Do the Welsh & English anglers, think it's value for money? What does the money get spent on?

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All that glitters, will catch anglers.

A Difficult question to answer! I did think it was a good thing, but, I'm beginning to wonder if it's value for money? But also believe that we need some type of governing body! I'm not so pleased about the amalgamation of the EA with the Forestry Commission in Wales; how will the funds be spent?

Also with the pending total C&R for Salmon and Sea Trout on certain rivers? I think the EA rod licence should be priced at the same level of cost for all types of fish and fishing "One Price"

However, I do not think the EA do enough to protect our wild fish stocks; and find them a little lax, especially when it comes to putting themselves on the front line to ensure a good future for the environment.

I'm on the fence with this because the EA also do some good work; and their research dept is very good! Better the devil we know Eh?

M

Exactly, what is the alternative.

Over time the roll of the EA has been expanded to encompass responsibilites that were never part of their original remit. At the same time, in line with many other organisations, their funding has been reduced.

I sometimes wonder what 'value' anglers expect?

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[I]"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel."[/I] Roderick L Haig-Brown

[url]www.wildfly.net[/url]

[url]http://www.gameanglinginstructors.co.uk/[/url]

Well colin I rekon you will get some mixed answers on this one...

For me unless I could be shown a detailed breakdoown of what the EA do then its hard to say...

I can say tho that I have never in my 40 years on this planet have seen of or heard of the EA etc, stocking or doing any sort of work on the river where I grew up and these rivers are now a shambles, filled full of otters that the EA kindly let out into an enviroment that is not capapble of supporting them.

I can say that friend of mine inn the fisheries have had EA inspections whilst moving and netting fish and the EA inspectors were unable to identify the basic UK species in the nets!!??-(it would appear that University education is more important to the EA than people who actually understand their job)

I can the EA is nothing more than a political puppet, why do I say this ?. Well because I sent a email of concern regarding our Europoean cousins and the number of them I seen fishing with lots of rods, ie 10-15 between 3 people, plus large amounts of litter(IE cheap eastern block vodka.fag packets and assorted packaging), bbq's, remains of various fish eaten.), dead bait packets littering banks out of season, signs of long lines etc. I was never being offensive or rude , I merely was asking what the EA was doing about what is according to reports becoming a biggger problem. I was given a reply which amounted me to me being told not be a racist, yep racist?? and to embrace our European cousins as they have a different way of life than us?? then I was informed that they all have been regularily checked country wide by the EA who have confirmed that they all have licences etc and that I should go away!!!..I so wish I kept the email but I am afraid it was couple of years ago and has been deleated......So thats the mentalty of the EA

I can say that I have only been been checked 3 times in 30+ years of fishing??? So where are the baliffs and the last time I was checked they turned up like Miami Vice strutting around with thier stab vest, battons and telling me how they had the powers of the Police etc, I was a bit confused as I all they had done was ask me for my licence abd maybe because I was not in awe of thier outfits they felt the need to be noticed

Apart from that I hope they are doing something of use to us anglers and the enviroment.

Whilst I am on my soap box, I feel a licence per rod should be implenmented, ie why pay for 2 when as a fly angler you can only use 1 at a time, why should a specimen angler who may wish to use 3 rods have to buy a 2nd licence to fish 1 extra rod.

Yep funding has been reduced, what was the rivers authority is now the EA and they have more work to do with less money....Political government streamlining or everyone else being forced to suffer because over educated cluless posh idiots penny pinch yet again to try to recoup the endless money they waste on the game of human monopoly.???

Maybe....... If I can bounce the question back at you, do Scottish anglers think that their fisheries would be improved by having a similar agency?....................birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

I run a fishery that is being hit with poachers on a regular basis. I've asked the EA for help as well as the Police. EA have been cut back in our area by 30% therefore in my book they're 30% less efficient. They're so streched that help cannot be relied up or given. In my opinion we don't get value for money from the revenue collected from EA rod licences.

BK

In principle, my view is this:

• By and large, all anglers need for good fishing is a healthy aquatic environment.
  
• The EU water framework directive obliges the UK government to provide this - whether anyone fishes or not.
  
• Where an intervention in a natural water is needed - be it stocking to seed a lost population or habitat improvement where man has damaged it - whoever is responsible for the damage should pay to put it right.
  
• Where a new fishery is being created where an old one did not exist, it is for the business owner or other stakeholders to fund consultancy or management services as required.
  
• If there is a need to provide municipal facilities to anglers, these should be funded from the same pot which funds municipal sporting, recreational and cultural facilities
  

I don't see anything in that list that should in principle be funded directly by a tax on anglers. Clean, healthy natural waters are all we need to have good fishing, and not only is it the case that others besides anglers benefit from that, but it is also a legal responsibility of government. Commercially run fisheries should procure fisheries services from the private sector at their own cost. Other sporting and cultural interests receive public subsidy, why instead do we specifically have to pay into the pot? Why, given that there is there not a rambling, canoeing, birdwatching, golfing or kickabout-in-the-park tax should there be a fishing tax?

Having said all that, I will backtrack - that is a position of principle. In practice, the licence fee provides the EA with a reliable income stream which is not subject to the vagaries of public funding, and it enables the EA to do valuable work which while it should be funded by other means, perhaps in practice would not be.

Whether you get value for money largely depends on how good you or your river assn/clubs are at lobbying the EA and working with them. You can get a lot more out than you put in if you make the effort and have someone on your side who can deal with all the red tape and general **** found within the EA without going mad!
I don't have the exact figures to hand but on one small river I used to fish had about 100 rods fishing it for migratory fish. If they all bought full annual licences (rather than short term day or week ones) that would mean there would be the less than grand total of £7200 to spend on that river (most of us fish more than one river so the money actually has to be spread even thinner). £7200 is not going to cover the wages of a bailiff let alone any anti poaching patrols, habitat works, farm visits, responce to pollution etc etc.
Yet this one little river had a purpose built fish trap on a weir to catch broodstock for a salmon smolt pond, several egg boxes and an extensive program of gravel washing on the redds every year. All because we had people who knew how to work the system and people who were willing to turn out on the riverbank and work in partnership with the EA.

On the other hand I really can't see what the angler fishing for stocked fish on a stillwater gets for their rod licence or what the EA can really do for them but they are subsidising the river works so please carry on paying!


Andy

A bit of an answer at:

Fisheries: Licensing: 30 Nov 2010: Written answers and statements (TheyWorkForYou.com)

I think that Steve Walker has summed it rather neatly.

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"Take not out your 'ounds on a werry windy day" Surtees.