Post by izzetafox on Jun 17, 2009 16:34:50 GMT -12
Well after all I have read about WAG and their decision to take more control of the marine environment I had to put pen to paper...well sort of...an email anyway.
I may have made a fool of myself but hopefully the naivety of my comments will give it some credibility...So here is the e-mail to Rhodri Morgan:
Mr Morgan,
I was uncertain whom I should contact. I have to confess as an Englishman the only Assembly Member who's name I can quote is yours, so I am afraid you have drawn the short straw.
Let me introduce myself.
I am a keen angler. I fish lakes and rivers whilst at home in Leicester, but love to sea fish when I take my family on holiday.
Each year for the past 24 years I have brought my family to Wales, predominately on the Lleyn Peninsular. In recent years I have advanced onto fishing from a kayak.
The fishing is not enjoyed by me alone, over the years my two daughters, then their husbands and latterly my grandchildren have joined in.
Over the years I have to say that the overall quality of our experience has declined along with the catches. It seems that many of the species available to the inshore angler have declined and so has the variety and quality of our catches.
I cannot help but believe that the number of fishing vessels I have seen within a stones throw of beaches at Pwllheli and Penllech are a contributory factor, along with the nets frequently set on many of the Lleyn beaches.
In the last few years we have explored the possibilities of getting similar holidays in Scotland or the South West as the enduring appeal of fishing based holidays is on the wane.
I believe the loss of families like mine to Welsh Tourism would severely impact on the communities we stay in. For example this year we will spend a total of four weeks in Wales spread over three holidays, I shall also make at least four day trips to fish.
Accommodation alone is going to cost just short of £2000. In each week we will then spend about £150 on consumables, £60 on fuel, £70 on bait and tackle, £100 on meals and drinks out, £100 on visiting local attractions and about £30 each week with the grandkids 'wasting' their holiday money. So you are looking at £4000+ a year. All of which will slowly seep out of the Welsh economy as we explore other destinations.
We all love Wales and the Welsh but we have to be selfish and say that the sea angling is a major satisfier and it's decline cannot be ignored.
Now recently I have been actively reading up on the subject of the Welsh Sea Fisheries and I believe that the WAG is taking more control of it's marine environment than the rest of the UK.
I have seen the figures in reports that show the massive contribution made to the Welsh economy by sea angling, especially when compared with the Inshore commercial fishing boats. In 2000 £28.1m v £8.8m I believe.
I have seen that more and more bodies representing the Recreational Sea Angler in Wales are asking the WAG to seriously consider the Golden Mile.
One of the arguments against this is the damage and loss of revenue to the Inshore fleet. I have to wonder though how many of them actually work predominately inside the one mile zone.
The benefits of a Golden Mile would be many fold, which I am sure you can see. For instance, just like in the 'no fishing zones' already established in places like Lundy the fish have a safe area to breed and inevitably spill outside the limit to benefit commercial fishermen.
The protected areas would also then have a population not only growing in numbers but also in size. This combined with the fact that more and more anglers fish on a catch and release basis or take a bear minimum for the table hence their impact on stocks is minimal.
Better fishing leads to more anglers and more revenue for the Welsh economy.
Would it not be a worthwhile exercise to at least have a trial of the Golden Mile along a significant stretch of the coast and assess it's success?
At a time when traditional industries seem to be in decline surely tourism in general and angling in particular is a cheap way of bringing money into Wales.
It is remiss of me to be so selfish, the Golden Mile would also drastically benefit the Welsh Recreational anglers of today, and even more importantly the generations of anglers to come would have the chance of catching bass, plaice, rays and many other species that I and my family have had the pleasure of catching.
Mr Morgan, I do not want to turn my back on Wales. It truly does feel like a home from home for us now, but please believe me when I say that I am not alone. I have spoken to many English visitors to Wales and they all have horror stories to tell of trawlers and nets disheartening them. You would be amazed just how many people are talking about the Golden Mile as if it is the Holy Grail. It may not be the final answer to declining fish stocks...and visiting anglers, but it looks to be the best option on offer.
Please forgive my rant. I just hope it shows how passionate I am about having my old memories eroded by newer less enjoyable of fishing and often being fishless!
You are probably totally the wrong person for me to address but I felt I could not let my feeling go unspoken any longer. And 'Hey' the do say ' If you want something doing go to the top!!'
Regards
Terry Wright
I may have made a fool of myself but hopefully the naivety of my comments will give it some credibility...So here is the e-mail to Rhodri Morgan:
Mr Morgan,
I was uncertain whom I should contact. I have to confess as an Englishman the only Assembly Member who's name I can quote is yours, so I am afraid you have drawn the short straw.
Let me introduce myself.
I am a keen angler. I fish lakes and rivers whilst at home in Leicester, but love to sea fish when I take my family on holiday.
Each year for the past 24 years I have brought my family to Wales, predominately on the Lleyn Peninsular. In recent years I have advanced onto fishing from a kayak.
The fishing is not enjoyed by me alone, over the years my two daughters, then their husbands and latterly my grandchildren have joined in.
Over the years I have to say that the overall quality of our experience has declined along with the catches. It seems that many of the species available to the inshore angler have declined and so has the variety and quality of our catches.
I cannot help but believe that the number of fishing vessels I have seen within a stones throw of beaches at Pwllheli and Penllech are a contributory factor, along with the nets frequently set on many of the Lleyn beaches.
In the last few years we have explored the possibilities of getting similar holidays in Scotland or the South West as the enduring appeal of fishing based holidays is on the wane.
I believe the loss of families like mine to Welsh Tourism would severely impact on the communities we stay in. For example this year we will spend a total of four weeks in Wales spread over three holidays, I shall also make at least four day trips to fish.
Accommodation alone is going to cost just short of £2000. In each week we will then spend about £150 on consumables, £60 on fuel, £70 on bait and tackle, £100 on meals and drinks out, £100 on visiting local attractions and about £30 each week with the grandkids 'wasting' their holiday money. So you are looking at £4000+ a year. All of which will slowly seep out of the Welsh economy as we explore other destinations.
We all love Wales and the Welsh but we have to be selfish and say that the sea angling is a major satisfier and it's decline cannot be ignored.
Now recently I have been actively reading up on the subject of the Welsh Sea Fisheries and I believe that the WAG is taking more control of it's marine environment than the rest of the UK.
I have seen the figures in reports that show the massive contribution made to the Welsh economy by sea angling, especially when compared with the Inshore commercial fishing boats. In 2000 £28.1m v £8.8m I believe.
I have seen that more and more bodies representing the Recreational Sea Angler in Wales are asking the WAG to seriously consider the Golden Mile.
One of the arguments against this is the damage and loss of revenue to the Inshore fleet. I have to wonder though how many of them actually work predominately inside the one mile zone.
The benefits of a Golden Mile would be many fold, which I am sure you can see. For instance, just like in the 'no fishing zones' already established in places like Lundy the fish have a safe area to breed and inevitably spill outside the limit to benefit commercial fishermen.
The protected areas would also then have a population not only growing in numbers but also in size. This combined with the fact that more and more anglers fish on a catch and release basis or take a bear minimum for the table hence their impact on stocks is minimal.
Better fishing leads to more anglers and more revenue for the Welsh economy.
Would it not be a worthwhile exercise to at least have a trial of the Golden Mile along a significant stretch of the coast and assess it's success?
At a time when traditional industries seem to be in decline surely tourism in general and angling in particular is a cheap way of bringing money into Wales.
It is remiss of me to be so selfish, the Golden Mile would also drastically benefit the Welsh Recreational anglers of today, and even more importantly the generations of anglers to come would have the chance of catching bass, plaice, rays and many other species that I and my family have had the pleasure of catching.
Mr Morgan, I do not want to turn my back on Wales. It truly does feel like a home from home for us now, but please believe me when I say that I am not alone. I have spoken to many English visitors to Wales and they all have horror stories to tell of trawlers and nets disheartening them. You would be amazed just how many people are talking about the Golden Mile as if it is the Holy Grail. It may not be the final answer to declining fish stocks...and visiting anglers, but it looks to be the best option on offer.
Please forgive my rant. I just hope it shows how passionate I am about having my old memories eroded by newer less enjoyable of fishing and often being fishless!
You are probably totally the wrong person for me to address but I felt I could not let my feeling go unspoken any longer. And 'Hey' the do say ' If you want something doing go to the top!!'
Regards
Terry Wright
