Lower Ouse & Fenland Fisheries Consultative Association:
Meeting Held Monday 1st July 2019 Heron House Ely at 7.15pm.
Established 2004 Angling Trust Membership Number: 631
1.1, The meeting was informed of the evacuation procedure by Chris Middleton (EA).
1.2, Apologies of absence:
Neil Everad (SWAC), Mark Leach (USSC).
Those attending:
Richard Hiom (Chairman), Colin Dodd (Treasurer), Chris Middleton (EA), Al Thompson EA Enforcement), Kelvin Allen (Angling Trust Forum Chair), Andrew Stockton (MAC), Terry Easy (CAAS), Graham Carter (SWAC), Alan Leonard, Norman Knightley (Histon AC), Alan Nelson (WAC), Richard West (LAPS), Tony Brooks (EBAC), John Pope (CFPAS), Peter Mottram (SWAC).
2, Minutes of previous meeting and Action points:
Minutes agreed and no changes needed.
3, Matters Arising:
Richard talked about the Black Cat roundabout / road upgrade how it was hoped it would help with traffic in the future.
4, Data Protection:
Richard has worked on this not only for LOFFCA but his lodge and has it sorted for the group. Richard would bring a Privacy Note hopefully to the next meeting which all members will need to read and sign and returned which will be kept on record. We can hold a circulation list but it must be protected from others, a compliant system. Part of this would cover the fact that the circulation list is not to be copied or forwarded to anybody outside the group membership.
5, AT East Anglian Forum – Kelvin Allen:
The new National Angling Strategy 2019 / 2024 has been released by the Environment Agency with input from many different organisations and the Angling Trust – There are 6 Objectives and one can see it by going on the following website https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/original/40363-angling-for-good-national-angling-strategy-2019.pdf
RSPCA – New Policy’s looking at banning Angling and Horse Racing.
12th June Forum Norwich – 55 people attended which was very good.
Hoverton Great Broad – Bio Manipulation where the water has no fish and is managed with chemicals. Currently after radio transmitters were attached to the fish mainly Bream showed that the fish when breeding move a long way 15 km to this area so would be devastating to the fish population. The Angling Trust through Fish Legal will be looking at this to see what can be done to stop it.
River Nene – Cormorant watch from Peterborough to Wellingborough, Ferry Meadows is in crisis over cormorants and something needs to be done – By doing this watch we can challenge the numbers which Natural England report, they are also not issuing shooting licence’s.
Date: Eastern Regional Shield Middle Level Drain 8th September 2019.
6, Chris Middleton EA Fisheries Officer.
18 x River Surveys to be carried out, Upper Cam has finished being surveyed.
Been carrying out some Gravel Jetting on the River Ouse to create spawning areas, as the work was carried out the fish were coming on to the areas completed – this equipment can also be loaned from the EA by clubs.
50,000 baby Barbel have been put into the river, some 10.000 in the River Ivel these fish are breed at Calverton Fish Farm.
Two cat fish were removed from one lake and transferred to an another fully enclosed lake that has a licence to keep cat fish.
The EA Team have been involved with helping out CFPAS LTD and Cambourne fishing clubs at their fishing events they are all about getting more people into fishing.
Over the weekend of joint operation with Police and Voluntary Bailiff’s 13 tickets have been issued for various offences such as no rod licence. Please contact the Enforcement Team if you would like them to go on patrol with your club bailiff’s.
Please advise any of your bailiff’s ect to always report offences if you think they are happening as if not reported then they don’t know about it.
The Enforcement Team were successful in bidding to DEFRA for night sight cameras, cameras.
7, Water Resources Committee.
There is already a shortage of water around the Ouse Washes.
There is a lot of Floating Penny Wort on the River Cam at Bottisham.
8, Local Issues.
None reported.
9, Any Other Business.
9.1, The business cards and leaflets are being dealt with by Richard and John.
9.2, Richard, Kelvin – Essex and Suffolk Patch covered and working well.
Richard has a new email address as secretary.loffca@gmail.com
Payments as agreed at AGM of £10.00 per organisation if they could be paid asap and Colin will update the list of which clubs have paid.
10, Next Meeting Monday 7th October 2019 – 7pm for a 7.15pm start.
John Pope