The fibre optic cables that support the internet in Scotland must be close to a liquid state with the heat generated on internet forums, and facebook over a suggested proposal to introduce a Scottish rod licence. This follows two articles in the press, the Scottish Sun and apparently the Daily Record, that provisions have been made in the forthcoming Aquaculture bill going through the Scottish Parliament to allow introduction of a Scottish rod licence, I guess similar in nature to the EA rod licence in Englandshire and Wales.
Intrinsic Human right?
Many in Scotland believe that fishing is an intrinsic human right and they should to be able to do it wherever and whenever they please. That’s maybe the extreme view but you have every shade of grey in between that and those that simply pay and go fishing. I suspect the norm is that most Scottish anglers agree with paying for a permit where necessary ( even though I suspect its through gritted teeth at times) and will in the most part play by the rules. But a Scottish rod licence is a step too far for many- why that’s what they do in England- and we are not English! Its been quoted in some places that the licence fee may be as much as £8 a day! Take that to its extreme and you have an annual bill of £2920 ( in a non leap-year). Is that sustainable or even credible? Of course it’s not. If such a scheme were to be brought in most anglers would be forced to give up or severely curtail their activities with the knock on effect on the angling industry- shops, guides, rod and tackle makers etc.
Equivalent costs to England
IF such a system is to be brought in, then I think its likely that it will cost no more than our English counterparts ie. £27 per year for non-migratory fish and £72 for Migratory fish ( primarily Salmon and Sea Trout). The daily rate there is £8 for a daily Salmon licence but you would need to be a very occasional angler or spur of the moment tourist to make this pay. Given that in England a licence brings with it some added value in that as I understand it, it allows you to fish unpermitted , “public” waterways in the target species of your choice and it would appear a significant proportion of the money goes to providing services that directly or indirectly benefit the angler and the environment in which he/she would like to fish.
Would a Scottish Rod Licence work?
So would a Scottish rod licence work? In as much as they can bring it in and say its law to have a licence to be in possession of a rod, I guess they can introduce it. However remember the Poll Tax? My gut feeling would be that you would have outright revolt unless you can prove there is something in it for the angler. IF they were to hand the money, say, to an independent body who would ensure that 100% of the funds less running costs were used to fund the management of our waterways and still waters and sell the idea that anglers who are in breach of this are in some way anti-social in the same way that Smokers and Drink Drivers are ( rightly) persona non gratia, then it might work. Having said that there are still the small but hard-core of anglers who believe they don’t need a permit, they don’t need permission and they will fish where and when they like regardless of whose land rights they have to breach or whose fish they can take as they please.
They will never buy a Scottish rod licence and those that do will probably wave it like some universal go anywhere / fish anywhere permit.
Revolt
So how would they manage revolt? Well I guess they would insist that commercial fisheries “police” this tax in the same way that businesses collect VAT. Pass the responsibility on to someone else, its cheap and easy to implement as they can threaten the fishery with closure if they allow unlicenced anglers. It would not take long for this to work its way round, fisheries would close leaving their unmanaged water to those who never had any intention of buying a permit or licence in the first place. The law-abiding anglers would end up with nothing.
There might be benefits
So what now? Well I for one while not ecstatic at the idea of a rod licence would not be in total opposition to it provided it worked for anglers. I already buy an annual English rod licence as I travel south of the border on occasion and like the flexibility it gives me to fish without having to think about getting a short term one. Does it same me money? Probably not. I would want to see the money spent on river and still water environmental improvements, and I would like to see in particular some focus on Bailiffs supporting them in their work and ensuring we have someone keeping tabs on poachers and getting some recompense for their time or expenses at least. In all the years I have fished I have been asked for my permit once by a bailiff on the Tweed when I was about 14. Other than that ironically I have been asked about 6 or 7 times for my permit by police at my clubs water, Cocksburn Reservoir. They never turn up in time though when there are poachers about. This type of thing would have to change.
Will it happen?
Will it happen? In the short-term it seems not. Longer term I think its likely, and a tax on our past time will be implemented. If that becomes the law then I hope they will look at a tax on Football supporting, Golf, and Rugby for starters. What can we do about it? Well in the polarised sport that we have in Scotland of angling I think half the battle is won already by the politicians, whats the phrase- divide and conquer? They have already achieved division with zero effort. We allegedly have a voice through SANA but what have I seen from them through social media? Squat all. Who joins it? No one I know. They spend most of their time droning* on about Salmon and Sea Trout ( both species and fishing) then taking funds from the Salmon Aquaculture sector to fund the Youth team! They have published a response to the proposals but there has been little drum banging or flag waving to attract membership on the back of it unlike the much publicised work the English/Welsh Angling Trust do. The response spends most of its time discussing the impact of the proposed bill on Salmon and Sea Trout fisheries and fish farming. Almost all the discussion on licensing has been by the media and commentators like Kevin Moss who writes in Trout Fisherman Magazine.
A response
One correspondent on a popular website posted this response to the question sent to the Scottish Government ( I have seen in posted in a variety of places so trust its Ok to reprint here
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
“I understand that some newspapers set a hare running in response to the current Aquaculture & Fisheries Bill going through Parliament that provides a power to introduce charges in relation to fisheries.
“Some people have jumped to the conclusion that this means that charges for rod licences may be in our minds or introduced in Scotland at some point.
“Let me assure the angling community and yourself that we have absolutely no plans to introduce any such charge. In any case, we don’t have such a system in Scotland that we could charge for!
“This is just a general power being taken in the bill and if any proposals are ever made to use this power in relation to aquaculture, sea or freshwater fisheries in any shape or form then it would be the subject of a proper consultation in the coming years.”
Scottish ( primarily Game ) angling is riven by past acrimonies in the split of SANA and SANAC and we are the worse for it. Scotland needs its own version of the Angling Trust. And the sooner the better.
* I do find myself irritated by the separation of our sport into those who fish for Salmon/Sea Trout and the others. In my view the ‘others’ probably constitute the majority. I have no deep interest in Salmon fishing ( it’s too expensive and exclusive with little hope of results for my appetite- though that’s not to say I wouldn’t try it if someone else is paying!). But I get really annoyed by the huge swathes of water that are effectively out-of-bounds to me as a permit purchasing angler because I don’t fish for Salmon. These same waters are home to Brown Trout and Grayling and I would love to fish for them in the same pleasant surroundings. Bear in mind I return all my wild caught fish too. I once heard the phrase- Salmon Anglers walk on water, while Grayling anglers walk in water. This arose when I looked into winter graying fishing on a couple of local rivers and was told I could not wade, despite the fact that salmon anglers wade in these same waters for something like 8-10 months of the year! I once looked into buying a Sea Trout/Salmon permit to go Grayling fishing on another local “Salmon River” and was told this was really not on as they want anglers on the water translated into Salmon caught and a non Salmon Angler would affect the “stats”
Couple of points on this one. Since it has been established beyond doubt now that Sea trout and Brown trout are the same fish and whether a particular hatching goes to sea or stays in the river is a matter of chance and/or possibly temperature then how could/does a Salmon AND Sea Trout rod licence work ANYWHERE in the UK?
Secondly I presume you are aware that you already require a rod licence to fish the Border Esk? (and yes that one almost started up the border wars again).
Seems many years ago a political deal was done to consider the Tweed as a Scottish river and therefore permanently exempt from rod licences EVEN THOUGH it ends up flowing into the sea in England, whereas the Esk could safely be classified as an English river BECAUSE it ends up flowing into the sea in England. Sir Alec Douglas-Home, landowner on the banks of Tweed, Prime Minister – connection? (Cynical? Moi??)
Incidentally the “Border” Esk is actually the Border for about a mile. Its tributary the Liddle is the actual border for many miles, but when it joins the Esk, the main river is only the border very briefly but then the border leaves the Esk and travels across country via the Scots Dyke to the Sark which then becomes the border down to the Solway.
I also understand the revenue from the Rod Licences sold on the Esk doesn’t cover the wages of the two unfortunates who have to roam the river trying to enforce it, so there’s hardly likely to be any spare money to improve anything.