1999 began with the Committee making final adjustments to the joint BASS and NFSA Resolution document to be presented to the General Assembly of The European Anglers Alliance in Oslo during April 1999. The content of this document, seen as quite radical in some quarters, set out for the first time four key changes that we believe need to occur for bass stocks to have long-term future viability:
- Restrictions on the offshore winter fishery in the Western Approaches
- European game fish status for bass, with licences required for bona fide inshore commercial bass fishing and recreational angling
- Increase of the minimum landing size for bass, in progressive stages to an eventual 55cm
- Bag limits for recreational anglers.
In the end, Part 1 of the Resolution, which is a prereqisite to the other three parts, was accepted. Much was achieved in raising the profile of the of the case for bass conservation and restoration on to the European agenda not only through attendance at the assembly itself, but also in the links that Malcolm Gilbert and Bob Cox made with other European bass anglers. These links will be crucial as the network is built to achieve future advances in our cause.