As you know the NFA has been in talks with the Anglers’ Conervation Association (ACA), National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA), National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives (NAFAC) and the Specialist Anglers Alliance (SAA) with regard to the merger all of these organisations to create one new, large and effective organisation to support and represent anglers of all disciplines in England.    

This letter, briefing note and question and answer sheet make up an information package to update you on the current status of NFA plans to merge and to make you aware that we will be calling an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Nottingham on the 6th December 2008. Between now and January 2009, all five participating organisations have committed to complete any actions necessary to facilitate the merger and subsequent creation of the new organisation, the Angling Trust (AT). The attached briefing note, prepared by Mark Lloyd, the Chief Executive Elect of the AT explains what the AT plans to do and how it plans to do it. The attached question and answer sheet addresses all of the questions we can think of at this time.   However if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the office on 0115 9813535 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Yours sincerely

Terry Fell Chairman National Federation of Anglers

Briefing Note  The Angling Trust Prepared by Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive Elect of the Angling Trust. 

Over the past 18 months, discussions between all the national angling and conservation organisations have been gathering pace, with the aim of bringing together all the functions of the major membership organisations into a new, single body for all angling interests.   The discussions resulted in these organisations signing a merger agreement on Sunday 19 October: this will mean that the National Federation of Anglers, along with the Anglers’ Conservation Association, National Federation of Sea Anglers, the National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives and the Specialist Anglers Alliance will all pool their resources to create a new organisation called the Angling Trust on 5th January 2009.  

This new organisation will actually comprise two elements: the Angling Trust Ltd and an unincorporated association based  on the ACA, which will be renamed Fish Legal and will take legal action against polluters and anyone else damaging fisheries.   The Angling Trust will, subject to agreement with Sport England, be the governing body for sea, coarse, and game fishing in England.   This will involve running all the national and international competitions, investing in angling development and education programmes and administrating the sport.   The strengthened organisation will use its more powerful voice to campaign and lobby government and other decision makers on all issues affecting anglers in both freshwater and marine environments: pollution, abstraction, commercial overfishing, aggregate extraction, predator control, access by canoes to rivers, fish theft, poaching and illegal fish movements to name just a few. 

The Angling Trust will protect recreational angling as a legitimate pastime and promote its benefits for the environment, society and the economy.  To protect our freedom to go fishing, we need to make sure that more people understand the many positive things it contributes to communities. Each of the participating organisations will nominate a board member.   Additional board members will initially be co-opted by the board but then in future the members will nominate and elect board members at the AGM. The existing volunteer structure of regions and specialist groups will continue to provide specialist advice to the board of the Angling Trust under the chairmanship of their board director.   What will this mean for Individual members?In addition to everything included in your current membership package, you will now get all the benefits offered by the founding organisations plus some new benefits, which will include enhanced insurance, access to Fish Legal and an exciting new card free loyalty programme, more fully described at the end of this briefing note. All existing life members of all the organisations will be granted honorary life membership of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal.    

All individual members of founding organisations will also be granted free membership of the Angling Trust (which automatically includes membership of Fish Legal) until their renewal date in 2009, when they will be invited to renew their membership.   Individual subscriptions will be £20 for all adults and £5 for juniors.  A table of fees for clubs and other organisations follows.  We would be very grateful for any donations from our members in addition to the minimum subscription to help with the start-up costs. What does this mean for clubs and other membership categories? When renewal notices for 2009 are issued to clubs, they will be invited to join the Angling Trust at rates tabled below. Clubs and riparian owners with their main address in England will be required to join the Angling Trust in order to qualify for subscription to membership of Fish Legal.   

Summary of principal benefits for Angling Trust member clubs·    

• Significant savings on Club membership·  
• Right to organise Angling Trust branded  competitions
• Discounted third party liability insurance (increased buying power will enable better cover and value)
• Advice on club and fishery management by distribution of updates and one-to-one help with non-legal issues as required
• Free advertising of member clubs/fisheries etc via the Angling Trust web site and in publications
• Support for club campaigns and action on issues affecting their fishing, such as illegal netting, aggregate extraction, restrictions on access etc
• Assistance with CRB checks and advice on child protection issues
• Clubmark accreditation