Time To Press For The Golden Mile - 20/07/2007

With a number of angling initiatives seeming stalled in the too-slowly-turning wheels of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Fisheries Divisions’ beauracracy, and with the Fisheries Minister even now still dithering over his previous promise to increase the minimum landing size for bass, the Sea Anglers’ Conservation Network (SACN) is calling upon all anglers to push for implementation of a Golden Mile.
Leon Roskilly, SACN's national co-ordinator, said: "It is essential for the development of our sport that the UK's recreational sea fisheries are given some protection from the increasingly efficient commercial exploitation that removes fish from the close inshore areas, which is the only area that is accessible to most anglers, and reduces the average size of fish available so that specimen-sized fish are now rarely caught inshore."
A Golden Mile wouldn't necessarily ban all commercial fishing, especially potting and fishing for shellfish, but would bring an end to the common experience of anglers of finding their favourite marks netted, or a trawl being dragged across the sea bed right in front of them, ruining any chance that they might have of a decent catch.
The recreational sea angling sector supports thousands of livelihoods and businesses, and has potential for considerable expansion if radical ideas are implemented to increase fishing opportunities within this relatively small area of sea, where most angling takes place, now commonly referred to as the Golden Mile.
Leon points out that it won't just be anglers who will benefit. Many close inshore areas are valuable habitats, serving as breeding, spawning and nursery areas. Increased protection for these areas will bring benefits that will be apparent to all stakeholders, and will spread to fishing boats working further out.
SACN is consulting with, and will work with, other angling organisations to develop the concept of a Golden Mile further, and they will be encouraging all anglers to write to their MPs to make the idea a reality.
Leon added: "Now is the time to stop talking and to start taking action, if we are to reverse the slow decline of the UK's recreational sea fisheries, and leave something that we can be proud of for future generations."