Article 47 enrages sea anglers…
The article 47 EU proposals have been greeted with widespread anger among sea anglers across the length and breadth of the UK. The angling unity meeting at Bridlington saw a large attendance united in opposition. Even the weekly print magazine, Angling Times, which does not feature sea angling, carried the headline “Sea Anglers urged to fight quota call”.
The proposals are: All boats used for sea angling would need to be registered. Why? For safety maybe, but most boats are registered with the coastguard anyway. Anglers’ catches and quota species must be declared and registered, with all such catches to be set against member states’ quotas. Does this mean that when quotas are met, anglers will then not be able to fish? I would suggest that it does. It would be illegal for recreational anglers to sell any fish caught. Rules on this are pretty tight on this anyway, especially at Grimsby. Many anglers only keep a few for the table and release more than they actually take.
The committee of fisheries will discuss the proposed regulations in January, followed by a vote on March 31st. Although this is lunacy spawned of Brussels, I would expect there will be support for it. In the meantime there are sure to be heated meetings countrywide. There are going to be a couple of meetings in this area – hopefully one at HCA social club on the docks. As soon as I get word I will publicise details. Do not think that this madness is just aimed at boat anglers, it will affect us all. Come to the meeting and have your say.
The Humber SAC AGM takes place on Wednesday 21st of January. There is noticeable discontentment with the formation of the new club and anglers moaning about the way things are run, among other things. Please go and have your say. On the subject of the new club, I had the chairman of the Grimsby Club write to me as he thought that I was against it. This is not the case. I would have liked the opportunity to attend the meeting to see why the anglers wanted, or found it the need for another club, but, as I said last week, I wish the new club all the best.
Reckitts SAC fished on the Yorkshire coast with good results. In the Super League, Carl Matthews won with 11.9kg, this included 7 cod and 1 whiting. Next was John Atkinson’s 6 cod for 8.97kg. Third was Trev Frost with just under 13lbs, which included an excellent 10lb 1oz heaviest cod.
In the Premier League Ian Render had 4 cod for 6.85kg; second, Mike Brockman 6.74kg; third, Jamie Foxton 4 cod for 5.12kg.
Commercial SAC were also in action. Martyn Banks had the heaviest bag of 12lb 3.4oz from Out Newton. Second was Dale Hewitt who fished Withernsea and took a the 8lb 8oz biggest fish. Neil Mackintosh was third with 8lb 8oz from Easington * I do not know if this was a tie. The next match is the Graham Kirk memorial 25th January 10am to 4pm
The HCA boat match was rightly called off last weekend in due to fierce winds. Fish are very hard to find at the moment and the best results have come from shallow marks close in.
