27 Feb 08 - SSACN held a lunchtime Event in Holyrood hosted by John Scott, MSP for Ayr and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment

This was the first time Scottish Sea Angling had been discussed in any Parliament since it came to the fore as an as a organised sport in the early 60’s.

The basis of the Event was to demonstrate how sea angling provides a ‘Lifeline’ to the economies of many coastal communities and to have a panel session where members of SSACN and a broad range of angling groups and interested parties would get the opportunity to question MSPs from all the main political parties.

Click here to access the detail.

This was followed in the evening by a debate on a Members Motion (below) regarding sea angling which he had lodged by him and which had received terrific cross party support from :

John Lamont, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Kidd, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Mike Pringle, Mike Rumbles, Bill Aitken, Cathy Jamieson, Margaret Mitchell, Rob Gibson, Mary Scanlon, Jim Hume, Alex Neil, Gil Paterson, Elizabeth Smith, Patrick Harvie, Bob Doris, Robin Harper, Jamie Hepburn, Nanette Milne, Stuart McMillan, Dr Bill Wilson, Ted Brocklebank, Ms Wendy Alexander, Nigel Don, Dave Thompson, Hugh Henry, Ross Finnie, Hugh O’Donnell, Paul Martin, Dr Elaine Murray, Robert Brown, Peter Peacock, Sarah Boyack, Aileen Campbell, Jackson Carlaw

The Motion (S3M-1096) which was debated -

That the Parliament notes the economic and social importance of recreational sea angling to communities along the west coast and across Scotland; further notes that around 225,000 people participate in the sport annually with an average spend of £1,375 for boat anglers and £861 for shore anglers; recognises that most species of interest to sea anglers have limited commercial value and are returned alive to the sea, representing an excellent financial return for “Scotland plc”; affirms the extremely low environmental cost of recreational sea angling which is at the forefront of sustainable fishing and especially welcomes the Give Fish a Chance initiative from the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network, encouraging anglers to keep only those fish which have reached breeding size; regrets the substantial decline of the sport and supporting industries, notably on the Firth of Clyde, due to a loss of stocks with a number of species becoming extinct locally or reduced to the point where only juvenile specimens are now being caught; notes with concern the critically endangered status of key species, such as common skate, porbeagle and spurdog, which bring sea anglers to Scotland, and considers that work between the Scottish Government, sea angling bodies and other relevant agencies should continue to ensure the conservation of key species and the continued growth of sea angling in Scotland.