The Bass MLS Decision

The dust is just beginning to settle on the recent decision by the fisheries minister, Jonathan Shaw, not to increase the mls of bass.

And what a lot of dust there has been (and maybe yet more dust to come).

This all started with a plan, endorsed by the Prime Minister’s Strategy unit to kick start development of the Recreational Sea Angling sector (only recently recognised by government as being surprisingly important to UK PLC, not only from an economic perspective but socially as well) by increasing the value of the UK’s Recreational Sea Fisheries by managing some stocks for the benefit of RSA, starting with bass.

Of course that idea didn’t go down too well with civil servants within DEFRA, who have a long history of servicing the needs of the commercial fishing industry, and only adding to their difficulties in dealing with that industry.

In fact the mindset and culture, developed over generations of DEFRA civil servants, found (and still find) it difficult to grasp the concept of improving fisheries, rather than managing decline, and for delivering benefits to a sector of which they have little understanding.

And so, under direction from their political masters, they reluctantly took on board the Bass Management Plan and took out of that just one element, the bass mls increase, subjected it to intense scrutiny and unenthusiastically fed it into the machinery of consultation and decision making, perhaps hoping it would fall apart.

But RSA had the bit between its teeth, seeing this as just the first step down a long road that would lead to the improvement of other Recreational Sea Fisheries, higher participation in sea angling, and a far greater social and economic contribution benefiting not only anglers but many others as well, not least the marine fish stocks upon which Recreational Sea Angling is so dependent.

Despite the hurdles, letters and emails to politicians and campaigns by angling organisations and their members, pushed the proposals to the very point where the then minister had actually created the necessary Statutory Instrument (SI) to raise the mls and had announced the date from when it would apply, the 6^th April 2007.

In response the commercial lobby went into overdrive, threatening the minister with TV showing tonnes of undersized bass being dumped dead, and claiming significant losses of livelihoods within hard-pressed fishing communities.

Ben Bradshaw faltered and withdrew the SI whilst he reconsidered.

A change of Prime Minister and a reshuffle saw Ben Bradshaw replaced by Jonathan Shaw as Fisheries Minister, and left him with making the final decision.

With no knowledge of the background of the proposals, other than given to him by his officials within DEFRA, and lacking any knowledge of the vision of a far more valuable Recreational Sea Angling sector, founded upon bringing about healthy and robust world class Recreational Sea Fisheries which this move was meant to kick-start, Jonathan Shaw started his term of office by visiting fishing ports throughout the UK, where his ear was bent regarding lack of quota, failing businesses, problems of discards etc.

When he finally got around to getting commercials, scientists and RSA representatives together to talk through the implications of a possible increase, the battle was probably already lost.

And when the decision was finally announced, the reaction of those who had spent so much time working on the proposals, jumping the hurdles, meeting tight deadlines only to see DEFRA procrastinating and constructing further hurdles, was far beyond the ‘disappointment’ that the Minister predicted.

As was conveyed to the Minister by supporters of the RSA campaign in a host of emails, described by the Minister himself as ‘not very complimentary’ and emails and letters by anglers to their own MPs, leading to a number of Parliamentary Questions.

If DEFRA officials thought that the worst had been weathered, they were disabused of that idea at a subsequent meeting between RSA representatives and DEFRA officials where they were left in no doubt at the bitter disappointment, very real anger and complete lack of trust in DEFRA officials that the decision had engendered.

And as the political backlash continued, some of those same DEFRA officials were obliged to sit as the Minister’s advisors in the gallery in the debating chamber of the Houses of Parliament, as the Minister’s decision was savaged by Martin Salter MP, in an adjournment debate, backed by interventions by other MPs from both sides of the house.

Having pleased the commercial lobby with his decision, the Minister was now learning that there was now a greater lobby of Recreational Sea Anglers who also need to be placated.

A hastily arranged meeting by the Minister to talk to the angling organisations about his decision was arranged through Martin Salter, where again the minister was confronted by the anger his decision had engendered, and the despair that now arises as to whether this Government, and particularly his department, has the will or ability to deliver anything to RSA.

At the meeting too were representatives of FACT, to drive home the point that it is not only sea anglers who are appalled at the turn of events, but that sea anglers are supported in this by their many freshwater colleagues.

No one believes that the minister will do yet another U-turn on this, but he has left the door open for a future review, and still on the table is the other measures suggested in the Bass Management Plan.

And perhaps the original commitment to raise the bass mls to 45cm in 2010 is not yet entirely dead in the water.

Inshore netting restrictions and improved nursery areas are being mooted from within DEFRA (which will benefit other species along with bass).

CEFAS have a project to look at this funded from the Fisheries Challenge Fund.

A very strong message that this decision has hardened attitudes within RSA circles to the imposition of a Sea Angling Licence until DEFRA are able to demonstrate both willingness and ability to deliver meaningful and tangible benefits to Recreational Sea Anglers, has been delivered.

So to has the message that the proposed RSA Strategy overriding theme that anglers require more and bigger fish has been blown clear of the water by the abandonment of the first opportunity to deliver such a promise.

So, no wonder that the intended launch date of the 29^th November for the launch of a four month consultation on the RSA strategy has passed with now no definite replacement date being officially or unofficially announced.

Perhaps the Minister is learning not to rely so heavily on the partisan advice of his own officials, and will want to examine the proposals closely to ensure that his party is not on course to totally losing the entire angling vote by failing to deliver meaningful benefits, whilst increasing restrictions and regulations on hundreds of thousands of Recreational Sea Anglers.

In the Parliamentary adjournment debate it was notable that the MPs that turned up in the chamber to support Martin Salter, had all received letters and emails from their angling constituents.

They at least are starting to smell the coffee.

And if RSA is to achieve the kind of UK Recreational Sea Fisheries that will delight all Recreational Sea Anglers, it is obvious that it will be through anglers contacting their MPs, demanding that questions are raised in Parliament, selling to the political establishment the vision of the social and economic contributions to be derived from a thriving RSA sector, and healthy Recreational Sea Fisheries containing more and bigger fish, rather than appeals to DEFRA officials for action beyond their understanding.

So, get writing!