Dear Reader
The time has now arrived for anglers
to speak with one voice. Our sport has an unrivalled tradition, culture and
history spanning many hundreds of years and those of us who fish will not
easily follow Fox Hunting into the abyss as the next politically expedient
casualty of a government which in the judgement of many has lost much
credibility. The National Union of
British Anglers (NUBA) has formed to represent law abiding British anglers from
every branch of our sport and by so doing will ensure the long term future of
an honourable, decent and legitimate pastime, loved and practiced by over 3
million within these isles.
To Clarify
NATIONAL - England, Scotland,
Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland.
UNION - The bringing together
of hitherto separate codes and administrations, Sea, Coarse and Game. (No one
above the other)
BRITISH - anyone in the
British Isles fishing lawfully and legitimately with rod and line irrespective
of age, race, creed, colour, religion, sex, social standing or ability.
ANGLER - Sea Coarse and Game
Our Purpose
To form a proactive,
independent, powerful and united lobby, properly representative of our number.
To protect and celebrate a valid and much loved pastime under threat today as
never before from a misguided establishment and a vociferous and well organised
extremist minority, looking now for the next vulnerable field sport to
confront. We will make it crystal clear to MPs from all parties both now and in
the future the dire political consequences of ever perceiving angling as the
next soft target for attack by opportunist, transient administrations of
whichever colour or leaning. Our membership will never automatically favour one
political party above another. NUBA will instead carefully consider the stance
and policies of each in relation to its support or otherwise for our sport. Our
strength will be in our sheer number, in our passion for angling and our power
as a properly organised movement at last!
Britishness is a much
maligned concept today, hijacked and sullied by such as the BNP whoÕs vile
agenda has of late been offered a lifeline by an out of control immigration
policy hoist upon us by a Government in disarray. A Government seemingly more
intent upon prosecuting questionable war abroad than confronting those
decimating our rivers and our seas with total impunity and treating our laws
and environment with utter contempt and distain at home. NUBA will challenge
this now untenable state of affairs and press for the swiftest possible changes
to laws now patently unfit for purpose, the flouting of which fan the flames of
discontent and a racist tendency in those instinctively and historically far
more generous and welcoming as a people. Good people, but now at their wits end
and seemingly less and less able to influence an entrenched administration whose
policies are now fostering an unnatural division.
NUBA will attempt to reclaim
decent Britishness and British common sense. This was once a plentiful natural
resource, now all but fatally undermined by rampant political correctness an
understandable fear of American style litigation and an out of control health
and safety police whoÕs only real lasting achievement has been the erosion of
much that once made our lives spontaneous, tolerable and fun. Far fewer
children now enjoy school trips, teachers and coaches dare not touch or even
mildly chastise a child in fear of allegations of impropriety, possible
prosecution or even worse. Obvious to most of us in the real world but still a
complete mystery to a Government wringing its hands of late in a vain attempt
to fathom where it all went so horribly wrong. As a direct consequence parents
fearful of that dangerous world outside now willingly allow their children to
inhabit destructive amoral, virtual worlds of crime and violence, cosseted away
in bedrooms divorced from social stimulation and human interaction. These
children are now tragically ignorant of the beauty on their doorstep, the same
children need as never before to experience, explore and enjoy this world
outside for their plummeting physical well being, mental stability and social
awareness. The environment itself could easily suffer terminal decline if the
future stewards of the countryside continue to live in contrived fear and
tragic ignorance of its very existence.
As a breed anglers have long been
an apathetic, affable bunch, notoriously difficult to muster en mass. Not
surprising. We fish to escape the mundanities of life, and for most of us
politics is certainly one of these. I am no different! Sadly, if someone
doesnÕt assume the political role we just might find ourselves sleepwalking
down that dark foxhunting path.
Recent Sport England figures
blatantly relegate angling to 15th place in a supposedly serious
table of participant sports and pastimes (see nuba.org.uk for details). This surely must be a stark wake-up
call for us all. Government already has solid, consistent well-recognised
figures regularly compiled by a bona fide official source, The Environment
Agency, a Government body. These authoritative findings are available to anyone
at the press of a button. They were last published in 2005 (Attitudes to
Angling) showing accurate angling participation to be between 3.5 - 4 million.
This is in blatant contrast to Sport EnglandÕs ludicrously extrapolated figure
of 281,000. Inaccurate by a mere factor of 14. Not really out of character
given the GovernmentÕs tenuous grasp of statistics. The very same experts
confidently predicted immigration last year to be 35 times less than it
actually was. Many of these immigrants, now a predictably desperate, exploited
and underpaid workforce are stealing our fish simply to survive. All quite
laughable if the consequences were not so serious. Worryingly, the Sport
England figures combined with other probably equally spurious factors will be
used to decide levels of angling funding for the next three years, and will
almost certainly be used as a general yardstick for future funding
consideration if not challenged. This is money so crucial to angling
development and survival.
We urgently need a greatly strengthened
far more credible Environment Agency, freed from the manipulation and skewed
priorities of a Government intent upon asset stripping, undermining and
micromanaging this once largely effective organisation. This agency as never
before now requires realistic targeted funding, safe from Government plunder
and properly earmarked for the many pressing environmental tasks we and they
once considered their core responsibility. They are now generally perceived as
merely a flood defence force, demoralised and vilified by everyone, patently
ill-equipped to realistically or adequately challenge polluters or those who
steal our fish. Furthermore, they are rarely if ever seen on the riverbank
checking licenses or effectively policing our waterways. They are pared to the
bone and simply do not now have the time, the funds, the manpower or resources
to carry out their crucial environmental duties. A damaging wedge of
unfulfilled expectation now exists between the angler and the agency. NUBA should rally to the AgencyÕs aid.
Anglers need a strong, independent and confident Environment Agency if our
cherished riverine habitat is to thrive and survive.
A long awaited and
dangerously overdue interceptor sewer will now be constructed to alleviate the
pollution crisis on the River Thames. You can be sure of this! Greatly welcome,
and this decision should be applauded by all those who fish – but please
understand, this important project was only given the green light by Government
because of the forthcoming Olympics.
The two billion price tag, or should we say 20 billion given their
previous track record will be met by Thames Water customers (thatÕs me by the
way) and tax payers across the country. National prestige was the only reason
for this project being rushed through, and certainly not the regular and
obvious pollution disasters. Typically cynical yes but all Southern anglers
should welcome the eco-benefit of the project.
Recent Defra pressure is now
forcing the Environment Agency to drastically cut funding for angling based
education projects and school initiatives. This at a time when the public are
asked to believe this Government is searching for ways to positively motivate
children and encourage them to rediscover their precious local environment. Our
own work in schools (see www.jetsettitchuk.org)
is generously partnered and encouraged by the agency and is now under threat as
will be so many other such desperately needed projects. The Government cannot
seriously expect those who battle to do this important work that they fail to
do to believe for a moment their fine public words of support when they
cynically withdraw funding which makes an incredibly difficult job just about
possible.
NUBA has a long hard road
ahead. Up until now successive Governments have treated anglers and angling
matters as a mere irritant, in spite of the tremendous contribution our sport
adds to the public purse countrywide. No wonder if we allow them to believe
there to be only 281,000 of us. Why should they care? Anglers really do have
the ability and the numbers to force Government to listen, and to take us
seriously. It is simply up to us and us alone to make this happen.
NUBA will hold their official
press launch in Birmingham on 11th July please see press and NUBA
website for details and press release.
Inevitably nobody will agree
with everything in this letter but hopefully all will agree with the sentiments
expressed. I welcome criticism and reaction.
Yours
Please respond to this letter