Broads Angling Services Group CIC – (BASG)

Minutes of a Meeting

Held At The Oaklands Hotel  Norwich

On 27^th April  2022 from7pm

Attending:                                         Apologies                           Apologies

Kelvin Allen                                       Martin Page                      Andy Hindes

Duncan Holmes                               Nick Cheeseman               Tim Colman

Martin Burgess                                Richard Ayers

Tim Ellis                                             Chris Ovel

Kevin Powell                                     Steve Lane (2)

Tony Gibbons                                   Mike Brown

Steve Lane                                        Peter Howarth

David Todd                                       Andy Beckett

Phil Grey                                            Roger Gibbons

Graham Gamble                              Simon Slater

Julia Stanfield (EA)                          Chris High

Dennis Willis

It should be noted that 47 people registered as either members or volunteers failed to respond to two invitations to this meeting.

Update from March Meeting

• Strategy 2022
  • Consultation
• Fishing Ban at Hoveton Granary Staithe
  • Issues being caused by excessive bird feeding
  • Ban taken off the agenda
  • Work closer with PC
• HGB Update
  • Awaiting monitoring plan and advisory group meeting scheduled for 28^th
• Postwick Pilot
  • Meeting on 21.04 with EA, agreed to progress Duncan met on site with the EA last week.
• NEIRF
  • Application in Progress Natural Environment Readiness Fund.
  • Engagement with Cator + Co and Resolve
  • Application outcome in June 2022
• Clubmate
  • Now signed up, build process in progress Took delivery of the package on the 26^th April, Allan Kirby has agreed to help configure this for BASG.
• Clean Up
  • Postponed due to lack of litter, will be rescheduled for the autumn.
• Get Fishing
  • AT/AIF Grant now in place to deliver a package events this summer.
• Potter Barrier
  • Designs being put forward and costings by EA.

Meetings taken place recently looking at asset management and ownership

Question of slipper dams from David Todd, this has been raised with the EA recently and they felt that water depth prevented this.

 Membership

Discussion of our structure of members and volunteers. Explanation of the roles of CIC structure, its members and directors. Duncan presented a proposal to restructure our definition of general members and volunteers.

• Directors
  • 5 Positions,
  • Responsible for operation
  • Attendance at AGM, 2 Director, 6 member meetings, 1 working group
  • Also Members with voting rights
• CIC Members
  • 20 CIC Members, (17 currently)
  • Reserve powers (like shareholders)
  • Attendance at AGM, 6 member meetings, 1 working group
  • Voted Membership
  • Volunteer effort 8-10 hours month
• Associate Members
  • Governing Bodies or Trade Representatives
  • No voting rights
  • Can apply for full membership
• Club Representative Members
  • Up to 2 Representatives per club
  • No voting rights
  • May be part of working groups and attend AGM
  • Can apply for full membership
• General Members
  • Discussion
  • Supporters, subscribers, paying members, volunteers
  • Benefits?

Discussion from a base of 620 subscribers, analyse of previous emails distributed from BASG 485 people hadn’t opened these.

Tony Gibbons asked how many Clubs do we hold details on. Tony stated he has details of 17 clubs surrounding the Boards, he explained that he struggles with email responses from these clubs. He felt that BASG fell short on its communications, but this reflects on the responses previously seen by BASG  and the 485/620 stated above. Clearly we need a new approach to this. In hindsight Tony as one of the founding members of BASG, should reflect on his own role promoting BASG to these clubs, rather than relying on action from others.

Phil Grey mentioned that should we offer some form of carrot to membership with some form of discount scheme. Possibly with the BA toll fee.  Kelvin highlighted that he had won a battle back in 2017 on small boat tolls and they were awarded with a 30% reduction in tolls. But again this wasn’t linked to BASG as a benefit.

David Todd felt from a small clubs view, what was in it from them to be part of BASG.

Duncan asked if he and Tony could meet and map out a way forward with the local club contacts. Action DH & TG to arrange a meeting.

Working Group Projects

Planning Review

• Admin Team
  • 1-2 people
  • 8 hours month
• Sustain Director
• Monitor Planning Applications
• Loss of Angling Access
• Nutrient Neutrality
• Represent Angling Views
  • Stock Responses

Broads Venue Survey

• Admin Team
  • 1 -2 persons
• Survey Team
  • 2-6 persons
• Access Group Director
• 10 Hours month
• Survey
  • Standard Form
  • GPS Data.
  • Photos
  • Condition
  • Parking
  • Facilities

Historic and Anecdotal Details

• Venue Algorithm to weight the combined value of each venue.
• Venue Value
• Risk Management

Discussion Steve Lane asked if the proposal could highlight limiting factors restricting angling. This has been part of the design scope.

David Todd if the system could tag venues limited by H&S constraints. It was agreed that this would form part of the working groups remit to move forward.

Action Kelvin to include in scope.

Line Recycling

• Team
  • 3-4 people
  • 8 hours month
• Environment Director
• Love The Broads Grant
• Locations
  • 34 Bins
• Planning and Permission
• Installation
• Arrange ongoing emptying
• Support from Tackle Shops

Responsible Fishing

• Admin Team
  • 2-3 persons
• Education Director
• 8-10 hours Month
• Create Advisory Leaflets
  • New Anglers
  • Pike Fishing
  • Kids
• Requested by Community
  • Harm Mitigation
• Distribute
  • Tackle Shops
  • Hire Boats
  • Tourist Information
  • Holiday Chalets

Discussion David Todd felt that the previous Pike DVD was still very much valid content and potentially could be accessed by using some form of QR code from a leaflet.  Action Duncan to investigate.

Side Scan Survey

• Admin Team
  • 2 persons
• Survey Team
  • 8 persons
• Environment Director
• Create a 3D map of the entire broads
  • Shoal Locations
  • Weed Growth
  • Surprises
• Anglers own the technology
  • Demonstrated value to EA Fisheries Team in
• Increasing Understanding
• Unique project
  • Citizen Science

Discussion, this had overwhelming support within the room and would sit beside the statutory monitoring undertaken by the EA. Julia Stansfield stated that the EA has certain policies to follow on its monitoring programs, but was currently scoping the engagement of additional citizen science and has had additional DEFRA funding realised to support this.

Get Fishing

• Planning Team
  • 4 persons
• Events Team
  • Coaches
  • Helpers
• Education Director
• 3 Events
  • Oulton Broad
  • Potter Heigham
  • Coldham Hall
• Angling Trust / Angling Improvement Fund Grant
  • Branded Gazebo
  • Expenses
  • Marketing
• Support from Tackle Shops
• Post Event Pathway
  • National Weakness
  • Nene Valley
  • Local Clubs
• Spin Off Events for Future
  • Angling Direct
  • Tourist Events
  • Revenue for Coaches

Discussion on the engagement with the AT on this back in February.  Kelvin has secured some excellent outcome with this in the Nene Valley over recent years as part of the Nenescape project funded by the National Lottery and as an outcome securing a nature pathway for junior anglers.

Social Media

• Admin Team
  • 1-3 persons
• Sustain Director
• 8-10 hours Month
• Monitor Social Media and Forums
  • Angling Issues – Neatishead
  • Angling Opportunities
  • Reporting and Observing
  • NOT debating
• Posting and Sharing Content
  • Pre made content
  • Schedule in advance
• Increase BASG profile

Discussion on the way this works in the real modern world and the skills needed to address this.

Anglers Image

• Admin Team
  • 2-3 persons
• Sustain Director
• 8-10 hours Month
• Angling Public Image
  • Councils
  • Stakeholders
  • Wildlife Groups
  • Anti Social Behaviour
• Non Anglers don’t see the difference
• Identify Action and Events
  • Planning group
  • Delivery to follow
• Clean Ups
• Social Events
• Attendance at “Shows”
• Integration with Community
• News Stories

Discussion, Tony felt that the general direction was part of the wider outcome from the lack of enforcement and general free fishing in the Broads. This again enforces the need for change the way the Broads fishery is managed, be it via some form of permit scheme to pay for it’s own enforcement.

Killer Shrimp

• Norfolk Wildlife Trust Project
  • Request for Angler Representative
• Eilish Rothney
  • EA Scientists
• Checking
• Full Training
• Looking to reduce population size
• Aggressive to fish eggs and fry
• Great Opportunity to strengthen Angler Relations

Discussion David Todd informed the meeting that 3 members from NDPC has offered support already in this scheme.

River Fly

• Riverfly Partnership Project
  • BASG members and volunteers
• Join Existing Team Volunteers
  • Jeremy Hadaway, Dennis Willis, Tim Ellis
  • Colin Howlett, Chris High, Graham Gamble, David Harper
• 4 New monitoring Sites
• Health of Nations Rivers
• Important Part of Wensum Management

This completes the current list of volunteer activities, put forward by the Directors to the members and volunteers to move BASG forward as agreed in the last two meetings.

We have reached a point at which we look to our members to support us moving this forward. Without this engagement, it’s difficult to see how we address BASG going forward, without some form of further root and branch review of it’s members and volunteers.

We also have the vacancies for 3 additional CIC members.

All the above roles and vacancies are published and available to apply online via https://basg.online/about-us/our-vacancies/

Action on all members and volunteers to consider what they can offer the organisation and what it means to be a member or volunteer.

Meeting Format going forward and review.

We have committed to now hold monthly meetings from now on, split between Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the Oaklands and how we structure this.

Julia felt the meeting was very interesting and welcomed the invitation so that the EA could be represented.  Tony asked if the Agency were in a position to take match bookings for the Thurne area.

Phil raised the point that virtual meetings have a role to play in working meetings.

Allan asked if notes and actions are recorded from these meetings.

Allan asked if all volunteers were aware of the proposals and Kelvin confirmed the invite went out to 78 people twice. Allan felt that Clubmate could possibly help address this with other communication methods. It was agreed that a push on facebook would certainly help.

Graham felt getting kids into fishing was a positive, but had struggled in the past within the Broads. He also felt that car parking was also an issue limiting angling within the Broads.

Dennis felt the challenges are the same as always that stops engagement with Broads anglers. Things have moved forward on pollution with sewage and the country has finally realised the scale of the subject, but are these anglers! The nutrient neutrality policy recently introduced by Natural England and the publication of Combined Sewage Outfalls all form part of this mix right within the Broads and Wensum. He asked should BASG have a role to play in getting this message out. But really it’s a matter of resources.

Phil Grey reflected looking round the room and the age profile attending tonight and somehow we need to reconnect with the younger audience. He felt that the market had moved on with what platform it uses and gave an example of how Wroxham was heaving with anglers this winter all following two young lads who had their own Utube channel promoting their angling exploits in Wroxham.  In his words “we are missing a trick” and need to find a way of “having our finger on the pulse” of communications in the modern age.  BASG needs to connect with some young blood and provide the tools and platform to connect with young people. Expecting them to come and join meetings etc, just isn’t the answer.

David Todd again felt it was all about image and how we get the message out there. He felt getting a presence out into Broads shows and events handing out flyers and promoting the work of BASG would be a step forward.

Kevin Powell thought the meeting was interesting and a platform to build upon focussed on the younger generation. He would like to help more, but other commitments would limit his effort.

Steve Lane reflected on why the existing subscribed members don’t come forward despite efforts by the Directors. Clearly we need to get people out of the woodwork and offered to help with social media.

Tony Gibbons felt that promoting the next months meeting via social media across a wider audience would be a prudent concept, away from relying on emails. He raised concerns with the increasing need of 3^rd party litigation coverage on venues and landowners look to remove any liability. Clearly this issue needs consideration in any wider permit framework and lease scheme. But overall we are heading in the wright direction.

Martin Burgess reflected much of this has been tried in the past in the Broads and peoples attitudes have evolved, particularly youngsters. He has studied the document and proposed roles and currently is reviewing his role.

In a more general discussion, the subject of whether angling is in demise. In general the room agreed that some forms of angling are struggling with an older age profile. But are being replaced by new forms of angling like drop shotting.

In summary the objectives of the meeting was to look to signup volunteers into the roles described earlier to move the organisation forward. Clearly this was a high bar for members using the current engagement approach and is something that the Directors need to reflect upon.

Kelvin Allen

Chair BASG 29^th April 2022

 

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