Robert Sturdy Fights for Rights of Recreational Anglers
31 March 2009
ROBERT STURDY FIGHTS FOR RIGHTS OF RECREATIONAL ANGLERS
Plans to bring recreational anglers under the direct control of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) were today watered down by MEPs following a campaign by the Conservative delegation in Brussels.
Article 47 of the proposed regulation would have forced recreational anglers to register their boats, even if they only made a few outings a year, and would also have included their stock against the quota for the UK. Although a Conservative amendment to delete it altogether was rejected, the proposal was reworded which will let national governments decide whether to include recreational fishermen in the regulation.
Mr Sturdy said: “The Eastern region has hundreds of miles of coastline and angling is a popular past time for many of my constituents. Recreational fishing is a simple pleasure that could have become a bureaucratic nightmare if these plans had become law. As a keen angler myself, I was dismayed when I learned of the Commission’s proposals and am delighted that the campaign against it which was waged by the Conservatives in the European Parliament has been had an effect.
“Sea angling is not only an important sport or hobby, but it is also contributes millions of pounds to the regional economy. If the European Union is serious about acting to protect fish stocks in the EU, it should launch a fundamental overhaul of the CFP, not target those who enjoy the relaxation and enjoyment that angling provides.”
Conservative MEPs support wholesale reform of the CFP. But Mr Sturdy warns that introducing reforms which require further micro-management from Brussels will only exacerbate the problems posed by the CFP rather than solve them.
Mr Sturdy added: “To have proposed regulations that not only complicated current legislation, but also targeted an innocent minority that enjoy angling for pleasure, is a clear example of misguided over-regulation from Brussels. This kind of heavy handed approach would have done very little to assist in the recovery of fish stocks and could have caused severe damage to the region’s tourist industry.”
Ends
