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This page was last updated on 29th October 2009 |
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Bill set to become Law
Last week saw the UK Marine and Coastal Access bill passed through it’s third parliamentary stage, the final stage before it gets Royal assent and becomes law. The effects of the Bill will over the next few years see changes to the Sea Fishery Committees that have until now be responsible for many things including the making and policing of by laws for there respective local waters. The changes to the Sea Fishery Committees are firstly by name (they are to become IFCA’s) and by who sits on them making these laws. Until now there has been a cross section of elected representatives (Local councillors) and various stake holder representatives, (mainly people from the commercial fishing fraternity) The new bodies will have a larger representation with the introduction in some cases for the first time of RSA’s and Conservationist along with others who have an interest in these waters (Wind Farm’s, Oil Exploration, Mineral & Aggregate Companies and Divers) to name a few. There are also to be various areas around the coast that will become marine nature reserves with restrictions on commercial fishing varying from part year restrictions to a complete ban on some methods of fishing. Other activities will also be restricted or banned these include Dredging, Wind Farms and Oil Exploration. It remains to be seen just what impact all of this will have on the UK’s inshore waters, how well it can be policed and indeed what loop holes there are in the bill as are already being talked about. What ever happens we will be watching and we will report it here.
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Decision Time
The EU has now decided the make up of Article 47 a part of the common sea fishery policy and in particular that which concerns Recreational Sea Angling (RSA) It was a concern that fish landed by RSA’s was to be counted as part of the Quota for the territory in which fish were caught. That idea has been dropped, common sense seems to have prevailed, that thank goodness. Another issue is that RSA’s should record there catches this to has been set aside but not completely. Some fish will have to be recorded, in particular fish species in given areas where they are subject to recovery. I am lead to believe that will include Cod and Halibut in some North Sea Areas may well be subject to these directives but where and how the recording is to take pace is yet to be announced. Shore and Pier fishing is exempt from the measures so it looks as if only be boat fishing will be included but again we will have to wait and see the full draught of the article before we know the full story. We here ar Rodbenders say ‘Hopefully our RSA representatives will be negotiating a good deal for the cost involved for completing these forms given a GP for example will charge in excess of £20 to fill in a very simple medical insurance form.’
As always we will be following this story as it develops |
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Rodbenders Comment
Well folks our political page has shrunk somewhat with the conclusion or near conclusion of the two main topics that have dominated this page for these past two years. In both cases we have a wait and see situation, with the UK Marine and Coastal Access Bill and it’s various measures. We will be looking to see how these new committee’s shape up and the impact of the protection zones. We will also be watching for what changes are to be introduced and the likely impact of EU Article 47 with an eye to what degree of recording will be required by anglers. More importantly we will still be on the case of, the failure as we see it, with regard the stopping of the completely stupid idea of discards by the commercial's so as to remain within there size and quota limits and just how the EU intends to stop these fish being caught in the first place, which was surly the whole idea of the size limits being introduced. We are also still keeping a keen eye on the SSFC and the 12 meter situation so take note SFC you are still on our radar and hopefully the proposals that were born last year will develop via the impact study that has been talked about, which with hind sight, should have taken place at the out set of this dispute.
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