The commercial lobbyists are a strong united powerful and cohesive force that constantly tease at the commercial restrictions pertaining to Bass fishing. This is done not only in Ireland or the UK but at European level at EVERY opportunity that is presented to them. This type of message rings out at this time every year but only since the change in the necessity to ‘re-invoke’ the commercial ban every year has it taken on a new note or variation. It may keep us on our toes for a while but soon disappears over the horizon – most of us forget about it, while this group never takes its eye off the ball and invents and re-invents new strategies to appeal to politicians. They get closer and closer.
Having attempted to make a living from Bass guiding in this country for the past seven years, approaching the month of may was always a nervous time as the bye laws needed to be re-considered by the relevant minister, I mean how could you forward plan your business if your resource could be destroyed in a very short space of time? A double whammy a national resource that you hope are carefully exploiting by been sustainable coupled to something that you loved doing could be destroyed in a flash. And not only for you but for thousands of others too.
June was always met with a sigh of relief. So its no different this year – the rumours will start and hopefully go away as nothing but rumours, the illegal fishing will continue, and as I have worked very hard this year to sell an angling experience to people from Denmark, Italy, France, Ireland, America, Holland, England and Spain - whom will leave thousands of euros in the local Wexford economy, come the year end I will submit my numbers as I have always done in the hope that this information is in some way a preparation for some war chest to counter the lobbyists. Because I’m afraid some day it may well happen – how well prepared in hard facts and figures will anglers and other organisations like the IFSA, Bord Failte, the CFB be on that day, how strongly united, cohesively proactive and energised will they be, to stand up and protect what is a national resource and not just the imagined property of a reckless few who are quite prepared to destroy it?
Doing it on that day will be too late!
