Ban on fishing in Memorial Park pond

There's no plaice for fishing in the Memorial Park pond, according to council bosses. Officials have reeled in permission for people to enjoy the popular pastime after deciding to enforce an ancient byelaw.

New signs were put up around the pond but the move has angered many, including campaigner Andy Newell. He told councillors at a meeting of Herne Bay Area Member Panel that he was dubious the byelaw was valid. He said:

"I have always fished in the park pond and I know other people who have done for years as well. Are you going to ban the activity and not even look at the feeling of the general public?"

Outdoor leisure manager for Canterbury City Council, Richard Griffiths, said:

"We recognised that the byelaws were not being enforced. It's the legal view that these laws mean no fishing in the pond. The byelaw actually says no taking, injuring or disturbing of fish."

Taxi driver Adrian Bennett supported the council's stance. He said:

"You'd see waterfowl caught up in people's lines and being dragged across the pond. People would be jumping onto the island – not just one or two kids but a lot of people and a lot of adults. If you want to protect wildlife you can't have that going on."

HB Times 23rd Jun 2011

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HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011

Comments

[miss g sadler h/bay]

are people aware that con mp mr roger gale is president of the herne bay model boat club! and we all know what they think about fishing on "their lake" their the ones that want fishing on the lake banned but they use excuses like it upsets the waterfowl, which is absolute rubbish! money talks has done, always will do

[Lawrence J Blake]

I have been reading over recent weeks comments in the local press about fishing in the Herne Bay Park Pond and hove found the whole thing rather amusing. I am now nearing the age of 66 and have lived in Herne Bay since I was 3. My parents moved here just after WW2 as my father had taken a job at Herne Bay Council School (the forunner of Herne Bay High School) as History teacher. In my childhood days fishing in the pond was never done as it was mainly a boating and canoeing pond with a basic landing stage towards the memorial corner. When I was about 15 years old I was quite keen on freshwater fishing and used to go to the Vauxhall lakes along Broad Oak road, Canterbury, The River Wantsum on Reculver marshes, the Stour at Grove Ferry and when I was able to afford junior membership of Canterbury & District Angling Association, went to Westbere Lakes. If I was to have mentioned the Park Pond I'd have been laughed out of existance!! I agree that small fish have been seen in the pond - small perch, roach ,sticklebacks and minnows but to the best of my knowledge it has never been stocked with fish as any proper fishing pond or lake would have been. I can remember in the late 1960s kids trying to fish the pond but never remember anybody catching anything. I always assumed that they were simply practising their casting techniques for proper fishing expeditions. My personal opinion is that if interested parties wish foster the idea of a fishing lake they should consult the appropriate environmental groups together with the local authority plus other pond users to work out a shared usage programme. It is not quite correct to state, as I have read, that it has ALWAYS been used as local freshwater facility.

[g sadler]

dear sir
i have read your responce with reguard to the matter of fishing in herne bay park pond i think you would find that a shared usage programme would be welcolmed by the anglers! i must just add fishing is not just about catching fiash as you well know, you said you used to be a fisherman! and not all anglers are speciman hunters, i would just like to add i caught a 3lb carp from the park pond and there is bigger in there! thing is there is a lot of children that would love to try a spot of fishing but whose parents may not have the time or want to take them miles to find freshwater to do a spot of fishing , sad but true, the signs that have been put up in the park have nothing to do with the original bylaws on that pond, a no fishing rule has not been sanctioned by central goverment and therefore are not legal but the anglers have been polite so far ! these signs were erected on the say so of some council officers but the kcc themselves said they see no problem with fishing on the pond, so you see sir this this problem is far from amusing, you know there are people out there who would do away with the park, just imagine how much housing could be built in that land, i'v said it once i'll say it again, let the park and pond be there for all to enjoy their sports,hobbies and pastimes, use it or lose it folks

[Adrian bennett]

the ban at the park was put in place as the waterfowl, at the park which where being trapped in the fishing lines which has been witness by me on more once and people where using the duck island to fish from the only fish in the pond are now only common gold fish , And if Andy newell used the pond as often as he said he did he would know the no fishing sign went up last year in October 5 month plus before he had noticed and IF he asked the people that lived in the area if they wanted a ban to protect the waterfowl he would find 9 out of ten people DO want it banned and the members of herne bay Angling think it a joke for people to call them self Anglers that fish for gold fish