The Predation Action Group got together for their meeting, to discuss the very current issue of Predation of fisheries in the UK. The meeting was held on the 4th of September in Northampton. The PAG members had this to say about the meeting.

It was revealed at the meeting that there may be some fencing money available from sources other than the wholly inadequate EA fund. We are looking into this option and will publish details of any additional sources, both via a further press release and on our website. The approaching winter promises to be our worst yet, predation-wise, and there is a growing urgency for the physical and legal protection of our waters. The Predation Action Group was born 5 years ago to research and, if possible, combat the growing predation threat, and the latest moves are simply the culmination of 5 years of voluntary effort by the board. Please do what you can to support those efforts.Because all our work is voluntary, it is not practicable for us to enlist a membership as such, hence the need for supporters. Send us a minimum donation of £5 and you will receive a wristband (some of you already have them), with our thanks, and your name will be entered on the roll of honour. We do receive some support from the trade, but we need more, and anyone supporting our efforts will receive public recognition for their donation. We are currently investigating the setting up of a PayPal account to make donating easier, and full details of this facility will appear in a further press release and on our website: www.thepredationactiongroup.co.uk Cash donations should be sent to treasurer Pip Dean, PAG, Regent House, 101 Broadfield Road, Sheffield S8 0XH.The second main point to be agreed was that we need on-the-bank supporters, and philanthropic members of the trade, to help us fund this exercise. We feel there is a growing on-the-bank groundswell of support, but we do need the trade to take our efforts seriously and give us what support they can. It is not alarmist to suggest that the current status quo and future growth of angling are threatened by the largely unchecked impact of predation.At the PAG a number of areas were discussed, and two main items were agreed. The need to obtain counsel’s opinion on a number of predation-related legal issues had been under serious consideration for some time, and it was the unanimous decision of the meeting that board member and qualified lawyer Rob Hughes should guide us down the legal route. A sum of £10,000 of PAG funds was budgeted for this exercise. We cannot publicly discuss which areas of the law we feel need to be clarified, and possibly tested, with regard to predation, but the fact that our only current solution to the otter problem is to fence the minority of waters which can be fenced is far from satisfactory. We cannot stress too strongly that the possible legal challenges we envisage will be the most important step forward towards the containment of predation which the PAG, or any other angling body, could possibly make at this time.
The Predation Action Group got together for their meeting, to discuss the very current issue of Predation of fisheries in the UK. The meeting was held on the 4th of Spetember in Northampton. The PAG members had this top say about the meeting.

The accompanying picture was taken by chairman Tim Paisley, and features (left to right): Joss Faulkner, Mike Heylin OBE, Bev Clifford, Chris Burt, Tony Gibson, Mark Holmes, Ron Key and Rob Hughes. Treasurer Philippa Dean and John Slader couldn’t be present.