The canoe lobby is back on the open access agenda once more. All so reasonable, all so caring for our waterways always pleading for fairness. really pulls at your heart strings doesn't it.
They are lobbying Parliament with a big video campaign that's sure to get on board those with no knowledge of the real problems.
See below and despair;
: https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2018/british-canoeing-launches-access-and-environment-charter
There is also a bbc broadcast here. 19 minutes into the programme though quite a lot that was said was left out!!
There is however this response from the Angling Trust;
MARK LLOYD
I have done interviews on Radio 4 and for the
Telegraph tomorrow, we have briefed supportive MPs, I have met with the Welsh
Environment Minister and we are issuing the attached press release later today
(which we have had on the blocks for weeks in readiness).
I’ve BCC’d the distribution list to keep email
traffic.
All best wishes,
Mark
PS Anyone not a member of the Angling Trust &
Fish Legal on this list is welcome here: 2
Canoeing governing
body branded irresponsible for encouraging its members to trespass
The National Governing Body for paddlesports, British
Canoeing, has issued a Charter for Access that encourages its members to
trespass which may damage the interests of other legitimate users of
watercourses. These include thousands of angling clubs in communities
throughout England and Wales.
The document repeats fundamentally flawed suggestions by
British Canoeing in recent years that there might be a historic right to access
all rivers in England and Wales and that the law regarding access there is
unclear. It also contains a guide to
members who are trespassing about how to evade identification and civil and
criminal legal action.
In July 2018, British Canoeing refused an offer from the
Angling Trust to participate in a joint initiative to promote legitimate access
agreements to anglers and canoeists, because they involved reasonable
restrictions on access to avoid significant damage to freshwater habitat and
legitimate fishing rights.
The charter calls for ‘fair, shared, sustainable open access’. British Canoeing interpret this to mean that
paddlers should be allowed to access all rivers at any time free of charge,
which is in stark contrast to anglers’ access which is restricted by close
seasons, bylaws, rod licences and the requirement to pay the owner of fishing
rights. On many rivers the presence of
canoes during the fishing season would make angling impossible and be
potentially dangerous to anglers and paddlers alike.
The Angling Trust has written to the new Sports Minister and
to Sport England complaining about British Canoeing’s irresponsible and
dangerous support of unlawful behaviour and its refusal to sign up to voluntary
access agreements, which the government promotes as the best way to increase
access to rivers by paddlers and which the Angling Trust has supported for many
years. Indeed, British Canoeing has withdrawn (and/or encouraged paddling clubs
to withdraw) from numerous agreements that for many years provided access to
long sections of many rivers at times and water heights that did not conflict
with other users.
A spokesman for the Angling Trust said: “Numerous legal
professionals have confirmed unequivocally that the law is completely clear
[see note 1]. Despite frequent requests,
British Canoeing has not published any legal authority to the contrary. It is
unacceptable for a national governing body to promote unlawful activity which increases
the risks of conflict and damage to property rights. The canoeing governing
body’s policy in recent years has perversely led to less legitimate access to
rivers for law-abiding canoeists. On many rivers, fishery and riparian owners
are willing to grant new access by local arrangement or extend long-standing
arrangements. However, paddlers often refuse to discuss this because British
Canoeing tells them to insist on unlimited access, which is unsustainable,
unfair and damaging to the interests of other water users.”
Notes to Editors
1. David Hart QC Advices here: QC's legal advice proves there is no
general public right to navigate non-tidal rivers in England and Wales
Summarised as follows:
- There is no general Public Right of
Navigation (PRN) on English and Welsh non-tidal rivers for canoeists.
- A PRN can only be established by long
use of vessels on the relevant stretch of river, fulfilling all of the
criteria below [these are set out more fully in David Hart QC’s ‘full’
Advice of September 2015].
- That use must have been regular and
habitual, and must have made the river of substantial practical value as a
channel of communication or transport.
- The time for which that use must be
established is ‘time immemorial.’
- The law is entirely clear on the
above issues.
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