The gulf between commercial and leisure fishing has never been wider. The angling lobby in the UK was deeply involved in pushing for strict regulation of the bass fishery in particular and now finds itself under the same regulatory spotlight as the commercial fishermen.
It hasn’t been a comfortable situation for some charter angling operators who have complained that inspectors have been taking the names of anglers and taking a greater interest in the volumes of fish they are bringing ashore. Until now, anglers have been able to operate largely without any official interference in their activities, and many commercial fishermen have frequently complained that anglers’ catches are quietly sold for profit, something the UK authorities have turned a blind eye to.
Now a petition has been set up calling on IFCAs around the UK to devote the same energy and resources to monitoring charter angling boats as they do to ensuring that commercial fishermen follow the rules.
‘Commercial fishers work under a complex tapestry of regulation that often tells them what, how, when and how much they can catch. Regulations controlling the activities of anglers are fewer and looser,’ reads the petition’s introduction.
‘Generally there is a fairly amicable relationship between commercial fisherfolk and the IFCAs, even when they are enforcing what the industry consider illogical regulations. In some parts of the country it is possible for anglers to catch as much or more of some species of fish as a commercial fisher is permitted – this is a contentious issue. One group are making a living from fishing while the other is doing it for pleasure. In the middle are charter boats who are angling commercially. Some anglers do not feel that they should be subject to the same inspection regime as commercial fishermen. We disagree and we support and encourage the IFCAs to continue to monitor the activities of charter boats and marine anglers in a fair and even-handed manner.’
The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/association-of-inshore-fisheries-and-conservation-authorities-support-the-monitoring-of-anglers-by-ifcas-in-the-uk
