12.01.09 Launch of Angling Trust
The merger of six angling and conservation bodies creating the
Angling Trust, the new voice of angling, was completed to plan on
Monday, January 5 2009.
“It is an organisation angling has
needed for many years,” said Stephen Marsh-Smith, the first
chairman of the Trust. “It represents more than a million regular
coarse, game and sea anglers in England. Angling contributes £3.5
billion to the economy and supports 37,000 jobs.”
Embodying
all the assets and staff of the legacy organisations, the trust will
be publicly launched at 10 am next Wednesday, January 14 at the
Fishmongers’ Hall, London Bridge.
Among the guests will be
Martin Salter MP, the government’s spokesman for angling and
shooting.
Dr. Marsh-Smith said nearly 2,500 individual anglers
and clubs had already signed-up to the trust which would “run a
forthright campaign to conserve marine and freshwater fisheries,
promote and protect all recreational angling against commercial
overfishing, habitat destruction, poaching and disease.
“We
also plan to develop coaching and education for new and experienced
anglers, increase participation in national and international
competitions and tackle the growing problem of the predators which
attack our fisheries.
“It is an ambitious programme but we
believe anglers will support us and we are encouraged by the
supportive messages we have already received,” Dr. Marsh-Smith
added.
Individual membership is £20 a year which
includes public liability insurance, newsletters and magazines.
Members will be enrolled in Fish for Free (www.fishforfree.net) an
innovative loyalty programme which generates credits for fishing
equipment, permits and the freshwater rod licence. Clubs will be able
to join Fish Legal which provides advice and takes action against
polluters.
Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust
said: “Now that we have a single body for all anglers with a
comprehensive benefits, we look forward to their support and to
working for and with them. We will only be able to do that if we have
the mandate and the resources to do so.”
The Angling Trust’s web site www.anglingtrust.net is now live
and will be continually developed. Anglers can sign up on-line, by
telephone or by post.
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