The full statement reads:
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY: NORTH WEST REGION FISHERIES BYELAW
“The Secretary of State has now confirmed the Environment Agency North West region fisheries byelaws.
In reaching this decision the Secretary of State carefully considered the case put forward by the Environment Agency together with all the objections received, in particular to byelaw 18 which seeks to regulate the use of angling baits on waters in the region.
The Secretary of State noted that the aim of the restrictions on the use of live and dead baits was to protect and conserve a number of rare fish species in the Cumbrian lakes.
The Secretary of State took account of concerns expressed by many of those who objected that the ban on the use of live and dead baits ay certain times and on certain waters would place unreasonable restrictions on pike anglers, and that in their view, these angling activities represented no environmental threat, nor was there any evidence to support the Agency’s proposal for a ban.
After careful consideration, and in view of the Government’s responsibility to maintain biodiversity, the Secretary of State concluded that it was necessary to take measured and appropriate action to minimise the risks to the rare fish species in the Cumbrian lakes. In addition, the Secretary of State decided that the proposed ban on the use of live and dead bait was supported scientifically and was also a reasonable and justified response to therisks posed by the introduction offish species not native to the specific waters to which the byelaw will apply.
The Secretary of State recognised the concerns expressed by a large number of objectors that the introduction of this byelaw was the first step in banning all forms of angling. These concerns are unfounded and I have been asked to stress that the Government has no plans to ban angling.
The Secretary of State noted that, in order to be fully effective, the Agency must ensure that sufficient enforcement activity is devoted to these byelaws. These measures must also be supported by an education programme to explain the need for the prohibitions on the use of these baits and that alternative baits do exist for pike fishing. It is also important that the Agency works closely with other relevant local and national bodies to put in place measures to protect the lakes from further degradation.
Richard Cowden
Head of Fisheries Division II
(Aquaculture, Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries).”
FISHINGmagic spoke to Fisheries officer Cameron Durie, who said:
“The by-laws relating to baiting have been changed as of the 26th July. The essential background to this is that we have a number of lakes which have quite a fragile ecology. We are looking to protect the lakes which contain vendace, schelly and arctic char.”
Mr Durie said he was not aware of similar proposals elsewhere. But he admitted the environmental/rare species argument did apply to parts of Wales (Bala……) and Scotland (Lomond……).
