Win fishing tackle by reporting autumn’s sea angling activity
Reference: SA01/13
07 February 2013
Sea Angling 2012 - the UK's largest scientific survey
of the sport - launched its fourth online survey in January,
focusing on sea angling activity from October to December 2012.
The aim of the survey is to find out what anglers caught last
autumn and their views on the state of fish stocks around the
English coastline.
All sea anglers - beginners and experts alike - are urged to
take part. Participants are automatically entered into a prize draw
for fishing products provided by Daiwa,
Shimano, Go Outdoors
and Pure Fishing. Seventeen
anglers have already won rods and reels after completing previous
project surveys.
Sea Angling 2012's online surveys supplement direct
interviews with thousands of anglers, carried out all round England
during 2012 by the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities
as part of this project.
In addition a separate online survey - developed by the social
research co-operative Substance and available at www.seaangling.substance.coop/
- asks sea anglers about how much they spend on their sport and
what other social benefits it brings to them. Substance collected
additional economic data through direct interviews at selected
localities in 2012, and is continuing to carry out a survey of sea
angling charter boats in 2013.
Kieran Hyder, the Cefas scientist helping to run Sea Angling
2012, said: "This project is raising interest and awareness of
the importance of sea angling as an industry in the UK. It provides
a direct link between sea anglers and policy-makers, whilst
generating important new information on sea angling activity and
the fish stocks of importance to sea anglers.
"With responses from over 4,000 people currently being analysed
from surveys so far in 2012, the results look promising and we hope
that participation grows for the new online survey."
Sea Angling 2012 provides sea anglers with
opportunities to help collect more evidence about fish stocks to
improve scientific understanding, and helps angling bodies and the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop
policies for sustainable fishing that reflect the needs of sea
anglers, the businesses they support and commercial fishermen.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Sea Angling 2012 is the largest survey of the sport in
the UK and is being run throughout 2012 and 2013 on behalf of the
Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs (Defra). Cefas is collaborating with Substance, which is
conducting the economic and social impact research; the
Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs), which
are interviewing anglers directly; and the Marine Management
Organisation (MMO) which is leading the charter boat surveys
being implemented by Substance. For more about the aims of the
Sea Angling 2012 project, visit: www.seaangling2012.org.uk.
- Sea Angling 2012 covers activities in England,
specifically. Sea anglers from other parts of the UK are welcome to
participate if they have fished in England during
2012. Currently, anglers participating in the online catch survey
are being invited to record their sport activities and catches
during October, November and
December 2012 only at www.seaangling2012.org.uk.
Surveys for January-March, April-June and July-September 2012 have
already been conducted.
- All sea anglers who participate in the survey have the chance
to win a share of rods, reels and tackle vouchers in quarterly
prize draws. For details of the prizes and how to win them, see www.seaangling2012.org.uk.
- Cefas is the UK's most diverse applied marine science
organisation, which operates as an executive agency of Defra. It
provides evidence-based scientific advice, manages related data and
information and conducts world-class scientific research. It is
also engaged in a range of commercial activities in the renewable
energy, infrastructure and other marine sectors. For more detail
about its range of activities visit www.cefas.defra.gov.uk.
- Substance is a social research co-operative based in Manchester
(www.substance.coop). It
undertakes a wide range of research work on angling - including the
Social and Community Benefits of Angling research for the Big
Lottery Fund, which delivered the "Fishing for Answers" report in
January 2012 (www.resources.anglingresearch.org.uk);
and the National Angling Survey for the Angling Trust and
Environment Agency.
- The MMO is an executive non-departmental public body
established in April 2010 and given powers under the Marine and
Coastal Access Act 2009. Its mission is to enable the sustainable
development of English seas. More information is available on their
website www.marinemanagement.org.uk/.
- The IFCAs manage districts of the English coast (to six
nautical miles) and the sea fishery resources falling within them.
Funded through local authorities and reporting to Defra, IFCAs
replaced Sea Fisheries Committees in April 2011 with an expanded
remit to "lead, champion and manage a sustainable marine
environment and inshore fisheries, by successfully securing the
right balance between social, environmental and economic benefits
to ensure healthy seas, sustainable fisheries and a viable
industry". Their duties and powers are set out in the Marine
Coastal Access Act 2009.
Press contacts
- Kieran Hyder - Tel: +44(0)1502 524501
- Mike Armstrong - Tel: +44(0)1502 524368