Petition against the ban the proposed ban on spearfishing.

[podge]

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Spearfishing/



European Union Consultation – Including ban on use of projectiles
The link above will take you to a petition against this nonsense.
Not sure if anybody has posted a link to this but I think that anything we can do to help we should.



thanks for the mail Flyflicker and i'm all done and signed up.

[baldyfish]

any petition for us paddies? cant sign as i have no post code.

[ickledevil]

Hi all,
Its with dismay that I sign the petition, yet another ecological way of life under threat from Europe. I have also emailled Defra direct.. they are using this email address to accept views on the proposals:

tech.conservation@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Joe

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by baldyfish

any petition for us paddies? cant sign as i have no post code.

I believe some "paddies" qualify - Terry Wogan got a proper knighthood! Try the expatriate option on the right hand side under the address boxes.

[scottie3030]

done, they'll never take me alive

[Mr. X]

The wording on the petition could have been clearer. The small snippet shown at the top reads:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Advise the EU NOT to change the "Technical Conservation Regulations" and ban spear fishing.

Which could be read as "don't change the proposal, ban spear fishing".

Fish hooks, weights and lures are also projectiles when cast. The law will apply to "any kind of projectile".

[Mr. X]

Discussion thread on the proposal: http://forums.deeperblue.net/regulat...ojectiles.html

[stone_shot]

Anybody have any updates on this?

[Mr. X]

SurfnSpear posted a reply from Peter Skinner MEP on the above thread indicating that:

The Visser report is currently due to be voted on at the committee on 2 December 2008, and it will then be considered by the whole Parliament in January 2009. My colleague Catherine Stihler MEP will question the Commission directly in committee on the thinking behind the ban on recreational spearfishing."

http://forums.deeperblue.com/732828-post231.html

Although numerous earlier replies from MEPs & MPs, referencing EU Commissioner Borg, clearly indicate that the impact on spear fishing was not intended.

They could fix this in any of several ways (e.g. by specifically excluding spear fishing and rod angling from the restrictions, as they already do for scientific research, by changing or removing references to projectiles or by defining projectile very carefully) - the only (slight) indication we've seen posted so far mentioned by MEPs is the latter approach, defining projectile, presumably to exclude spears, lures, flys, weights, etc. from the restrictions. Personally, I think making spear fishing and rod fishing specific exclusions from the restrictions, like scientific research, would be simpler, clear and less error prone. Although it would go against a principle I heard put forward by some senior Tories on some other matter last year (bad legislation I think), which appealed to me, something along the lines that: in the UK you should be free to do whatever you want except with some very specific exceptions.

[rascolor]

hi all latest spearfishing - epetition response to view

Number10.gov.uk Spearfishing - epetition response

[Lazuli]

"[...] Negotiations on the Commission’s proposals are on-going. The French Presidency has set itself the ambitious target of agreeing the Council framework regulation before the end of the year, so that it can apply from the start of 2009. However, given the complexity of the necessary discussions, we anticipate the negotiations will continue into next year.

Is there any word on the grapevine as to the current state of these "negotiations". I have read the response but it seems ripe for a U-turn and things seem eerily quiet on this debate.

Laz

[KWM]

Hello i lifted this from the BSA site.

kev

Defra have said that in principal it supports the Commission proposals but say that some aspects go too far but has told the Commission that they are not convinced by the conservation value of a ban on spearfishing.

Full minutes follow link

DEFRA RSA Sub-Group Minutes - November

[Lazuli]

Cheers for the link

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by KWM

...
Defra have said that in principal it supports the Commission proposals but say that some aspects go too far but has told the Commission that they are not convinced by the conservation value of a ban on spearfishing.

That's rich, as the EU Commissioner Borg has already made it clear that they had no intention to ban spearfishing, it was an accident.

[KWM]

X, thought the same thing myself, a climb down by the back door, trying to make themselves look like the saviour of spearfishing in this country.

Intresting that when i spoke to both DEFRA and MFA they just said 'if this is past spearfishing will be banned.' Nothing at all at the time about doubting the potential of a ban as a conservation method.

kev