NEWS FOR "MARCH" FROM THE IRISH FEDERATION OF PIKE ANGLING CLUBS


OPPOSITION TO COARSE PERMIT ON SHANNON SYSTEM

The committee has taken a decision to oppose the introduction of a coarse fishing permit on certain waters in the Shannon Board area. The following letter has gone out to all affiliated clubs recently:

"The Executive Committee of the Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs asks that you bring this notice to the attention of your club/association.

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board on the 1st January last introduced a new coarse angling permit on their 27 managed waters. Of these 27 waters, pike angling is permitted on only 12 while 26 are available for game angling. This permit costs €35 and we have been informed that it will be enforced by SRFB staff. The issue was severely criticised at our AGM in February 2002 and that situation remains unchanged. Our main objection to the introduction of the permit is a result of the continued culling of pike from Loughs Owel, Ennel and Sheelin. We have been given photographs from members of our affiliated clubs who witnessed dead and dying pike some up to 20lbs in gillnets on Lough Sheelin. Following several meetings with the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board we were informed that the culling of pike would continue as part of the management of these fisheries. We find it incredulous that we are being asked to pay a €35 permit to fish waters where the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board are engaged in killing the very species we wish to fish for.

Our views in this regard have been outlined in an interview with between our Chairman, John Chambers and Ciaran Mullooly, RTE's Midlands Correspondent, which was broadcast on RTE radio and television on 27th January. A full transcript of the interview is posted on our website www.angling-in-ireland.com. In short, the Federation has no option but to adopt the following position and asks for the support of all our affiliated clubs in its observation. We understand that this stance will seriously affect a lot of clubs who regularly fish the disputed waters in the Shannon area, however we feel that the introduction of this permit is unjust for the reasons stated above and we ask for their support in the matter.

" The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs hereby requests that our members boycott the 27 "managed fisheries" of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board until further notice.

This action is in direct response to the activities of the Board which we believe are contrary to the preservation and conservation of pike. Some of the most notable waters involved are the Rivers Inny, Suck, Brosna, Shiven, Bunowen, Lakes Derravaragh, Sheelin, Owel, Ennel, Lickeen and Pallas".



PIKE POLICY REVIEW

As mentioned previously the Federation has carried out a consultation process to put together a submission on the review. This joint submission between the Federation and the Irish Pike Society has been put in place and forwarded to the review group.

This is a 90-page document which required a lot of time and effort from a small group of people for whom we must express our appreciation.



KINGSPAN NATIONAL PIKE CHAMPIONSHIP 2003-04

The heats of the Kingspan National Pike Championship have been selected for the coming season as follows.

27th April, River Erkina, Durrow, Co Laois
11th May, River Barrow, Athy, Co Kildare
8th June, Lough Egish, Co Monaghan
6th July, Newry Canal, Co Down
10th August, Clae Lake, Keady, Co Armagh
7th September, Lough McNean, Blacklion, Co Cavan
5th October, Clare River, Clonboo, Co Galway
2nd November, Lough Gowna, Co Longford
7th December, Royal canal, Mullingar
3rd January 04, Lough Sillan, Shercock, Co Cavan
1st February 04, Stewards Heat, venue to be decided

24th November, Inter-club competition, Ballyconnell Co Cavan


EUROPEAN ANGLERS ALLIANCE

The Annual General Meeting of EAA-Ireland was held in the Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin on Wednesday 29th January 2003. All member organisations were represented. The Secretary reported on the general state of EAA. The parent organisation in Brussels was growing with 18 countries now members representing 5 million anglers. Two more countries have applied for membership. The principal tasks being undertaken are the continued efforts to put an end to the drift-netting for salmon at sea and the problem of over-fishing for sea species in general. A new development is the establishment of a sub-group to deal with the problems in the inland waterways of Europe. The first formal meeting of this group took place in Holland recently. 11 countries including Ireland took part and discussed the issues affecting these waters under the main subjects of Water and Habitat, Fish and Fishing. Each member nation is being asked to identify the problems in their own country and report back to the group before summer after which it is expected that the main focus for the future will be put in place.

From the national perspective, EAA-Ireland has decided to undertake the census of the cormorant population. Since I mentioned this last month Ireland has been identified as the sole country in Europe who had no co-ordinator to do the count. Census forms will be distributed shortly and the count will take place over the weekend of the 22nd/23rd February. The establishment of Recreational Angling-Ireland (RAI) came in for a lot of discussion. All the organisation represented at EAA-Ireland were also members of RAI together with 6 other angling groups. It was the general opinion of the meeting that we were duplicating ourselves by being members of both organisations however opinion differed on whether RAI or EAA-Ireland would be the body to go forward into the future. It was agreed that EAA-Ireland would continue in its present format for the foreseeable future.

The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer were unanimously re-elected unopposed.

The meeting unanimously agreed a motion that Ireland would host the General Assembly of EAA in either 2005 or 2006. A lot of preparatory work would have to be done before we decide on a firm date. The Secretary to seek information from those countries who hosted the assembly recently. The General Assembly will be held in Leipzig in April. NARA will supply the official delegate from Ireland but it is expected that both the IFSA and IFPAC would also send delegates.

The subscription fee to EAA is based on the number of anglers affiliated to the national bodies. Ireland's contribution of €1,764 per annum is seen as good value for money in terms of time spent on Irish issues by the parent body.

March 2003

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