Anglers from across the country descended on a Midlands town to protest against plans for a fishing ban.
Nearly 200 fishermen flocked to Bewdley, dubbed the ‘capital of angling’ because of it’s historical link to the sport. They came from Liverpool, Manchester, Devon, Norwich and Croydon after an article in the Angling Times advertised the protest yesterday. The publication’s deputy editor Greg Whitehead was there.
He travelled all the way from Peterborough to join the protesters.
A campaign to ban fishing along Severn Side South could be introduced if a swan sanctuary is created there.
Owner Jan Harrigan has been holding talks with the Environment Agency and Wyre Forest District Council about creating the sanctuary for swans. But the move would mean banning fishing along the river.
She says that more swans die in Bewdley than in neighbouring towns and blames lead poisoning caused by anglers.
However, protest organiser Tom Rigby, of Bewdley, said that fishermen were treated as second class citizens and there was a lot of lies spread about the sport.
He added: “We haven’t used lead shot for 15 years.
“Anglers are always blamed unfairly. This could have come from gunshot or been washed downstream. Tests have not found anything,” he went on to say.
Greg Whitehead said: “The district council is saying that they will not ban fishing in the short term. But discussions are still going on and we will have to keep an eye on this. It’s important to protect the sport and I’m pleased to see the level of support.”
Angler Steve Williams, aged 46 from Bridgnorth, said: “I am here today as I think if this ban happens in Bewdley they could start bringing it in to other towns along the river. Angling is an important sport.”
Peter Trueman, aged 38, from Birkenhead, said: “I took extra holiday to come here today as I wanted to make sure I supported the cause. I am a member of Kidderminster Angling Club and I fish here regularly.”
Bewdley Mayor, Barbara Stallwood, who is supporting the protest, said to the anglers: “You are our lifeblood. Without you this town will crumble.”
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18 Comments
i am 13 years of age and i have never used lead weights or shots.
Terry ain’t gonna be happy
Lead shot has been outlawed for years, so it must come from gunshot or elsewhere ?
Worcester has a swan sanctuary area and fishermen were stopped from fishing there. It is not as if swans are an endangered spieces of bird, if anything they need culling. Anglers will tell you that swans make a B line for you if fishing expecting to be fed. They get close and you ignore them and then they start to hiss at you.
Anglers always get the blame, but more often than not it is anglers who report sick and injured animals to the RSPCA as we are usually out and about on the rivers and pools.
It is only because people feed them bread and chips that they are in the town. Ban feeding the swans and ducks and there will be no extra swans in Bewdley.
Perhaps, since she has failed to note that lead weights have been banned for years, Jan Harrigan will be prepared to make good the financial shortfall to Bewdley if fishing is banned. Since when has one voice outweighed the majority in a democracy…especially when supported by falsehoods, misinformation and PC claptrap.. Oh I forgot we are no longer a democracy! Does this mean the Environment agency will be reducing my liscence fee instead of increasing it ?????
If i was to eat chips everyday like the Bewdley swan’s i would be overweight and in ill health.
Mrs Harrigan would be better off looking at the facts, and realize the anglers are conservationists too.
I emailed her my concern that she has got her facts wqrong, no doubt many others have done the same. If you are looking at this ms harringan, perhaps you can quantify your past comments regarding anglers and lead shot, or be classed as a liar.
Has anyone done blood testing on the swans,alive or dead to test for lead poisoning?
The cause is more likely from pollution and if so the local authorities and Severn Trent would be accountable but under the current regime (labour) the truth may never come out, so its far easier to blame the angler and ban one of the UK’s favourite passtimes. Another nail in the coffin!!!
since the “shot” used by anglers is by its nature split,it would be interesting to see any independent autopsy reports of its presence in dead swans…i.e,no split in shot-not angler sourced.
Out of interest,are swans one of the birds that must maintain a crop full of stones etc to process food?
Perhaps Ms Harrigan can provide proof that these birds were tested by qualified people and also provide evidence that they were correctly disposed of. There will of course be official records?
Why oh why does it always have to be anglers who ‘kill’ swans. One shotgun cartridge dispenses more lead shot than an angler could lose (albeit lead-free) shot in a lifetime.
So, just to support their hobby anglers will cull swans - how nice! Just what we might expect from the drunken maggot-drowners.
The angling fraternity is very vociforous in trying to ban everybody else from our rivers, but see how they whine when someone tries to exclude them from one small stretch.
How would anglers like to be banned from all but 3% of english rivers? perhaps if they would act responsibly, clear up their discarded line, hooks and shot and be prepared to SHARE our birthright of access to the ‘water’ that no one owns, then perhaps people may have some sympathy for them.
Just what I expect from anglers.
They are just selfish and not willing to compromise and help a wildlife sanctuary on a natural river, or allow any others access to rivers to enjoy our natural heritage.
As for culling they want to add Swans to the long list of wildlife they want to destroy like Cormarants, Otters and the poor fish they hook and drag from the river for thier amusement. They call this “sport” more like blood sport if you ask me.
Peter, Norman and Gary. Anglers don’t want to stop anyone else having access to the river, we simply don’t want to be blamed for something that is likely not our fault and thrown off a free stretch anglers have fished for decades as a result.
I’m hearing that Natural England is presently looking at ways of managing swan numbers on some southern rivers because there are so many birds that their feeding is destroying in-river habitat! How do you suppose Natural England will ‘manage’ their numbers gentlemen?
So Peter, where have anglers tried to ban other water users from? Get your facts right and keep your insults to yourself.
And Norman, when did you last make a financial contribution to the upkeep of English and Welsh waterways and their wildlife? Anglers each pay £25 every year.
And Gary, the stretch isn’t presently a sanctuary and, if we get our way, it never will be!!! Cormorants are culled under licence, otters are protected under EU law (and no angler’s stupid enough to kill one even if they wanted to) and if we didn’t fish who’d protect our rivers? You lot? Bigotry tends to achieve nothing but conflict!
Greg is absolutely correct that anglers are the guardians of the waterside. Just look how the “professionals” under the misnomer of the Environment Agency have allowed the Derbyshire Derwent catchment system to be ruined by “lead, cadmium and zinc”. I took them 18 months to act.
i have fish haven`t fished bewdley for a few years now due to the swans making a bee-line for me and my fishing pals. just a couple of things to remember if you ban fishing who`s going to compensate,, the tackle shop,,the chip shop,, and everything else that fishing brings to this popular venue and not forgeting the flood defence which came out the e.a coffers. part of fishermens license money also remember if the fishermen did not report any problems be it on the river banks or the surrounding fields the bird life would be in a sorry state and if jan harrigan love the swans so much i suggests she collects them all up and takes them back to her rescue centre and see how long it takes for them to fly off and leave.
Gary Archer you seem to be terrible misinformed on not only the behavior of fishermen but also the facts and the the current situation regarding this article.
Unfortunately, its the ignorant, woefully misinformed, albeit well intentioned people like yourself, that already have a clear view in thier mind that fishing is to blame for so many things and take little or no time to prove it scientifically and dismiss obvious reasons against thier argument despite calm collective efforts by the angling community. I cant emagine why an angler would ever kill an otter, and cormorants are culled under licence and thanks god they are. I will admit there must be a coherent effort from someone to draw a distinction between responsible and irresponsible anglers before people like Gary will even be willing to listen which is a shame.
Why has it taken anglers and the media to sort this out? Where are our national angling organisations?
i agree gary archer doesn’t know any facts about fishing,the amount of money fishermen pay in licenses fees to look after the enviroment and to clear up fish desease’s is worth every penny yet what does gary archer pay? nothin i bet, why aint other people who use the rivers pay like we do god only knows what would happen if we stopped paying our lincence fees then when the swans dye from pollution is anyone going to moan then i dont think so so all you one fishermen get your facts right before you start preaching rubbish