Angling Trust news update
The Angling Trust is the united representative body for all anglers in England. This article is the first in a series of regular updates about our work. Read on to find out what the Trust has been doing for anglers and if you’re not already a member, how to join up and support what we do.
We fight to protect fish stocks in the sea and in freshwater
We fight to keep access open for anglers fishing in lakes, rivers, harbours, estuaries and offshore
We help young people to learn how to fish responsibly
We promote the benefits of angling to all
We represent anglers’ interests to Government, the Environment Agency, the Marine Management Organisation, British Waterways and everyone else who can affect your fishing
We take legal action to repair and stop damage to fishing owned or leased by our members.
We organise national competitions and manage Team England Angling in all disciplines
We get exclusive deals for our members
LATEST NEWS
Killer Shrimps
In September, sharp-eyed anglers fishing at Grafham Water spotted Dikerogammarus villosus, now known as “the killer shrimp”. This invasive and aggressive species from Eastern Europe kills a range of native species, including young fish, and could have a massive impact on fishing throughout the country. It has now spread to two sites in Wales (at British Steel’s Margam reservoir near Port Talbot and also in Cardiff Bay). We have demanded decisive and urgent action from the Government to contain and eradicate the shrimp, which could do more damage than signal crayfish.
Check out the Angling Trust web site for our guide to identifying and control a wide range of invasive alien aquatic species, including the Killer Shrimp, on our web site. The guide is the only resource of its kind in the UK and will help anglers, fishery managers and clubs spot and stop these pests in their tracks to prevent them damaging our fishing.
Yorkshire Bass Byelaw Brewing
The East Yorkshire coast bass fishery is under threat from commercial exploitation in the form of a North Eastern Sea Fisheries District byelaw proposal for five new sub-tidal bass licences along a 100mile stretch of the Holderness coastline. The Angling Trust has supported the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society (B.A.S.S) and Yorkshire sea anglers in objecting to these new licences that will be in addition to the intertidal beach netting licences that already exist along the same coastline.
Freedom of Information? Not from Water Companies...
The Angling Trust’s legal arm, Fish Legal, has been doing battle in the courts to make water companies subject to the Freedom of Information Act. We believe that these companies have such an important public role – not least the supply of drinking water to millions of families – that they should not be allowed to keep information secret. Our lawyers are often refused access to data by these companies as part of the process of investigating pollution of rivers and coastal areas. Unfortunately the first ruling was not in our favour, but we plan to appeal the decision and to take the matter up with the Secretary of State.
MEMBER BENEFITS:
Angling Trust members get all these special benefits:
Up to 20% off RRP on all tackle and clothing at www.anglingdirect.co.uk
20% off fishing and country books at Quiller Publishing
Fish For Free loyalty programme – earn points to spend on fishing at over 200 retailers
Free Angling Trust newsletters and e-updates
Free £5m public liability insurance
Access to Angling Trust national competitions
Many more great discounts and offers
Most importantly, you become part of our campaigns and legal action to protect angling from:
commercial over-fishing, cormorants, universal canoe access, pollution, poaching, restrictions to access, unnecessary health & safety regulations, over-abstraction, dredging of marine aggregates, salmon farming, hydropower, flood defence works, bad legislation, misrepresentation in the media...
...and a host of other threats to the sport we love.
All this for less than 50p a week!
How to Join
Membership is free to all juniors under the age of 18 and just £10 for young people aged 18 – 22. For adults the minimum subscription is £25 from 1 January 2011.
Join today by phone (0844 7700616), online at www.anglingtrust.net or send us an e-mail with your address to admin@anglingtrust.net
Join today, so that you can go fishing tomorrow.
