First I'd like to say a big thank you to the contibutors to this forum who have helped improve my Bass fishing off of Littlehampton. Your open exchanges gave me a better idea of what to do in terms of retaining and presenting live Mackerel under floats for Bass.
Tom - I appreciate your help in pointing out the thread here. It prompted me to action. The note below was sent to SSFC and Jonathan Shaw today.
Lets see if a slightly different approach prompts a different response - I'll share the outcome on here.
For the attention of Ian Carrier
Ian - I know that this is not the first such e-mail you have received just recently since the decision to warm Charter skippers on the south coast of SSFs intent to prosecute any charter vessel over 12m which is found with anglers on board fishing within 6 miles of land.
I am based in Brighton but travel 3 or 4 times a year with members of my fishing club to Weymouth to fish with Richard English onboard Lone Shark II. The marks that we fish vary based on the time of year and the species of fish that we are targetting. Our club has a voluntary catch and release approach to our fishing and we normally only keep a couple of fish each for the table. So our retention rate when compared to a 12m+ commercial vessel is miniscule.
I guess that SSFs have been caught out by having legislation still on its books which was created at a time when the concept of a 12m+ charter vessel was not even imagined. Instead of castigating SSFs for this I would like to ask how RSAs such as myself, with a strong and very personal vested interest in this matter can help to effect a revision of the legislation.
Jonathan - I trust you department are now very aware of this issue and the upset that it is causing across the country for RSAs. To the best of my knowledge no notices for prosecution have been issued yet for any 12m+ charter vessel found fishing within the 6 mile limit.
I am therefore hoping that there is something that your department can do to help out Ian Carrier at SSFs before he finds himself in a position where he is obliged to prosecute. Given the large amount of bad press your political party is currently suffering in the news right now I would guess you really don't need a bunch of 12m+ charter vessels accompanied by a host of disgruntled RSAs in their own boats motoring up the Thames flying banners about how ridiculous and unjust a pending prosecution is. I would also guess that it wouldn't help if that was to happen and it came to light that your department was being copied in on many notes similar to this one and did nothing to help resolve the situation.
I really do hope that one of the recipients of this note has the creative abilities to do something about this situation rather than send me a standard response that simplies entrenches the parties involved. Having said this I do ask that you do respond as is your responsibility as inidividuals holding public posts.
Clive
