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| On january 18th 2001 an order was
made to ban all commercial bait digging in Fareham creek using a European
law passed to protect the solent marine environment ostensibly from development.
We know from Chichester conservancy that pressure is being brought to bare
to ban all commercial bait digging in our area. This will have far reaching
effects on the angling industry. The irony about this order is that in
the area in which it has been brought in (under the guise of protecting
brent geese from disturbance) there are over five hundred pleasure craft
moored, there is a dredging operation, a public slipway, the busiest urban
road in Hampshire runs alongside it (the A32 Gosport Rd) and it is just
three hundred metres from Fareham town centre. Not only this but on the
other side of the creek is a huge international golf course and a business
park. As you can see in the scheme of things a couple of bait diggers should
be quite low down on the list of priorities if anyone is talking about
minimizing disturbance. It is our opinion (and one that is shared by everyone
we have spoken to in various angling organizations) that this is being
brought about by anti angling campaigners and others with a vested interest
in removing bait diggers (i.e. rich landowners at Bosham and Birdham) .If
things are allowed to continue in this vein we could soon see all sorts
of activities including shore fishing itself being banned under a law none
of us had any say in the making of. More disturbingly still is the fact
that this order was made without any reference whatsoever to anyone concerned
with angling or bait digging, it is this Stalinist approach that most concerns
us.
UPDATE: The DETR has just announced that a public enquiry into this ban will be held in about ten weeks time. This follows their receipt of over two hundred objections to this order. S.A.B.D.A will be represented at the enquiry by Ian Harner, Gerry Gibbs, Paul Bossuot, and Dave Meades. After consultation with Mike North the chairman of the National Federation of Sea Anglers we have been informed that we have the full backing of both Mike North and the N.F.S.A. Following a meeting with English nature it has been agreed that we will abide by a code of conduct which will be drawn up by ourselves, English Nature and the N.F.S.A. In return the ban at Fareham will be varied .Also English Nature have agreed to press our case for the saving of the Dibden Bay foreshore, which you will all agree is extremely important. Update: Following the public meeting the banned area at Fareham has been reduced to the area above the town quay.It was also agreed to accept a code of practice about which several meetings will take place between anglers , bait diggers,the NFSA and English nature.
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