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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Why do some Angling Clubs want to do this?



How can this possible be right!!!! I believe every living thing, whether it be bird, insect, mammal or fish have the right to survive in their natural environment. So imagine my horror when this contraption came along. It is an electronic fish stunner. At first I thought the men were doing a fish survey, checking to see how many fish were in a given area, but I was totally wrong!! They were targeting the Pike. Why might you ask? Because the Angling association want these predators to vanish from their waters. They think "no Pike", more fish for them to catch. Wrong! What about the Cormorants, Gulls, Herons and other mammals and birds that take the fish. All these are also present in fast numbers. Are the Angling Society's going to kill them as well??? Don't they realise that Pike can also be of benefit?. Yes they eat live fish, but they also eat the dead and diseased fish helping to keep the fishery healthy. I fish for pleasure and if I catch a pike its a bonus. I admire it, weigh it and then put it back to live to see another day. These men were placing the stunned pike in a bucket, half the size of a dustbin. What do you think the pike feel kept together in a small container, especially as they are mostly solitary creatures only getting together when they spawn ( which, incidentally, is during the Spring )  I asked the men what they would do with them, they told me they were taking them to another water. Yea right!! I did not believe them!!! I personally think that they will all be killed. So I say to all the Angling society's, Associations and Clubs, please think again. They have every right to be here.


Notably in Britain and Ireland, pike are greatly admired as a sporting fish and they are returned alive to the water in order to safeguard future sport and maintain the balance of a fishery. The Pike Angling Club has campaigned to preserve pike since 1977, arguing that the removal of pike from waters can lead to an explosion of smaller fish and to ensure pike removal stops, which is damaging to both the sport fishery and the environment


5 comments:

Bruce in Sanity said...

Isn't that illegal? And if not, shouldn't it be?

It's disgusting.

Bruce

Ian and Irene Jameison said...

Unfortunatly it is perfectly legal especially as the men told me they were just moving the Pike from one water to another. What I didn't mention in my post, was that the men had told me it was BW who had authorised this on behalf of the Angling Club.

Nev Wells said...

Messing with nature, do they take the Perch out as well...? They really should not be allowed to do this.

I found a really lovely pike just left on the canal bank at Barton turns last year and another in the by wash at Taternhill lock also.

So wrong.....

Anonymous said...

How Awful the Pike will be spawning around this time as they are the earliest fish to spawn in spring, And moving them ?? i wonder what angling club wanted them then.

Norwyn

NB Shell Bell

Jo Lodge said...

That is a scandal and should not be allowed. They are messing with the food chain. I did not realise they did this sort of thing.

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