaching in its various guises, then the acceptance of the final version of this report, without such reference with leave the EAW free to continue to fail in its obligation to seek out and apprehend poachers and they will continue only to seek licence dodgers!
This really is important!
We need to be able to prove, as best we can, that there is serious and continuing poaching and the illegal obtaining of salmon from our waters, and that it is on going.
Those of us that have used the EAW free phone number will be aware that our calls have not been acted upon and what is more some of the calls are not being recorded as being poaching related. Rumour has it that they are actually being removed from the system as “non EAW business!” This, if proven to be true, would really be a very serious matter!
We therefore have these issues to address.
1. Do you agree that illegal fishing for salmon in Wales, is no longer a problem?
2. Do we agree that there is no poaching for salmon in Wales?
3. If you do not agree, then can we give examples of poaching that we have direct experience of? Hearsay will not be acceptable, we will have to record only those incidents of which we have first hand and or certain experience.
We will have to be able to collect and record all relevant information in a manner which is acceptable and which can be retrieved and brought to EAW’s attention in hard copy. How this is done will have to be discussed with the moderators of the forums and other interested parties.
THE CHALLENGE IS THEN TO GIVE THE LIE TO THE MYTH THAT THERE IS NO POACHING FOR SALMON IN WALES OR CONFIRM THAT IT IT A FACT!
Are you up for it?
I suggest we allow two weeks for views and then when we can gauge anglers opinions act as we all agree to get the details together.
Please note that the Environment Agency Wales is part of the Environment Agency as a whole but is kept separate and distinct from its mother organisation for England. So please Welsh anglers or anglers who visit and enjoy the fishing in Wales are the only anglers who can make meaningful comment on this issue.
So, your comments on the illegal fishing and poaching issue please and your comments on how best to collate the information.
It does not matter if the EAW are monitoring this site it will give them food for thought and remind them that we are not to be hoodwinked!
Any EAW staff out there who would like to comment??? Please, if you care, we are all in the same boat!!