News

Tim Macpherson looks at how DEFRA are now engaging with recreational sea anglers to create a World Class Fishery. For those of you who do follow my blogs on angling and angling politics you will be aware that over the last year or so the Angling Trust has been engaging closely with the fisheries team READ MORE

With the passing of the deadline for submissions on advice from Natural England about the latest tranche of Marine Conservation Zone designations the next phase of the process of consultation is on the horizon As always, all the various interest groups are gearing up to try and find a way of preventing restrictions on their READ MORE

Tim Macpherson comments on the latest research released by CEFAS into sea anglers. New research, carried out by CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) and research specialists Substance, in to the attitudes of recreational sea anglers reveals that anglers want greater consideration of their needs and better regulation of commercial fishing practices. Well READ MORE

Great news for charter boats, after putting pressure on DEFRA to clarify their guidance news guidelines have changed to allow boats operate. This will; come as welcome relief =to hundreds of skippers and thousand of anglers across the country. Here is the statement from the Angling Trust. Following a campaign by the Angling Trust and READ MORE

A few months ago, angling centric social media platforms (and some conservation related ones too), were aflame with rage about the supertrawler Margiris (and its sister boat), working off the Isle of Wight hoovering up shoals of fish. At the time I wrote a blog trying to clarify some of the facts about these boats READ MORE

Tim Macpherson gives his view on the Benyon Review of HPMA’s The government recently released The Benyon Review into Highly Protected Marine Areas. It was the result of a nearly year-long informal consultation process involving all manner of marine stakeholders, including anglers – its objective was to answer the following questions: What are Highly Protected READ MORE

The Angling Trust spent a lot of time and effort, alongside the Professional Boatman’s association, and in conjunction with Charter Skippers from around the country, working out a protocol for them to able to start operating again. It was accepted by the DCMS and subsequently added to the advice available on the Government website. So, READ MORE

When We Fish Again After nearly two months in lockdown, we can now get out on banks, beaches and in boats, but only on a limited basis. To make sure the voice of angling  was heard  the Angling Trust lobbied the government with a detailed plan on angling resumption – details of this effort here  READ MORE

It’s been many weeks since the lockdown was applied and like most other sports angling has been stopped. It is immensely frustrating for all of us, particularly for boat anglers. Typically, the weather has been near perfect for 6 weeks but we’ve not been able to get out and fish for plaice, bream and other READ MORE

Over the last six months or so DEFRA have been engaging recreational sea angling groups, including the Angling Trust, B.A.S.S, the Mullet Club the Angling Trades Association and others, in a consultation process designed to share and develop Defra’s current approach to recreational sea fishing policy development, develop thinking on current data collection processes to READ MORE