Say NO to plans to ban coastal shooting and angling in Wales

[David BASC]

Dear All

 

Proposals have been made to ban wildfowling and angling within Marine Conservation Zones around the Welsh coast.

 

BASC urges all shooters and anglers to show solidarity with those affected. Voice your opposition to the proposals by email before the 31st July consultation deadline.

 

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/media/key_issues.cfm/cid/1AD75D67-6329-4FC0-AF63B5D8BF5349BA

 

There are 24 proposed sites from which up to four highly protected MCZs might be selected:

 

•North Anglesey

•Great Orme

•Puffin Island

•Menai Strait

•Porth Nobla

•North Llyn

•Bardsey Island

•Tudwals

•Llanbedrog

•Traeth Afon Wen

•South of Aberystwyth

•Cardigan offshore

•New Quay offshore

•SW of Strumble Head

•Ramsey Island

•Skomer Island

•Skokholm Island

•Beggars Reach

•Pembroke

•Milford Haven

•Dale

•Whitford Point

•Aberthaw

•Severn

 

Best wishes,

 

David.

[Catweazle]

It would help if BASC could tell us why these are a bad idea.

[huffhuff]

It would help if BASC could tell us why these are a bad idea.

 

Have you clicked the link? It's all there.

[David BASC]

For clarity then the issue is this:

 

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on the proposed location of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) around the Welsh coast. Under the proposals each MCZ will be classified as highly protected which means that no extractive activities of any type may take place within these sites.

 

In plain English that means shooting and angling will be banned in every MCZ created. Even children will be banned from exploring rock pools.

 

Hope thats clear.

 

David

Edited July 6, 2012 by David BASC

[Kes]

David,

I dont know whether its due to being out of office hours but the e-mail link is disfunctional for me anyway.

Cheers

[Thunderbird]

Even children will be banned from exploring rock pools.

David

 

What a massive leap forward for humanity. ******* hell :no:

[hedd-wyn]

Shocking, I wasn't aware of this!!!

[Catweazle]

Have you clicked the link? It's all there.

 

Really ? All I can see is "Some of these sites are in estuaries of major importance to wildfowling." That doesn't mean they don't need protecting. I'd like to see some evidence clearly presented, from both sides.

 

Sometimes we ( Joe Public ) don't see all the effects of our activities, I was looking into hiring a kayak for a splash around Cardigan and learned that they can panic cliff-nesting birds causing them to knock their eggs or young into the sea. I thought a paddle around would be harmless.

[David BASC]

The link is working fine as far as i can tell.

 

David

[Catweazle]

For clarity then the issue is this:

 

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on the proposed location of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) around the Welsh coast. Under the proposals each MCZ will be classified as highly protected which means that no ‘extractive activities’ of any type may take place within these sites.

 

In plain English that means shooting and angling will be banned in every MCZ created. Even children will be banned from exploring rock pools.

 

Hope thats clear.

 

David

 

Where is the argument that these aren't needed ? It's no good saying they shouldn't be created because you want to shoot and fish there. As for the argument about kids exploring rock pools, they only do that on popular beaches, are they likely to be closed to the public ?

[Thunderbird]

It would help if BASC could tell us why these are a bad idea.

 

Do you think they are a good idea then, if so, what would be the reason? Or are you just arguing the point that BASC would be better off providing more info and perhaps more balance and history into why these proposals are taking place?

 

It's easy to immediately shout out to protect and furiously defend our sport, because so often we feel put upon by the media. I know I do it.

 

I find projects like this Welsh one a little odd in view of the rape of our coastal waters that we allow on a daily basis, not to mention chucking loads of dead fish back in the water. But perhaps that's a different argument.

[David BASC]

Have you any idea how much land will be lost to shooting and angling if this goes ahead?

 

Maybe we should sit back and do nothing, like it seems most others are, let the land be lost for shooting and fishing and simply tell those affected to go shoot and fish somewhere else eh?

 

If that’s OK with you Catweazle, then I guess you won’t speak out against it. For those who it will affect and for those who want to stand up and stop people taking away our fishing and shooting then get involved. It’s up to you.

 

David

Edited July 6, 2012 by David BASC

[al4x]

Here you go people has most of the detail and click on the mapping sites to see where is affected in more detail. Safe to say if you live in the area it would be somewhat gutting to have your shooting and fishing removed

 

http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/environmentandcountryside/mczpotentialsites/?lang=en

[welsh1]

Are the welsh government mad,in the Pembroke,Dale,Milford haven area we have oil refineries,there has been major spills(remember the sea empress)which devastated the wildlife and marine population,but despite this the port has grown, we now have a LNG plant on the haven, apparently it has the capability should it explode to make everything in the haven ashes.

Yet the welsh government are not stopping the refineries.

 

This area already falls into the Pembrokeshire coast national park,and is tightly controlled,the wildfowlers around here do a lot of good work and help maintain large parts of the shoreline and the ecology within.

This is another welsh government tin pot idea ill thought out and no doubt proposed by someone who has never been to the places proposed.

[Kes]

David, I meant specifically that the e-mail link to MCZ's marine@wales.gsi.gov.uk is not a 'live' link - I have sent a response suggesting they think again but base proposals on education and not exclusion.

[Livefast123]

Done I cannot for the life of me see how this will help protect the coast when regulation is already in place. As a welshman who fished those areas in my youth I wouldn't want to see them taken away.

 

It's just some civil servants promotion plan.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Livefast123

[David BASC]

Thanks Kes,

 

welsh1 - I agree, I love Pembrokeshire and share your views

 

Al4x spot on!!

 

David

[Catweazle]

Have you any idea how much land will be lost to shooting and angling if this goes ahead?

 

Maybe we should sit back and do nothing, like it seems most others are, let the land be lost for shooting and fishing and simply tell those affected to go shoot and fish somewhere else eh?

 

If that’s OK with you Catweazle, then I guess you won’t speak out against it. For those who it will affect and for those who want to stand up and stop people taking away our fishing and shooting then get involved. It’s up to you.

 

David

 

There is a C in BASC. If you want me to oppose the proposals you could try explaining why they're a bad idea, unless of course you haven't bothered to find out and are just opposing it on principle. BASC won't be taken seriously by the Welsh government unless they have a coherent argument, I see no reason why we shouldn't hear that argument too.

 

I enjoy shooting and fishing, and have recently moved to Cardigan bay, so I'm interested in both sides of the debate.

[Catweazle]

Do you think they are a good idea then, if so, what would be the reason? Or are you just arguing the point that BASC would be better off providing more info and perhaps more balance and history into why these proposals are taking place?

 

It's easy to immediately shout out to protect and furiously defend our sport, because so often we feel put upon by the media. I know I do it.

 

I find projects like this Welsh one a little odd in view of the rape of our coastal waters that we allow on a daily basis, not to mention chucking loads of dead fish back in the water. But perhaps that's a different argument.

 

I won't be able to decide whether it's a good idea or not until I know the facts, something conspicuously missing in this thread. This is not the usual "vote against banning guns" thread, it requires some research.

[al4x]

I won't be able to decide whether it's a good idea or not until I know the facts, something conspicuously missing in this thread. This is not the usual "vote against banning guns" thread, it requires some research.

 

 

look at the link to the welsh assembly and the plans and where they will affect are ther. Rod based sea fishing has negligible impact on fish stocks, and most fildfowling clubs put a lot of effort into conservation.

[Thunderbird]

look at the link to the welsh assembly and the plans and where they will affect are ther. Rod based sea fishing has negligible impact on fish stocks, and most fildfowling clubs put a lot of effort into conservation.

 

Exactly. What possible negative environmental impact in the great scheme of things could they possibly have when the big picture is so much, well, bigger?

 

I won't be able to decide whether it's a good idea or not until I know the facts, something conspicuously missing in this thread. This is not the usual "vote against banning guns" thread, it requires some research.

 

I'm trying not to be confrontational here but do you have another axe to grind with the BASC? I just seems like you have.

[andrewluke]

I won't be able to decide whether it's a good idea or not until I know the facts, something conspicuously missing in this thread. This is not the usual "vote against banning guns" thread, it requires some research.

 

 

what would be the point of having a gun if you have nowhere to shoot?

 

andrew

[andrewluke]

There is a C in BASC. If you want me to oppose the proposals you could try explaining why they're a bad idea, unless of course you haven't bothered to find out and are just opposing it on principle. BASC won't be taken seriously by the Welsh government unless they have a coherent argument, I see no reason why we shouldn't hear that argument too.

 

I enjoy shooting and fishing, and have recently moved to Cardigan bay, so I'm interested in both sides of the debate.

 

 

it's "shooting and conservation" not "shooting or conservation",

 

 

andrew

[welsh1]

There is a C in BASC. If you want me to oppose the proposals you could try explaining why they're a bad idea, unless of course you haven't bothered to find out and are just opposing it on principle. BASC won't be taken seriously by the Welsh government unless they have a coherent argument, I see no reason why we shouldn't hear that argument too.

 

I enjoy shooting and fishing, and have recently moved to Cardigan bay, so I'm interested in both sides of the debate.

 

if the Welsh government are so serious about protecting the wildlife on the coast,then why have they just opened a coastal path the whole length of wales enabling people with no idea of ecology to leave the masses of junk along the coast from their discarded crisp packets etc(the real walkers never leave anything).

 

Why did they dredge out the mouth of pembroke river,a place with large mud flats when the tide is out,and wildfowlers look after.They did it to allow a power station to be rebuilt(had previously been knocked down and was returning to a wild state)this will have affected the wading birds as the tide comes through faster and some of the mud flat has been lost.

 

I can take you to most beaches in Pembrokeshire and show you the oil deposits still coating the rocks which were never fully cleaned,yet we have some of the largest tankers in the world berthing in the haven.

 

Fishermen in pembrokeshire take pride in their coast and their impact is negliable.

The wildfowlers are a dedicated bunch and have a very good record of conservation,and have helped agencies in the past ,and no doubt will in the future,they look after some of the wildest parts of our shore and are the eyes and ears for the first signs of things going wrong,like pollution.

 

The biggest threat to our coast is by pollution from the oil companies,and to opening up previously hard to get to places to the masses,i accept that everyone has the right to the coast, but it is a sad fact that in all my shooting permissions that have roads to small bays or inlets at dale,pembroke and milford,you will find discarded mcdonalds wrappers,plastic bottles and the old holiday favourite disposable bbq,i have picked up a whole black bag of rubbish in one lane with access to the shore,where holiday makers have had a great day,and then just left their rubbish for the wildlife to choke on.

[andrewluke]

 

The biggest threat to our coast is by pollution from the oil companies,and to opening up previously hard to get to places to the masses,i accept that everyone has the right to the coast, but it is a sad fact that in all my shooting permissions that have roads to small bays or inlets at dale,pembroke and milford,you will find discarded mcdonalds wrappers,plastic bottles and the old holiday favourite disposable bbq,i have picked up a whole black bag of rubbish in one lane with access to the shore,where holiday makers have had a great day,and then just left their rubbish for the wildlife to choke on.

 

 

the only people that seem to clean up marshes are members of wildfowling clubs,they always seem to be able to arrange a couple of days a year to do it(out of season),never seen anyone else do it!

 

andrew