Simple Match Fishing Forum

Report Includes Anti Angler: Call For Action


BBC Midlands Today broadcast a news item about swans being poisoned by lead on the River Severn today, which included an interview with Jan Harrigan, who is a well-known campaigner against angling. The piece included reference to lead poisoning from split shot.

The Angling Trust found out about this story third hand at 10pm last night and we immediately sent a statement to the programme informing them that there is no evidence linking alleged lead poisoning of swans with lead shot, which was banned more than 20 years ago. A far more likely culprit is the lead flashing on the bridges on the Severn which has been found in large quantities on the riverbed in this area. The BBC had arranged to speak to a local angler, but he wisely withdrew from the interview this morning. The Angling Trust statement was only partially referred to on the programme.

We have spoken to the programme producers today to express our dismay at the misrepresentation of angling. They have agreed to edit the evening programme to ensure that our statement is included along with a statement from the Environment Agency confirming our position. We offered a spokesman this afternoon, but no BBC cameramen were available to interview us.

The implications of this broadcast are potentially very serious for angling and it is very frustrating that this story has been shown, given that there is no scientific data to back up the claims being made by the anti-angling campaigners. The Angling Trust has made great progress in the past year working closely with the National Swan Convention and the RSPCA to tackle issues of angling litter (line and hooks) affecting swans.

Anyone who wishes to contact the programme to let them know that anglers are not the cause of this alleged problem, and that we are in fact responsible for reporting the vast majority of pollution incidents and carrying out hundreds of thousands of volunteer-hours of environmental improvement work each year, should e-mail midlandstoday@bbc.co.uk

Issues such as this demonstrate the importance of having a strong voice for angling. Please spread the word.

CONTACT:
Midlands Today
midlandstoday@bbc.co.uk
Angling Trust
admin@anglingtrust.net

Posts: 3021
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 07:53
Reputation point: 2

I actually saw that BBC report on Midlands News.

Apparently it was 'different' in the evening.

I sent an E Mail to Midlands News and just got the usual standard reply. It follows - - - - -

Dear Sirs,

May I express my total disgust at a BBC broadcast news item that was on my television at lunch time re reference of swans being poisoned by anglers split shot. For your information, the offending split shot sizes have been banned from sale to anglers, in England, since 1986. Your article included a piece by a Jan Harrington who is a well known campaigner against angling. Were these facts mentioned?

The story was that one-sided I feel I must ask the BBC if they are against angling too?

This is a monstrous setback for angling, not only in the Midlands but in all England.

I would also like to add that Northern Ireland has never barred split shot and to my knowledge, as a regular visitor, the problem just doesn't exist there.

Why don't you research these claims before giving a one-sided view as this news item was. I work in journalism and would expect the bullet if I churned out work like that.



With regards

Tony Keeling

This was the reply from BBC

Thank you for your email to BBC Midlands Today. We do appreciate you taking the time to contact us but regret that we cannot answer all emails personally.

However, your email will be read by one of our team who will contact you if they need further information.

Once again, thank you for getting in touch and for your interest in the programme.

Midlands Today
BBC ONE - 52 times a week, 52 weeks a year

Sounds like an automated response from the BBC.
Might pay to write to points a view at least it might get read out and voiced on air then.

If we all started flooding the BBC with emails they just might sit up and listen

Might sound defeatest Jason, but you bet? Pound to a penny they'd be conveniently ignored........remember when AT ran that campaign to get Nuddy voted as sports personality of the year - how many votes? And for just the briefest of mentions for a world champion when we were hardly setting the world on fire in other sports at that time :(

basically any political party that even thought about banning angling would soon change it mind if the weeklies ran a campaign against voting for them there are 3 million anglers in this country plus revenue it generates there would not be one angler who'd vote for them and no political party wants to lose three million votes plus partners and families votes so theres potential for ten million lost votes