Dear Martin NUBA now has the 2000 members you personally defined as necessary for us to be taken seriously. As chairman of the APPG and angling’s most prominent political spokesman, would you please answer the following twelve questions posed by NUBA representatives and members prior to our official launch on July 11th in Birmingham. Your answers will be of interest to all anglers and angling bodies. They will also be a valuable first step in NUBA’s quest for clarity for the ordinary angler and would form an understanding of Government’s vision for the future of our sport. We have posted the questions in full on the NUBA web site which is http://www.nuba.org.uk and will also post your answers in full, no editing and no spin. By the way, great to see you on the television news last Thursday acknowledging angling to be our number one participation sport, thus putting Sport England’s findings in true perspective. Thank you in advance, we look forward to your answers and opinions. Respectfully yours
QUESTIONS Q1. In light of the EU’s proposed total ban on lead from 2015, could you give us your assurances that Britain’s representatives will be lobbying for the EU to adopt the current situation in England and Wales which permits lead shot of No.8 and smaller, and lead weights of one ounce (28gms) instead? Q2. Can you think of a practical way to help disabled anglers to access fisheries without alienating fishery owners and able-bodied anglers who fear today’s climate of political correctness? This would bring us all together to pursue our passion for angling. Q3. With regard to the lack of effective bailiffing on our watercourses due to the financial constraints of those agencies tasked with enforcing angling legislation, what would you propose to do to ensure that the correct level of policing is achieved? Q4. Following the well-publicised impact upon the River Wandle (the one subject I am an expert on) due to fish taking, I have been warning for almost 2 years now of the truly worrying consequences if nothing is done. As predicted, we now hear of fisheries all over Britain experiencing similar problems. Presently, most Eastern Europeans who take fish do so perfectly legally. The EA, The Police and many others fearful for our precious fish stocks cannot enforce laws that either do not exist or are clearly unfit for purpose. Angling cannot afford the negative publicity and consequences if this avoidable situation deteriorates into conflict on the riverbanks, this would surely be a disaster for angling, for law-abiding immigrants and citizens of all backgrounds. Before we see decent law abiding anglers wrongly taking matters into their own hands due to anger and exasperation at a continuing problem that festers as we speak, would you please acknowledge the extreme urgency and need for action concerning the taking of fish from our rivers, lakes and canals and will you promise to act with utmost rigour for appropriate changes to current inadequate laws? Q5. What was the size of the British commercial fishing fleet when New Labour came to power and how big is it now 10 years later? Has the fishing industry flourished since New Labour came to power or has it declined? Q6. How does New Labour hope to develop sea angling and therefore achieve best value from the resource when they won’t introduce conservation measures that would benefit the fishery for fear of upsetting the commercial fishing sector? Q7. I am the instigator of the proposed National Angling Museum project in partnership with The National Trust to be located at Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire if all goes well and to plan. An understanding of the actual number of anglers in this country is pivotal to our success and crucial to the feasibility study now embarked upon. We and others urgently need definitive and authoritative figures in black and white. Would you please for the sake of total clarity give us all a definitive figure acknowledged by government of actual angling participation numbers re Coarse, Game and Sea anglers – firstly in England and then in the whole of Britain including Ireland? I believe the environment agency can assist you with these figures. Q8. As there are numerous Government agencies involved with angling licensing and monitoring, would it be better to consider a new department similar to the US model of the Department of Fish and Wildlife that would have responsibility for all matters concerning fish, birds and mammals that are actively pursued? Martin I would really like your views on this one. Q9. I have been working in schools for ten years for JetSet Trout in the Classroom UK. We take nature into schools to entice children back to the environment on their doorstep. Les Webber of Angling Projects and Junior Coarse Angling has been encouraging children to fish, thus reaping the many benefits of angling (completely free of charge) for over 30 years. Les deserves proper recognition for his battling selfless efforts for our sport. We both struggle relentlessly for funding and every year is a challenge just to survive. I am sure there are many others like us. Do you acknowledge the important and inspirational role angling can play in the physical, mental and social wellbeing of our children in their formative years and the need for projects so often struggling to carry out this valuable work. Especially when so many kids today live in amoral, virtual worlds, locked away in bedrooms supposedly safe from that dangerous world outside? Q10. The precautionary principle requires that the state of our environment (and in particular rivers) needs to be continuously monitored in order to identify trends relating to climate change, species diversity and ecological quality caused by for example over exploitation, abstraction, modified drainage, diffuse pollution and discharges. Does Mr Salter agree that it is extremely unlikely that the EA can maintain current activities, let alone enhance them to take account of the increasing threat to our environment given the planned cuts to downsize the agency by 25% and put at further risk endangered and economically important species such as the Atlantic Salmon? Q11. Recently the Isle of Wight Freshwater Angling Association (500 members) lost a stretch of the River Yar it had leased for over 30 years to the RSPB whose national policy is to prohibit angling on its land. As the RSPB nationally is a major Government and Environment Agency consultee, is there anything Mr Salter can do or suggest to protect angling interests when faced with the financial clout of the RSPB so as to resolve this apparent dichotomy? Q12. If it wasn’t for the dedicated angler, who would be the ever-present eyes and ears of riverine ecology and water quality in Britain today?
Reply from Martin Salter 28 June 2007 Dear Alan,
Alan Suttie's reply to Martin Salter 29 June 2007 Dear Martin Sadly, your response rather clearly reinforces the need for NUBA to exist. I have no desire to enter into a pointless war of words. I see no value in it and believe it would be a needless diversion utterly at odds with NUBA’s search for clarity and with your role to inform. We put twelve pertinent questions to you, decently and courteously from NUBA representatives and ordinary members. You have my word that each questioner is a genuine NUBA member and I hope you will accept it. If it helps further please ignore my two questions and only answer the remaining ten. As previously stated, your answers will be of real worth and value to approximately 3.5 million participating anglers throughout Britain and not merely to the NUBA membership. I have very clearly stated in the press my undertaking to take NUBA through to launch on 11th July in Birmingham despite unexpected illness. Regrettably I must step down temporarily afterwards but remain Chief Executive to that day. I hope this clears that one up. Furthermore I will present the NUBA constitution for public scrutiny on launch day but you are welcome to a copy thereafter. You finally request a full breakdown of NUBA membership. With respect Martin you must know this would be inappropriate as with all such organisations we correctly undertake to not divulge such details unless each individual expressly consents to it. You will be aware of this common position and the reasons for it. I regret your dismissive attitude towards NUBA, surely the dissemination of reasonably requested information is one of your core roles. I can however offer you real cause for hope due to the unfortunate timing of my illness I have not managed to organise the intended brochure T shirts and advertising etc for the NUBA press launch. It might really only be me that turns up. Honestly!! Whatever happens the need for NUBA has been proven. I’ll be pleased to shake the hand of any angler who can make it on the 11th, NUBA member or otherwise. Though not always easy or pleasant, that is a responsibility of my position and I for one recognise it as such. Respectfully Alan Suttie
Response from Martin Salter 26 July 2007 Dear Alan,
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