SFCA POLICY ON THE USE OF LIVE FISH AS BAIT

The use of live fish for bait has long been recognised in Scotland, as it is in most countries of the world, as a legal method of taking omnivorous species of freshwater fish by rod & line. The Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling is unreservedly committed to preserving the freedom for predator anglers to employ this method.

We recognise that conservationists and fishery proprietors are legitimately concerned about certain possible consequences of irresponsible practices in the use of live fish as bait. We share those concerns, and are determined to encourage anglers to take all practicable measures to avoid:-

• the spread of disease or parasites by fish transferred from one water to another to be used as bait;

• the introduction of new species to waters where they are not found naturally through livebaits escaping or being discarded;

• damage to juvenile stocks of resident species through their being taken for bait;

• damage to stocks of rare or endangered species through their being taken for bait;

Where anglers behave responsibly, all of these potential dangers can be eliminated. This policy, and the Code of Conduct set out below, have been developed by SFCA to promote responsible practices by those who choose to use live fish as bait.

SFCA Code of Conduct on the use of live fish as bait

When using live fish as bait for predatory species in Scotland, anglers should:-

• use only fish taken from the water being fished for predators;

• use for bait only fish which comply with whichever is the larger of the statutory size limits for the species or any size limits imposed or recommended by the proprietor of the fishery concerned;

• take fish for bait only by legal means and during the legal season for the species concerned;

• not use as bait live fish of species which have been indicated as being rare or endangered in the water concerned, and specifically never use the following species as livebait: Atlantic Salmon, Powan, Shad, Sparling or Vendace.

This policy will be incorporated in the SFCA Constitution, posted on the SFCA Website, publicised in our literature, and promoted in any educational events in which SFCA participates.

We expect affiliated clubs to promote observance of the policy by their members, and specifically to undertake that they will:-

• incorporate, or refer explicitly to the SFCA Code of Conduct in club rules, except where the club chooses to adopt more stringent provisions;

• take appropriate action under club disciplinary procedures where it is shown that a member has acted contrary to the SFCA Code of Conduct;

• incorporate, or refer explicitly to the SFCA Code of Conduct in the rules of any fishery which they lease or control (subject to the wishes of the riparian owners concerned) except where the club or riparian owner chooses to adopt more stringent provisions;;

• encourage members to promote responsible behaviour in accordance with the SFCA Code of Conduct among other anglers;

• support the actions of bailiffs, wardens, fishery proprietors and riparian owners to enforce fishery rules and statutory provisions which accord with the SFCA Code of Conduct.

SFCA Executive Committee

March 2002 (updated June 2004)