Here's the answer to what is really happening, not the Angling Times attempt to boost sales, by creating controversy.
Vital revenue funds fisheries improvement projects, facilities for anglers and work to tackle illegal fishing.
www.gov.uk
I haven't fished the North east rivers for some years, but I do know a guy who fishes the Ribble regularly. His reports on his catches of big barbel, as well as chub, and massive dace, show that it's fishing well, at least in some places.
The Yorkshire rivers have had salmon runs for years, going back to the 60s when Michael Parry, made it his main objective. From watching them leaping the weir at Tadcaster, to seeing them hooked on the Ouse, and Ure, back then, to seeing them leaping the weir at Topcliffe more recently. The run was such that Newby Hall used to charge extra for a days spinning for salmon, in the 70'80s, don't know if they still do. The rivers of the Yorks Ouse system have plenty of weirs, that are essential to the rivers, both for human activity, and to the wildlife on them. The salmon, and other species, get up past them because they have good fish passes built in. The weirs on the Aire, and the Calder, have contributed to the improvement of fish stocks in them, providing increased oxygen levels, and with help from the EA, provided fast shallower stretches vital for some species to spawn in.
As to stocking, it's no use stocking a water just for the sake of it. Adding fish to a water in numbers that the water can't support, or with species that are unsuited to the water, is a waste. Better to stock slowly, and let the water create it's own balance over time, while still monitoring it.
I've had a few 'beefs' with the EA over the years, but I've also had cause to praise them on occasions, and I think that 'over all' they don't do such a bad job. I've heard calls to do away with the licence, and let the work that the EA do come out of general taxation. If that happened I'm sure we would find much less money being spent on our rivers, as it got 'lost' on more prioritised projects. As far as I know, our licence money is ringfenced into projects that affect angling, not always directly, or apparent, but have a knock on effect never the less.
I don't think that the extra monies would be enough to finance many more bailiffs, not enough to make a difference over the whole of the country anyway. I much preferred the separate River Authorities of old, a bit more hassle with separate licences, but they could make decisions based on local problems, and because it was a local thing, you felt more of a part of it.
John.
