Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society

Fighting for Bass and Bass Anglers’ since 1973

Urgent: Ask your MP to Support This Weeks Parliamentary Debate on Bass Angling and New Regulations

The debate in the House of Commons on Thursday (11th Feb) relating to our bass is fast approaching. Since blogging on this last week the actual title of the debate has been clarified to reflect that it is all about the concerns of us anglers to the 2016 bass regulations.

It is titled:“Conservation of sea bass and the effect of related EU measures on the UK recreational fishing industry.

The motion to be moved is:“This House believes that the recent EU restrictions on recreational bass fishing are unfair and fail to address the real threat to the future viability of UK bass stocks “.

This is clearly a brilliant chance to have your views aired on these issues and to influence those that make decisions about our angling and our bass. If you haven’t yet done so email your MP urgently (you can find their email address here: www.writetothem.com).

Ask them to attend the debate and to speak in support of:

1. a bass fishery run to maximise the environmental, social and economic benefits for society as a whole, by giving priority to recreational bass angling;

2. introducing revised measures that reduce bass mortality by restricting (rather than increasing) harmful commercial harvesting methods such as gill netting and instead promote sustainable methods such as hook & line fishing for both the commercial and recreational sectors.

When you email your MP it also of great benefit if you can include the link to the excellent AT briefing paper on this matter to help get them up to speed on all the issues (briefing paper link =  bit.ly/1PXawop )

Sorry about repeating a recent request but time is of the essence and your help with this is most important.

Thanks as always

Matt Spence

Low stock impact, high economic value bass resource use in action
Low stock impact, high economic value bass resource use in action