Reproduced in PDF format (click on the Icon in the right-hand column) is an article published in the July issue of Trout Fisherman, of which many of you will doubtless be already aware.

The reported proposals from DEFRA, could provide the Branch with some interesting issues in relation to the Branch Syndicate waters at Cinder Hill and Piplye.  Your Committee is therefore,  pursuing vigorously on your behalf, via DEFRA, S&TA Head Office, Angling Trust, our Landowner and other interested parties, clarification of the exact nature of the proposals.  

As information comes to hand, it will be replicated on this page of the website.  If you know of fellow members who do not have access to the internet, please keep them up to date with developments.

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November 2009

Since raising this issue back in August, the Committee have been busy enlisting help and raising awareness of our concerns.   Contact, exchange of correspondence and various meetings have taken place involving local MP's and other opinion formers, in an effort to lobby Government and DEFRA Officials.   Reproduced below is a letter of support from Salmon & Trout Association which neatly summarises where we are currently.   There is still much to do if we are to preserve our fishery and its operation at an economical cost, for the benefits of our members.   We will keep you posted.

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P J Langton

East Sussex Branch

7 5AW

November 11^th 2009

Dear Peter,

Re: Proposed Reservoirs Act

Having now heard the full arguments regarding the wider organisations which would be affected by the proposed changes, other than simply our own membership, I believe Head Office is able to provide full support in order to try to persuade DEFRA to look very carefully at their current proposals to impose further legislation on landowners, leaseholders etc of dammed reservoirs with a capacity in excess of 10,000 cubic metres.

I have been in contact with Mark Owen of the Angling Trust (AT) on this and can confirm the following points:

·       Defra still does not yet know whether the Bill will make it into the Queen’s Speech.

·       If it does, it will be a 5^th Session Bill – it will only be addressed at the very end of the Session and so is in jeopardy of not being heard anyway, especially with an Election looming and an uncertain date set for that.

·       The 10,000 limit is non-negotiable – it will be in the Bill. 

·       However, we have now joined AT in fighting the issue of what constitutes the definition of ‘Risk’.   It is on this platform that we intend to position the angling and fisheries argument, using Martin Salter at the Committee stage (which will be required) as we did very successfully during the Marine Bill passage.  We understand that Defra has still not defined ‘Risk’, and our arguments will be based around the fact that if a reservoir poses limited risk, it will not come under the auspices of the Bill.

·       We have assurances from Defra that the protests on behalf of anglers over the 10,000 capacity issue have been taken on board.  It is still not clear how this will be resolved, but S&TA will work alongside AT to ensure the issue is kept central to negotiations, again using Martin Salter at Committee stages and we will also brief Lord Dear and other peers for the Lords’ Committee stages.

Meanwhile, I will write to the team who requested that we complete a question and answer form and ask that they amend our original response to Qu. 81. by stating that angling clubs and reservoir owners should be especially covered in the Bill, unless their particular waters pose serious risk of death or significant flooding downstream, should they fail.  We shall use the suggested argument that there has been no known incident of such an occurrence, and that risk is minimal in most instances.

 I will also ask Martin Salter to make contact with Nicholas Soames, who I understand has already been briefed by yourselves, and see if they can join forces and actively lobby DEFRA over the issue, and give a cross-party line at Committee stages.

I hope this helps, but please contact me if we can be of any further help.  I will, of course, keep you in the loop as the issue progresses following the Queen’s Speech.

Best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Paul Knight