Rising costs may lead to angling group's demise
In a bid to meet the cost of complying with health and safety rules as well as rising prices of
third party and
public liability insurance, East Anglia’s most successful freshwater angling association has been stretched to breaking point.
Hoping to come to a conclusion on whether it would weather the storm or not, a meeting of 22 committee members and club representatives has been slated for this week.
But the acting secretary, Dave Gladwell said he was not very optimistic the outcome would help in resolving the association’s troubles.
The Suffolk County, he added, was facing a critical climax and unable to avoid resolving certain issues by adopting the most drastic measures.
He added that given the importance of health and safety precautions in a place of public access, whose cost they may not be able to meet, the end may be in sight for the association.
He, nonetheless, admitted they had done their best.
Currently, they have only two volunteers – senior citizens – for the increasingly risky job of confronting fish poachers in the River Waveney Valley, where even Environment Agency law enforcement officers are required to wear protective clothing against knife attacks.
Updated on 14/01/2009