are you a legal person or not??

seeing as there is aolt of different opinions on the subject of sea licenses i would like to hear what you would do if they were implemented

i say yes..long story short

Also a yes.

However we need to see a policing System enforced, I know you can't have a Bailiff running about 40 Miles of Shoreline trying to sniff out prospective Rule breakers, But Random Checks on Popular Marks where, lets face it, most angling is done, should be looked at.

Without looking too deep into the viabilty of such a measure a 3 to 6 Mile Exclusion Zone should be established for all commerical fishing Vessels.

Also, it might cut down on the amount of Idiots out there... You know, 20pk Lager Louts hitting the Beach for a days fishing and leaving a pile of rubbish behind them?

the only way i can see it really working is if you had to join a club to obtain the licence, so at least from the start the club will benefit with the extra people joining.. alot of clubs now all support catch and release and try to educate the benefits of C&R to all members and non members who go fishing..

but it will still be impossible to enforce.. even if officers targeted competitions to see did people have a licence they are hitting the wrong crowd altogether.. most people who fish competitions abide by C&R even when not fishing comps.. and may only take one fish for the plate.. whereas groups of people who have no interest of clubs and competitions go out catch what they can and take everything in the process...

so why should club members be the ones to pay for a licence when we already follow the rules of conservation...

if anything it should be join a club or pay a licence fee, with a small percentage going into local clubs (as if that would ever happen)

rant over... 8)

Begrudgingly yes I would pay it.

Steve

i said no because i think the only way of enforcing it is to have the tackle shops make you produce the license before you are allowed to buy any tackle for sea fishing like you have to do before you buy ammunition or a gun. it may seem a bit drastic but that's the only way i can see it enforced successfully. i mean, lets face it, there aren't even enough fisheries officers to control poaching for salmon. i am not having a bash at bailiffs but i just don't think there are enough to enforce an area like the sea.

also a yes, but agree with Drews points

A ridiculously worded question . . (I'm sorry to say this)

Those posing the question - should it be introduced south of the border should remember . . What may be good for the goose up north ain't good for the gander in the Republic. Have people got short memories or what. Anyone out there recall the rod license 'war' of the 80's for freshwater game fishing.

Sea fishing is democratic in the sense that 'any' person can partake more or less anywhere accessible along the coast line - that is good. Warts (mack bashers, litterers etc.,) and all - its the most accessible of all angling -and in an already over regulated world why invite or welcome more regulation.

Those calling for more enforcement . . F-sake we cant even enforce speed control on the roads presently.

I would also have to say yes but very begrudgingly. What we need to ask is what benefit would purchasing a licence give us. Can we be guaranteed better fish stocks or access to alternate fishing marks? No off course not!! When commercial trawlers come in and clean out our waters, killing fish no matter what size they are and wiping out whole generations of fish the damage takes years to repair. The shoreline needs to be policed and the £22 they are asking us all to pay may help but it certainly will not run a fisheries vessel for a year.

If the 1148 registered members of the forum where to pay the licence fee that would generate just over £25K. This is hardly a goldmine for the originators of the scheme. I know there are a lot of people who fish and are not members of the forum but the quantities of people involved in the sport aren't exactly massive. I would think the introduction of the Licence would need to be justified to both the members of the public affected by the thing and to the goverment bodies controlling the scheme. I just can't see it as being a viable proposition.

(I'll get off my apple box now!!)

*Pictures DrewK at the end of Donaghadee Pier Preaching to the Masses....*

:wink:

Grudgingly yes however this will not deter those louts leaving cans and rubbish, nothing will.
I Support catch and release fully and enjoy my days out, i do however feel that it will be the few only with a license, its that simple, also i feel it will deter the younger generation, i for one have seen the increase in the kids taking up Angling and on their own heads, they see their friends and others fishing and want to try it out.. Also someone wishing to Give it a go will not wish to fork out cash on a license in case fishing is simply not their cup of tea...
Many many issues for and against here.....as a tackle store owner i would suffer severely if i had to check a license before i sold tackle so that's quite a major issue for me, and i can certainly guarantee i would not refuse a sale no matter what..

ha ha ha it would be the biggest joke ever i am sure a few salmon anglers who paid their licence over the years could tell u what good it did them the only way i would pay it is if all the money raised was put into enforcement and a 20 mile no commercial fishing zone around the whole coast was put in place with a shoot to sink policy on all law breakers :D :D :D

do i want better fishstocks?
emphesis on catch and release?
no bloody rubbish on shoremarks?
designated fishing areas on beaches in summer?
sea anglers accounted for under a single 'banner'?
employment in the pastime/sport itself?
enforced no go areas for trawlers?
etc etc...

yes.

will a licence help?

NO.

will i buy one?

unless enforced like all the the other laws regarding the sea, ehem....

No.

Yes :evil: :evil: :evil:

I,m with Mark


Colin

I said yes if it came in but before that I would fight it with all the way.

If they are getting money from it I would expect a raise in the number of convictions for illegal nets and a proper policing policy on the sea fisheries which we do not have already.
but I say fight it all the way it is double taxation with out a proper plan of what to do with the money it is just throwing money away.

What can a government possibly provide to me as a fisherman? I dig or buy my own bait and tackle from an independent retailer and I fish from a beach or rock. Ocassionally i go on a charter boat all that is docked at a private marina. I am a gross contributer to the economy from a fishing point of view they want to take your money and give you nothing. Fisheries officers do not seem to be interested do not seem to be interested in the sea in the south of the country.

its a bit of a sickener really

you guys in the north need to get on to your MPs/ MLAs immediately.
what about organising a coordinated phone bombardment of the northern ireland fisheries authority and ask the questions.
You really do need to fight this.

Steve, I don't buy this idea of joining a club or Midgets plan for having to produce a licence to buy new gear. There are plenty of people i know who will do a bit of fishing every now and then but wouldn't be sufficiently interested to join a club, many people view fishing as a solitary pursuit, so the whole club idea may not appeal.

as for using a licence to buy gear, two major problems: 1 no real incentive for the shops to enforce it and 2 the online business in tackle, rods etc. is huge now and it would be impossible to regulate the online business.

That said, as a fairly regular angler, I don't think i'd buy a licence, i'm sick to death of paying taxes for no return, if it resulted in a true and enforced commercial exclusion zone then i'd be happy to oblige though, but i can't honestly see that happening given the lobbying power of the commercials and the stupidity of our politicians.

Im a yes as long as it would cover all Irish beaches!! Dont want the same hassle as fresh water fishing licence . You find a nice river or lake and think its a good mark and then find you cant fish it or if you can you dont know where to get a licence. I would buy a licence only if i could fish all beaches. Another question is why should we when our waters are over fished by commercial fishers should the money used for licences be used to buy out the trawlers.

how much /to who/ for what benifit. as it stands at the moment absolutly no way.