Brimingham Anglers Association has been challenged over a ban on livebaiting dubbed a damaging and divisive move for angling.
Midlands PAC organiser Steve Bown had a positive meeting with BAA club secretary John Williams, warning predator anglers would be adversely affected by the club's new by-laws stressing that predator anglers are now the only club members facing restrictions on their angling methods.
"The BAA is a club run by it's members. I urge individual club members to stand up and be counted and to contact the BAA to voice their disapproval at the clubs by-law change," Steve said.
"The executive committe has a duty to listen to its members and act accordingly.
"Working with local predator anglers to achieve a mutually-acceptable by-law would be excellent publicity for the BAA.
"A demonstration of different bracnhes of angling working together would no doubt encourage more people to join."
After a lengthy consultation process, the Environment Agency drafted new national by-laws concerning fish removal. These by-laws increased the protection of mature coarse fish, amid concerns at the numbers being taken for the table. But they also allowed predator anglers to take up to 15 fish a day for use as bait.
"We must also recognise that the taking of small fish for bait is an important part of predator fishing," the EA said. "There is no evidence that this is damaging stocks and therefore should be allowed to continue."
The BAA committee disregarded the EA's findings when it voted unanimously to outlaw the removal of any fish - apart from zander - from their waters.
Mr Williams said the PAC's concerns would be passed on to the BAA's executive at its next meeting. The committee has the power to revisit the issue. The PAC is now considering the next step if the ban is not rescinded.
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