Coarse fishing river close season – Public consultation

This entry was posted on 12th February, 2019

As all coarse anglers, and most involved in other disciplines will be aware, the UK river close season currently runs from 15th March – 15th June inclusive, with coarse fishing on rivers prohibited during this time. Most canals and stillwaters will still be open for recreational angling during the river close. Between January 14th 2019 and March 11th 2019, the UK government are opening a public consultation, which can be completed online, on whether the current river close season is still needed, and still ensures the protection of species and habitats to the standard required for sustainable angling. While anglers are often the first to spot problems with fish and rivers, the arguments for removing the close season include the point that more anglers able to be out more often would result in quicker action when waters and fish were impacted by pollution or predation, as well as creating a force against illegal angling, which is a problem for many venues.



What Are The Options?

The options that are being considered by the Environment Agency, on behalf of the UK government, are:

. Keep the existing close season, running from 15th March to 15th June.

. Adjust the dates of the close season. This proposal would see the season start later, on 15th April, and end later, on 30th June.

. Remove the close season altogether.

Any changes to the current close season, including doing away with the concept entirely, would involve a formal Habitats Regulation Assessment, which would focus particularly on salmon, lamprey, and shad.

What’s The Point Of A Close Season?

While the main focal point of the river close season is to protect coarse species during their more vulnerable spawning periods, the river close also gives bankside vegetation a chance to grow more vigorously, which, in turn, allows insects, birds, and other wildlife to thrive, creating the beautiful, vibrant settings that anglers often appreciate as much as the fishing itself. In rural areas, especially, the health and diversity of the countryside is often essential for the economic survival of entire communities.

Spawning fish can be more stressed than usual, and the close season recognises this, removing the risk of additional pressure to give the fish the best chance to come through the turmoil of spawning unscathed, and ensure that there are always plenty of healthy, good-sized fish in the UK’s rivers – which is, after all, the reason we head out in all weathers!



Why Is A Change Being Discussed?

Anglers have been discussing the purpose, practicality, and necessity of the river close season among ourselves for years, and, in 2018, the Environment Agency responded, with a preliminary survey of 20,000 coarse fishing rod licence holders from across the UK.

43% of anglers surveyed then wanted to keep the current close season, with the dates not changing, while 33% were in favour of scrapping the close season. 17% of anglers supported having a close season with revised dates, while the remainder (7%) were undecided.

There are undoubtedly many reasons behind the decision, on the part of the EA, to give serious consideration to the validity and functionality of the current coarse fishing close season. Climate change is obviously a core focal point, in particular how it has changed bankside flora and fauna, and the habits and hardiness of coarse fish species. If changing environmental factors mean that the close season as it currently stands isn’t offering fish, rivers, and the surrounding nature and wildlife relevant protections, then keeping it for the sake of “being seen to be concerned” is clearly foolish.

Alongside changing environmental circumstances, another angle on the close season debate, that has been gaining increasing attention, is the tourism revenue that angling brings to the UK, and the necessary rise in prominence of tourism, and the associated leisure retail sector, once the UK withdraws from the European Union, which will renew the national focus on providing sustainable, year round revenue that will support both urban and rural parts of the UK. The main argument for doing away with a close season entirely is that, even under a revised close season, with a later start and finish, the start of the UK summer season, where the weather is attractive both to UK residents looking to enjoy a ‘staycation’, and tourists coming from overseas, will involve people on holiday being unable to fish the rivers. In rural areas, many tourists will come specifically for river fishing, whether from overseas, or from urban areas with limited opportunities to enjoy the kind of fishing those anglers want. As it seems likely that changes following the finalisation of the process of the UK leaving the EU will result in higher rates of domestic tourism – “staycationers” – and, therefore, in outdoor activities such as angling. Any rise in participation in sports such as angling is obviously going to benefit the retailers serving those sports. With the retail sector as a whole employing close to 3million people in the UK, anything that boosts that sector is clearly going to be welcome, and necessary.



What Impact Would A Later Close Season Have?

With the two options other than keeping the current close season as it is, running from 15th March – 15th June, being to abandon it altogether, or to start and end it later, running from the 15th April-30th June, it’s worth looking at what the options would mean for the fish species that are at the heart of our sport.

A later close season would allow the majority of carp species, which tend to be late spawners, as well as those fish species which spawn more than once during a season, to enjoy greater protection than the current close season affords them. It is anticipated that the proposed later start, in the middle of April, would only impact three early-spawning coarse species; common dace, grayling, and Northern pike.

Of these species, grayling and dace are typically of less interest to the majority of anglers than other coarse species, being somewhat smaller and a little uninteresting to look at, in the view of many anglers; they are therefore less subject to pressure in any case, and therefore would not be put at undue risk by changes to the close season dates, should that be the way things move forward.

With the UK pike season predominantly being a winter pursuit, the Northern pike are unlikely to be affected by a later close season, and most pike anglers are knowledgeable enough to spot the signs of spawning fish, and leave them to get on with producing the next generation of river monsters.

Extending the river season into April would bring an added winter and early spring draw to the UK’s tourism offering, which, for a sustainable, vibrant, year-round economy that provides for everyone in the country, is an important consideration. With many plant species beginning to flower from mid February, however, an extended river season, with a later close

in mid April, may have an adverse effect on the environment surrounding the river, as well as the life within it.



Why Would The EA Consider Abandoning The Close Season?

With most stillwaters and canals not observing a close season (although some stillwater venues do rest their waters alongside the river close), and no coarse fishing close season in Scotland, there are precedents for angling remaining sustainable and responsible even without the enforced rest period.

As changes both on an environmental and economic level begin to make their presence felt on the UK socio-political scene, the need for the UK to attract as much tourism revenue, for as much of the year as possible, is going to gain increasing prominence, not just for the government, but in the minds of everyone who lives in the UK.

If the loss of a close season, and the potential increase in revenue from angling tourism and retail, can be accomplished without damaging the wider countryside - which itself is an important aspect of British tourism, as well as employing over 2million people, and being home to an ever-increasing population, as people retire, and look for a more leisurely lifestyle, and with remote working allowing more of the working age population to enjoy relaxed, rural living then a change to the status quo may well be something to give serious consideration to.

Give Your View

The UK Government consultation is not a referendum, but aims to gather a genuine consensus of opinion, in order to see if there is a mandate for change. To take part, simply head to https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coarse-fishing-river-close-season-public-consultation to give your view on the future of the English coarse fishing close season