§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
What Exchequer grants have been provided each year since 1997 to the Salmon and Trout Association, the National Federation of Anglers and the National Federation of Sea Anglers. [HL2608]
29WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)Exchequer grants to the national governing bodies of angling are as follows:
Awards to National Federation of Anglers (£) Awards to National Federation of Sea Anglers (£) Awards to Salmon & Trout Association (£) 1997 25,000 55,000 15,000 1998 25,000 30,000 25,000 1999 25,000 19,000 25,000 2000 15,000 35,500 27,000 2001 67,625 34,000 34,750 2002 39,000 47,000 39,000 2003 43,000 49,000 43,000 2004 43,000 49,000 43,000
§ Lord Moynihanasked her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have analysed the socio-economic benefit of recreational fishing to the United Kingdom economy. [HL2609]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyAn Environment Agency study carried out in 2001 estimated the total capital value of the inland recreational fisheries in England and Wales at £3 billion. Coarse fisheries were reported to be worth £2.3 billion, the remaining £0.7 billion attributable to salmon fisheries. Of this coarse fisheries value, the value of Stillwater coarse fisheries amounted to more than £1.5 billion, with river and canal fisheries valued at £0.75 billion. The survey also indicated that annual expenditure by coarse anglers on such as fishing permits, tackle, travel, accommodation and other direct fishing costs, amounted to almost £2 billion.
The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland report published this year estimated that expenditure on all fishing was some £112.5 million providing 2,623 jobs and with anglers spending 1,386,000 days fishing.
No study has been undertaken in Northern Ireland.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
What projects and lottery grants have been made available to the governing bodies of fishing since 2000. [HL2610]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyLottery grants totalling £28,300 in 2000 and £15,000 in 2004 have been made to the National Federation of Anglers under UK Sport's World Class Events programme. These do not include lottery grants under community programmes that have been made to individual fishing clubs affiliated to the governing bodies of fishing.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many anglers are actively involved in recreational fishing; and how many clubs are currently members of the governing bodies of fishing. [HL2611]
30WA
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyAn Environment Agency survey in 2001 estimated that in England and Wales 3.9 million people—9 per cent of the population aged 12 years or over—had fished in the preceding two years. Sales of rod licences have exceeded 1 million each year since 1994–95 with a high of 1.2 million in 1997–98. In 2002–03, 1.18 million people bought rod licences. The difference between licence sales and the survey results are attributable to the considerable turnover of individual licence holders from one year to the next, the fact that a licence is not required for sea angling and Environment Agency efforts to reduce significantly rod licence evasion.
In Northern Ireland, based on licence figures, it is estimated that there are over 26,000 anglers. No figures are available for Scotland.
There are currently 300 clubs that are members of the National Federation of Anglers; 350 clubs that are members of the National Federation of Sea Anglers; and 340 clubs that are members of the Salmon and Trout Association.