Campaign For The Protection Of Welsh Fisheries

[avalon angling]

Interesting and saddening at the same time to think that there are only 11 bailiffs for all the U.K

Now I have to figure out how to resize the pages on the forum though ,as I did the Ctrl.Shift + thing to magnify and I can't get the forum pages back to normal size...tried to do a Ctrl. Shift - thing but it didn't restore...

......... Andrew/Pop.

[highplains]

Try just ctr - no need for shift

[highplains]

The Campaign Team may have been relatively silent for the past month or two, but we have not been idle.

You will remember we started by slating the Environment Agency about the appalling lack of enforcement on our rivers. It is a national disgrace, about that there can be no doubt, but what can we practically do about it?

We tried appealing to the Welsh Assembly Government. What did they do?

They instructed the Environment Agency to carry out a review of their enforcement policy nationally.

The Environment Agency did as they were asked: their report was presented to the Welsh Assembly Government.

That report can be read on the Campaign web site at www.cpwf.co.uk . What did it say? In essence and to greatly over simplify “we have no idea of the level of illegal activity taking place on Welsh fisheries and lack the facilities identify it”

The Environment Agency then offered the Campaign the chance to suggest just who should try to establish the truth. The Agency made suggestions: university specialist departments; the police and several more.

We had no faith in any third party because of the very special nature of poaching and the fact the crimes are victimless. (The fish have no voice.)

So where do we go from here?

We take the bull by the horns and offer to do it ourselves!

This is just what we have done and now we have to do it. When we say we, we mean all of us; the angling community and as many of our friends as we can persuade to help.

The 0800 80 70 60 hotline number as lost all credibility: few anglers have any faith in it and even fewer use it. The problem is that the reports from the 0800 80 70 60 number are used as the basis for assessing the level of illegal activity. No reports = no illegal activity. Can we address this issue?

We think so. We have, in partnership with the Environment Agency, set up an online reporting system. You can go to the Campaign web site and report an incident on line, and we get a copy. So now you can use the 0800 80 70 60 number to report an incident that requires an immediate report requiring potentially immediate attention by Agency enforcement staff then, later, you can confirm that report on line and as we get a copy we can start to build our own data base to build up a picture of illegal activity taking place. We can, if you all help. Please encourage all your angling friends and contacts to not only use the 0800 80 70 60 but to confirm their calls on the Campaign Report an Incident page. All details remain 100% guaranteed anonymous: no conditions – anonymous.

Please ask your club or syndicate to add a link to our report and incident page or just to the Campaign site and ask your members to use the facility.

We have been offered the opportunity to help ourselves: please use it.

There are other ideas in the pipeline and as they develop we will keep you informed.

This is our chance to help ourselves. Please join in. This is our Campaign!

Please take a few minutes to have a look at the Campaign site www.cpwf.co.uk and look and see how we are working to start to help protect our fisheries. We are a single issue campaign.

Please hep and please comment here or by contacting us via the web site.

[highplains]

I wondered if anybody fancies themselves as a bit of an artist or designer?

The Campaign could do with a more imaginative logo, Anybody fancy having a go and posting their efforts here?

Over to you

[highplains]

Guys,

The Campaign web site now has the facility to allow on line reporting of illegal activity on our fisheries. Please add this link to your club or syndicate web site telling your members that they can confirm their 0800 80 70 60 calls direct to the EAW on line.Please ensure they check the North Wales or South Wales box. Mid will be added shortly when we get the EA connection details.

http://www.cpwf.co.uk/campaign/report-an-incident

This is partnership working the Campaign and the Environment Agency Wales working together to try to establish the actual level of illegal activity on our fisheries.

You can of course use the on line facility for reporting any intelligence that may help or indeed pollution or waste thrown into our waters.

Please help us to fight for the funds to enable the EAW to employ more staff to protect our fisheries.

0800 80 70 60 for immediate reporting of an incident in action followed by confirmation on the Campaign web site.

Campaign web site to post any information that may help the existing enforcement staff establish "trends" or help with intel' tips.

Please help protect your fish and fishery

[sewinbasher]

It has been announced that due to the recent change in Chair of the Sus. Committee the publication of the report that should have occurred yesterday will now be delayed until just before Easter.

[highplains]

Would be very grateful for a copy, if you manage to aquire one please Sewinbasher.

[highplains]

Folks,

This is taken from teh front page of the Campaign web site;

www.cpwf.co.uk

I do urge you to please use the CAmpaign site to report incidents and to confirm incident reports and add the link to as many club sites as possible.



As the warmer weather approaches and we take to our rivers, lakes and the sea in pursuit of our illusive quarry the Campaign Team ask you to keep a watchful eye for illegal activity. The signs that poachers are abroad and about their evil ways. Please keep an eye out for the tell tale signs.

Nets near to river estuaries

Nets in or across rivers

Trampled grass that indicates suspicious activity

Nets may be hidden away in the bracken or bushes to save the poachers carrying them home and back.

Keep your ears open for boasting of illegal fish being caught or offered for sale in your local.

Please, if you see or suspect illegal activity call 0800 80 70 60 and report it. Then, when you can, confirm that call by submitting an on line report via this web site. Just click on the REPORT AN INCIDENT tab and fill in the details. It is 100% confidential but all reports can be collated to provide evidence of illegal activity on our fisheries.

We need you help to gather the evidence to present to the Welsh Assembly Government

Please ask your club to add the Campaign link to their web site with a note asking members to use the Report an Incident tab to confirm their calls.

You can also use the site to report information that will help us and the Environment Agency gather intelligence. Any overheard comments or indeed suspected activity should be reported. Better too much that not enough information.

YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE: YOUR FISH AND FISHERIES DESERVE IT!!

Thank you

The Campaign Team

[medicine]

Hello Highplains,

In the face of a drought and the season disappearing are we likley to be saved ( if rain falls) with another extension, cheers,

[highplains]

We are trying and the news is likely to be good. Watch this space. As soon as we know what is what we will be letting you know.

[clwydspecial]

Hi Highplains,
Are we (DCAC) setting up a river watch this back end, I know I'm not home that much but when I am, I'm available 24/7 (permision from wife pending ) apart from annual hols of course.

[highplains]

Clwydspecial,

We, the CPWF, are doing so and hope to spread the idea nation wide, progress is slow but we will do it. Things are just getting off the ground with the help of the team. You are more than welcome as are any others that wish to join in.

The EA are not going to look after our rivers alone so we have to join in and do our bit, it will help, we hope, to establish just how much illegal activity there is.

Big hope I know but we have to try.

[medicine]

Originally Posted by highplains

Clwydspecial,

We, the CPWF, are doing so and hope to spread the idea nation wide, progress is slow but we will do it. Things are just getting off the ground with the help of the team. You are more than welcome as are any others that wish to join in.

The EA are not going to look after our rivers alone so we have to join in and do our bit, it will help, we hope, to establish just how much illegal activity there is.

Big hope I know but we have to try.

With the greatest of respect Highplains could CPWF join with or be associated under the umbrella of the Welsh Salmon and Trout Association as the legitimate voice of Welsh anglers.
To be honest yours is the only voice we have campaigning on behalf of anglers and fisheries.

Perhaps with their authority and your campaigning energy we would be much stronger?

[highplains]

Watch this space. We will keep you informed. There are a number of ideas in the pot at the moment.

What i would say is that if there are any willing anglers in teh Denbigh area who wish to join in our working team, they will be more that welcome.

We also need as many clubs and individuals to get the word about that when they have called the dreaded 0800 80 70 60 hotline number, they confirm that call on the Campaign website. You can also use the Campaign site to report "things you hear" or any information relating to illegal fisheries activity. All information is welcome and goes into our system to build our case.

We realise that we are more likely to be invited to a party on the moon than get more money for enforcement in the current climate but we have to persist and modify our approach.

Thanks for teh encouragement: you have no idea how welcome your comments and others like them are.