WILD FISHERIES REVIEW – UPDATE MAY ‘14

The Scottish Government’s review of the management of freshwater fisheries in Scotland is now well under way. There is a good deal of background material on http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/fishreview , and in particular the Review team is publishing monthly progress reports on http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/fishreview/resources

At the moment the Review panel are engaging with anglers and other interests in two ways. First, they have called a series of “round table” meetings (18 in total, running up to 3rd July) in locations around Scotland with small groups of invited individuals reflecting freshwater fisheries interests in each area. SFCA has secured agreement that coarse angling representatives will be offered a seat at the table in each of those meetings that take place in areas where there is a significant coarse angling interest. I need hardly say how important it is for coarse angling people to be there whenever possible to put our distinctive perspective across. Members of the SFCA Committee, including Gus, Fraser and myself, have already taken part in some of these meetings and we are grateful to colleagues from PAAS and Inverness Pike Anglers for agreeing to become involved in others.

The Review team has also asked for written evidence in reply to a set of specific questions – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/fishreview/resources/evidence . The SFCA Committee has submitted a response with which we hope all coarse angling interests in Scotland will agree. This can be downloaded and viewed by clicking the link below:

Call for Evidence – SFCA Response

We would be grateful if you will also consider sending your own response to the Review’s call for evidence – whether as an individual coarse angler or as a club, fishery owner etc – supporting what we have said.

Please feel free to send comments, or let us know if there are any other issues you wish us to raise, to me at policyofficer@sfca.co.uk .

To repeat what I said in an earlier item, this Review is the best opportunity we will have in a generation to influence the way coarse fish and coarse anglers are treated in Scotland. It’s crucial that we make the best of it. Please take the time to help us do that.

Ron Woods, SFCA Policy Officer

Tags: Consultation, Environment, Policy, Protecting Fish, Protecting Rights and Access