New Fisheries Support Service launched to help clubs and fisheries

The Angling Trust has joined forces with the Environment Agency to launch a new service to provide advice and guidance to clubs and fisheries to help them grow and develop.

For angling to have a strong future, clubs need to appeal to all ages and build a community with a growing and diverse membership base. We want clubs to adopt and promote best practice, implement sustainable fisheries management and comply with relevant governance. Many already do this but others need a little support, and everyone can learn from each other, which is the guiding principle behind the new service

The Fisheries Support Service has been funded from rod licence income as a four-year partnership through the National Angling Strategic Services contract awarded by the Environment Agency.

Newly appointed specialist officers will act as regional contacts to provide introductory guidance and signpost clubs and fisheries to Angling Trust departments for advice on a variety of areas such as participation, enforcement, governance, predator and invasive species management, funding and coaching.

As well as signposting clubs to Angling Trust support, they will also refer them to external expertise as appropriate, such as the Environment Agency, Institute of Fisheries Management and the Wild Trout Trust.

Clubs need to be aware of the health and safety requirements and have good records. The Fisheries Support Service will help them keep up to date with the rapidly changing digital world in which they operate. A well run club should be able to identify what future actions are required and consider drawing up a development plan to include areas such as fisheries management, junior membership safety protocols and future ambitions. The Fisheries Support Service officers will be on hand to assist in this work.

The Angling Trust and Environment Agency want to see fisheries grow, flourish, plan and deliver projects through opportunities such as the Fisheries Improvement Programme and the Angling Improvement Fund.

Angling Trust CEO Jamie Cook said: “We believe that well run angling clubs, societies and affordable fisheries are our fishing future. They provide pathways into our wonderful sport allowing anglers to develop their skills and interests. We want to help clubs grow and develop at a time when some are struggling and yet others are forging ahead with bold and innovative initiatives. We need to capture and promote what works and provide the opportunity for clubs and fisheries to learn from one another.

“This new service will provide best practice support and guidance to angling clubs and fisheries to ensure volunteers are organised and operate safely, projects are delivered professionally and their set-up results in growing membership, angling opportunities and fisheries improvements at their waters.”

To ensure that the new service can tap into the wealth of expertise and experience that already exists within the angling community, a new Fisheries Advisory Group comprising some of the top clubs in the country has been formed to collect case studies of good practice from around England and to provide a sounding board and advice and guidance to the regional officers. Learnings captured by this group, and from elsewhere, will be added to the Fisheries Support Service webpages and shared with the angling community as part of a suite of practical and innovative ideas that have been implemented by other clubs.

Jenni Balmer, Deputy Director of Nature Recovery who heads up fisheries at the Environment Agency, recently visited two of the Advisory Group clubs, Godalming Angling Society and Reading & District Angling Association, to hear why they have been so successful in growing their membership base and to help launch the Fisheries Support Service.

Jenni said: “At the Environment Agency we want people to join clubs, build communities and really enjoy their fishing. By buying a rod licence we can re-invest money back into projects like the Fisheries Support Service that support local angling clubs and angling communities, and really build a lifelong love for angling and the environment.”

The Fisheries Support Service will be managed by Angling Trust Environment Manager Dr Emily Smith who said: “There are opportunities and challenges that come with running every fishery, club or society. The new Fisheries Support Service aims to help clubs, fisheries and societies set out a vision for their future development, and through the provision of advice, guidance and sharing of best practice from other clubs and other external experts, equip them with the knowledge to make those changes, to help protect, promote and develop their future, and the future of angling.”

Rob Harris, Chairman of the Peterborough & District AA and a member of the Fisheries Advisory Group, said that the launch of the new service was a “step in the right direction”.

He added: “It shows that the Angling Trust are listening to its members whilst continuing to work towards a better angling future together. In a connected modern world, a team that can signpost the right information and share best practice and successful ways of working, helping upskill clubs and fisheries throughout the country, is a very positive initiative.

“We at P&DAA fully support this and will work closely with the team to help in any way we can as we continue to support the Angling Trust to improve fishing and fisheries.”

David Ewing, Assistant Secretary and Head Coach of Godalming AS, said: “Godalming is a small market town of 20,000 people in southwest Surrey but the problems we face running fisheries are the same as people in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and other counties. If we can pool our expertise to stop each of us looking for solutions on our own, then that’s got to be a way forward.”

Derek Pye, Youth Development Officer at Hull & District Angling Association, added: “It’s good to see both the Angling Trust and the Environment Agency increasing the support available to clubs. We have a great story to tell in Hull about our junior coaching programme which this year engaged over 1,200 youngsters at 50 different free access events. However, I’m sure there’s much we can learn from some of the brilliant initiatives happening elsewhere which we don’t always get to hear about.”

Angling clubs involved in the Fisheries Advisory Group are:

• Peterborough & District Angling Association
• Nottingham Piscatorial Society
• Reading & District Angling Association
• Godalming Angling Society
• Exeter & District Angling Association
• Hull & District Angling Association
• Leeds & District Amalgamated Society of Anglers
• Prince Albert Angling Society
• Farnham Angling Society

Click here for more information on the Fisheries Support Service