The members have been chosen for their individual expertise in angling, their knowledge of specific geographical regions and their experience of working in the charitable sector.
At the request of British Waterways, the Angling Trust (angling’s representative body) helped to recruit the members of the Group who all give their time on a voluntary basis. The Group will meet three times a year and the first meeting took place on Monday 31 January, where various topics were discussed, including hydropower schemes, the 2012 Olympics and peg maintenance.
Caroline Killeavy, British Waterways head of customer engagement, who set up the Group says:
“We currently let stretches of canal to around 400 individual angling clubs and, when combined with individuals who have purchased a Waterways Wanderers permit and those who visit our fisheries, we have many thousands of anglers who enjoy fishing on our waters. It is therefore vital that we have an official strategic group where we can tap into anglers’ experience and knowledge.
“With just over a year to go before British Waterways is transformed from a public body to a charity the new group is an important step in ensuring that anglers are represented in that process and a clear signal that anglers and British Waterways are willing to work together to build a better future for our waterways and angling.”
David Kent, a Director of the Angling Trust, says:
“The network of canals, rivers and docks owned and managed by British Waterways represents a unique resource for angling. Much more could be made of it to maximise the benefits to local communities, including most of our inner cities, and the economy from the sustainable and highly popular pursuit of angling. As the representative body for all anglers, the Angling Trust is delighted that British Waterways has set up this group and demonstrated that it is keen to listen to the views of the millions of people who go fishing in this country.”
