debate eh......
These guys are going to get paid irrespective of whether we give them information or not ... our taxes WILL pay for it anyway... why not have some input? (If we don't, we can have no complaints when they make an ill informed decision)
Many on here will already know my views on fish health, conservation, catch and keep/release so I personally have no concern about giving information if it will help improve stocks for future generations (even if it means we have to limit our freezers full of dead fish).
Many years ago, I was friends with a "doctor", (trust me i'm a doctor ) he was no ordinary doctor but he had a doctorate in FISH!! His job (that we all paid for) was to follow the lifespan and movement of Dace in the river Piddle, and record the expansion or decline of the species and the reasons. He was an immensely interesting chap to share a pint with and I learned masses from him about the life and times of fish. His studies/results did not limit angling activities (in fact it helped the authorities to understand how best to preserve stocks for future angling generations).
I point you to the second from last paragraph on the Sea Angling 2012 fact sheet.
"Of course, Sea Angling 2012 may demonstrate that recreational activity is having a negligible effect on stocks, and there is no need to seek additional voluntary measures for those stocks. However Defra cannot assume that will be the case, which is why it is important to have data collected as accurately as possible. Well-informed decisions are important for the benefit of all stakeholders".
No wine was hurt during the making of this post