Boost our angling provision, UUP's Carmichael urges Stormont Minister

Mr Robert Carmichael, the East Londonderry Ulster Unionist Association Chairman, has challenged the Stormont Minister responsible for angling and inland fisheries “to ring fence funding to boost the industry in the constituency”.

   Speaking on behalf of the UUP association, Mr Carmichael said the Minister in charge of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) “needed to radically address giving much-needed support to the fishing fraternity in East Londonderry as this would be a very significant economic boost for the region”. 

   Mr Carmichael added: “Indeed, not just at DAERA, but there is a real urgency for all the Stormont Executive Ministers to work together to boost the constituency’s angling tourism.

   “While there has been a much appreciated boost for golf tourism in the constituency as a result of the Open tournament, we cannot ignore the very important place which angling has in East Londonderry. It is a region which boasts some of the best inland waters and coastal facilities in the Province. 

   “We in the UUP want to see the angling provision expanded across the constituency as this will result in more inward investment in terms of the tourism industry - and those initial steps to seeing this policy become a reality rests with the DAERA Minister.  

   “Just as we witnessed a massive influx of local and overseas visitors coming to East Londonderry because of the Open, we in the UUP want the Minister to provide the necessary funding to replicate this influx in terms of the number of visitors coming to the constituency to avail of angling opportunities.”

   Mr Carmichael said that more than a decade ago, there was a significant drop in the numbers visiting Northern Ireland as a whole to fish and there was “an urgent onus” on the Minister to ensure this did not happen again.  

   “Between 2010 and 2011, the numbers of people visiting Northern Ireland specifically to fish fell from 3,900 to 1,700 and the number who participated in fishing while in Ulster for other purposes fell from 10,200 to 5,900. 

   “Clearly for an activity for which Northern Ireland was once the venue of choice for many anglers, any significant reduction comes both as a shock and a clear indication that more needs to be done to prevent this from happening again. 

   “The Minister needs to give a cast iron guarantee that funding will be ring fenced by his department to ensure the future of the angling tourism, not just in East Londonderry specifically, but right across the Province. 

   “Every other neighbouring jurisdictions in the UK have clear targets to increase angling activity and improve the tourist potential of the sport. 

   “In Northern Ireland, there needs to be a clear focus otherwise this impacts greatly on those who make their living from angling tourism with a clear knock on effect on accommodation providers.

   “We in the UUP call upon the Stormont Executive Ministers to jointly initiate a clear strategy to improve the potential of our angling estate and the marketing of this important tourism product overseas,” said Mr Carmichael.