Broad Angling Service Group Launch Event

[DHolmes]

On the 20th May, the newly formed Broads Angling Services Group (CIC) is holding its official launch event.

We have arranged some interested speakers and exhibitions, and will round up proceedings with a Q&A session on the management of the Broads Fishery, which will involve the EA and BA.

Please see attached flyer for details.

[ChrisB]

BASG, representing the interests of Anglers is very similar to BASC, representing the interests of the shooting fraternity.

I wonder if this may lead to confusion in any way?

Accepting the fact that BASG is regional as opposed to the BASC which is national.

[BroadAmbition]

I wonder if this may lead to confusion in any way?

I think it will initially.  I received the above via e-mail a few days ago now.  I am a member of the BASC and have been for years n years.  When the email arrived I initially thought, why are the BASC getting involved with fishing on the Broads?  Not until I used the Port n Stbd lookouts properly did I realise my mistake

Griff

[JennyMorgan]

Chris, for national angling matters we have the Angling Trust which is affiliated to several international bodies including WWW. Whether there would or could be confusion, well, possibly but I doubt that that would matter. BASG in its previous life as the Broads Angling Strategy Group existed for a good number of years, I don't really see a need for a relaunch but there we go, and I'm not aware that there was ever any confusion, at least not in my time as a member.

[DHolmes]

Thanks for your comments,

As Jenny Morgan says the Broads Angling Strategy Group has existed since 2000, and although I am a relative newcomer to the group, I am also unware of any confusion.

Whilst under its previous guise as a STRATEGY group, BASG helped deliver some great work which has benefited both anglers and the wider community, we have been continually frustrated in recent years at the lack of available funding to improve the Broads Fishery.

The re-creation of the BASG as a SERVICES group under the legal identity of a Community Interest Company, creates a platform for the BASG to seek direct funding for projects, something that wasn't possible under the previous identity.

We hope that the event will be well supported by the Broads Angling community, it will certainly be interesting to see what the BA, EA and NE have to say publically about how they manage the Broads as a Fishery.

Hope to see you there

Duncan

 

 

[rightsaidfred]

42 minutes ago, DHolmes said:

We hope that the event will be well supported by the Broads Angling community, it will certainly be interesting to see what the BA, EA and NE have to say publically about how they manage the Broads as a Fishery.

Hope to see you there

Duncan

 

 

As the majority of those fishing the Broads are visitors I wouldn't anticipate a large turnout.

I am not sure either the BA or NE have any responsibility in regards to managing it as a Fishery that is down to the EA.

Having fished the Broads for almost 40 years I would say it is as healthy and good a fishery as it has ever been and just about the only improvements extra funding could make is to provide better access for bankside angling and thats not easy given the restricted access to private land that exists.

Fred

[DHolmes]

Hi Fred,

I hope you made the time to come along on Sunday and hear some of the presentations, those that attended saw great value in the event.

You are right, in that certain parts of the Broads are offer superb fishing for some species, despite saline incursion and prymnesium killing 100,000's of fish every year. 

However the access for fishing is getting less and less as time goes by, both from the bank and small boat access and this needs to be addressed as gradual erosion of these accesses will mount up to significant loss over time.

BA and NE have huge responsibility for actions that effect anglers and have currently been shying away from these responsibilities.

Using the BA's own figures, 40% of Toll payers are in fact anglers, so I would say that gives BA every reason to engage with anglers, but you are correct in saying it is the EA's responsibility for fish stocks. 

BASG are slowly, but surely starting to turn the tide with both these organisations in the terms how consideration is shown to angling requirements.

One example of this is, we have succeeded to have the following statement added to the Broads Local Plan, to ensure access to the water forms part of planning development policy PUBDM27.

“There is no loss of local or visitor facilities, such as moorings, access for angling and access to the waterside.”

This is an important change for angling access and should help secure bankside access on future developments, just a very small number of words, but ones that will prove to be invaluable in the years to come. This why one reason why it is vital that the BA and anglers engage, not strictly a fisheries issue, but planning policy does and will affect anglers.

At the weekend, we had a fantastic presentation by Chirs Bilby from NE, on the Great Hoveton Project. Anglers concerns regarding how the project is managed and the effects on fish movements in that area HAS been an influence on their work.