Angling in the Trust A Personal View by David Kent September 2015 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Angling in the Trust

A Personal View by David Kent September 2015

Why Have Angling?

Transport Act 1968 Classification of the Waterways Section 104: The waterways referred to as cruising waterways are to be principally available for cruising, fishing and other recreational activities.

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What should this mean to the Trust in 2015?

And how can we ensure the Trust meets its inherited

• bligation?

Without professional fisheries management, angling won’t exist. You can’t have angling without a fishery to support it. It means making fishing readily available where realistically possible across the network and to do that there is a need for:

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• An appropriately resourced national team of Fisheries & Angling experts to

take the lead

• This national team to have internal status commensurate with boating,

heritage, environment, hydrology etc. and an appropriate level of resource

• Adequate car parking and access along the towing path
• Available and safe fishing on the towing path
• Suitable water quality and quantity to support fish life and the associated

food chain

• Suitable aquatic habitat to support all the stages of the life cycle of fish and

the food chain that supports fish life

• Fish stocks at an appropriate level and species diversity
• Ongoing consultation with customer club regarding all activities likely to

impact on the fishery.

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This is what the All Party Waterway Group had to say about this in their 2014 review:

• Recommendation 10: The Trust should continue to

develop its open approach with stakeholders and build upon its strong community relations

• Recommendation 11: That the Trust consults all

relevant stakeholders when planning repair & maintenance work on the waterways

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What benefits does angling bring for the Trust?

• A vital component of a thriving waterway
• Through angling events, a way of raising the

profile of the waterways

• A significant contributor to local economies,

especially major events for example the Division 1 National on the Gloucester Canal £185k

• A simple way to introduce people to the

waterways

• An affordable way for the public to use the

waterways

• Its totally inclusive, no barriers to participation
• A proven crime reduction and anti-social

behaviour tool

• Angling clubs are as yet a relatively untapped

source of volunteers

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About the standard angling agreement

• It’s the legal agreement between the club customer and the Trust
• Includes bailiffing and insurance obligation under standard angling

agreement which all clubs sign up to

• Existing bailiffing effort (personal estimate)
• Eyes and ears, in particular vandalism, low water, fish in distress,

illegal instruments

• A useful source of income, currently circa £550,000, the net surplus

being used to maintain the waterways

• When the points on slide 4 are not met, clubs will choose to terminate

their agreements

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The National Angling Advisory Group

• One of 8 advisory groups, the successor of the BW Fisheries Advisory

Group

• Good geographical spread of members
• Good spread of skillsets including angling development, fisheries

management and competitions

• Occasional joint meeting with Environment Advisory Group
• There are lots of cross cutting issues that need to be discussed at more

than one advisory group. Should the chairs of the groups meet up periodically?

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1. Fisheries & Angling Action Plans 2. Fisheries & Angling Component of Internal Environmental Appraisal 3. Fisheries & Angling as an educational tool

Three key developments to move fisheries & angling forward

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Fisheries & Angling Action Plans

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• Eleven Waterway FAAPs now at first draft stage
• They combine local actions, operational actions, the

national fisheries and angling team and other national team actions

• They will be an integral part of the business plans at

both waterway and national level The actions are grouped under ten themes, listed

• verleaf:

FAAP Actions

1. Retain existing angling customers and attracting new ones 2. Develop & improve access to the fishery 3. The opportunities to engage with local communities 4. Take advantage of the opportunities for volunteering & adoptions 5. Improving communication between the Trust and its customers 6. Funding 7. Fish passage and migration 8. Predation & non native species 9. Fish stocks & fisheries management 10. Fisheries and water quality and quantity

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Fisheries & Angling Component of Internal Environmental Appraisal

Currently, there is insufficient fisheries & angling team input into the process. Consequently:

• There have been numerous complaints,

some of which lead to significant reputational damage

• Implementation will require better

communications with angling club customers

• Implementation will lead to a better
• utcome for the fishery.
• Implementation will minimise reputational

damage to the Trust and customer clubs will have improved confidence in the Trust

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Fisheries & Angling as an educational tool

Angling is a means by which people, especially young people:

• Can be introduced to the waterways

for the first time

• Can learn a new skill such as how to

fish

• Can learn to respect the whole canal

environment

• Can learn to respect the rights of
• ther users
• Can learn about fish and their

environment through events such as fish rescue education days

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Any Questions?