500,000 lost sea anglers in Portugal
A few months ago I reported on the possibility of Defra/Environment Agency introducing a licence for sea anglers. The ramification of introducing a licence is well known. Although it has not been decided if one will be implemented. Once a charge or Government tax is introduced it will be difficult to remove.
Perhaps they may consider what has happened in Portugal.
The Portuguese Government has recently announced that as many as half a million sea anglers have stopped going sea fishing. The data just released shows sales of licences from January 2007 to November 2007 a total of 179,000 licences. Out of a total of 188,845 licences sold 11,731 area three year licence and 131,007 are an annual license and 46,107 a monthly licence. A survey carried out by the Tackle Trade World in 2006 had estimated that around 70 per cent of theses anglers were sea anglers amounting to 700,000 sea anglers.
The latest data available show the Portuguese market has lost a minimum of 500,000 sea anglers. The big question is, are there anglers fishing without a licence or have they decided to cease fishing altogether ? . The possibility of losing half a million sea anglers means the Portuguese Government have not only lost any revenue through the sales of licences but also the VAT element. The knock on effect includes loss of earning to the tackle trade, hotels restaurants and tourism. The British Government must seriously consider what has happened to a EU partner who decided to introduce a sea licence. Although the British argument for a licence and particularly as Defra are reducing funding the EA needs to be carefully considered, otherwise sea anglers may walk with their feet and not bother to buy a licence or worse.