Whitby Tourism Association Supports Recraetional Sea Angling

RSA Strategy – Letter from Whitby and district tourism association

To Nicola Clarke

DEFRA,

10 Mar 08

Dear Nicola Clarke

Proposed Sea Angling Rod Licence – consultation response.

The Whitby and District Tourism Association is completely opposed to any introduction of sea angling rod licences. Whitby is a small port struggling to change from a traditional reliance on trawler fishing to a more appropriate and sustainable economy. This is increasingly Tourism, including sea angling from the beach, the piers and also from a small fleet of dedicated sea angling charter boats. This change has been progressing well and Whitby is now one of the premier sea angling ports in the UK and sea angling now makes a significant contribution to the local economy.The introduction of a rod licence would be an imposition, in effect a financial penalty, on this change to a small scale, low key industry which is much more environmentally acceptable than traditional, large scale trawlers. We would point out that:

1. Tourism: Sea angling involves many of the tourists to our isolated town and gives Whitby a Unique Selling Point and hence a very distinct economic niche in the UK seaside tourism market, a market which is often in decline elsewhere in the UK.

2. Employment: Sea angling creates employment for a number of charter boat skippers (including some ex-trawlermen), as well as supporting several specialist bait and fishing tackle shops in the town. Cafes, accommodation providers, etc also benefit directly and indirectly from the sea anglers and their families.

3. Youth Involvement: Many of our sea anglers are children and young adults, something which the government and its agencies should be encouraging in this age of youth crime, antisocial behaviour and childhood obesity.

4. Environment: Sea angling is almost the last outdoor activity which directly connects the individual angler with truly wild fish in a wholly natural marine environment in all weathers. This rare connection between man and nature should not be bureaucratised.

5. Bureaucratic: It would be almost impossible to impose, issue and police any rod licence legislation fairly without undue and expensive bureaucracy. We all remember the uneconomical Dog Licence legislation and it is likely that this proposal would also cost more to implement than the anglers or providers would contribute.

6. Conservation: The annual sea angling catch is probably less than 1% of the total tonnage of fish caught in the North Sea and not statistically significant re conserving UK / EU fish stocks.

Our Association represents over 100 local businesses and we say that sea angling should not be subjected to a rod licence, neither for the individuals nor for the associated providers. Instead, sea angling should be encouraged and not discouraged by the imposition of additional bureaucracy

Yours sincerely,

Harry Collett, Chairman.