I had a telephone call from the office of Adam Ingram MSP today. The office was looking for contact details of Angling Clubs in the Carrick and Cumnock and Doon Valley area so that a letter could be sent to confirm the Scottish governments position on the widely rumored introduction of a rod licence in Scotland. A letter may go out to all angling clubs in due course but in the mean time here is the press release that I received.

NO ROD LICENCE CHARGES

Local SNP MSP Adam Ingram has welcomed clarification from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead on rod licences. Recent media reports have suggested that the Scottish Government would be introducing charges for rod licences through the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill.

The Cabinet Secretary confirmed that rod licence charging would not be included in the Bill and has contacted local and national stakeholders to this effect.
Commenting on the issue Mr Ingram said:
“I am sure the local angling clubs and anglers in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley area will be happy to hear that rod licence charging as reported in some of the national press was nothing more than assumptions and misinformation.
“The Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead has made it crystal clear that the Scottish Government has no intentions of bringing forward charging for rod licences and in fact there is no national rod licensing system in Scotland that a charge could be introduced for!
“The charging powers being considered under the Bill for fish farming, freshwater and sea fisheries would not apply to anglers through rod licensing.

“I hope that this puts an end to this completely unfounded speculation.”