BCAA 2025 AGM AGENDA
7pm Thursday 17th April - Parkhouse Centre
- Apologies for absence
- Minutes of Last Meeting
- Matters Arising
- Chair’s Report
- Treasurer’s Report: 5.1 Motion to accept/decline presented accounts 5.2 Motion to re-engage/seek new accountants
- Election of Officers
6.1 No nominations for the positions of Chair, Treasurer or Secretary have been received. The existing post holders have agreed to continue and therefore are returned, unopposed.
6.2 Proposed from Kevin Hill (seconded Dave Allen) that the following outgoing Senior Committee Members are re-elected - Matt Sampson; Ady Larkins; Adrian Hill; Steve Whitehouse
6.3 Proposed from Kevin Hill (seconded Dave Allen), that coopted Junior Committee member Aaron Bunning is elected as an incoming Senior Committee member.
- To Note Revised Articles of Association (Members Constitution) and General Rules
- Proposals received by the Chair
8.1 Proposed from Simon Allen (seconded by Kevin Hill) that the blanket maximum weight threshold of 5lbs weight per fish currently applied to BCAA matches, is increased with immediate effect, to a blanket weight threshold of 8lbs per fish.
8.2 Proposed by Jason Napier (seconded by Simon Allen), that ‘Talan’s Trust’ is adopted as the BCAA Charity for the 2025/26 Season.
- Any other Urgent Business
Chairman's Report: Season 24/25
The year has been one of ‘ups and downs’ for the Association but we are now getting some momentum behind us that will enable the improvement of our ‘offer’ to members and visitors alike. As there has been a great deal happening across all five of our fisheries and in other areas I will split my report into relevant sections.
- BCAA Management Structure
In order that we take full advantage of financial support on offer, primarily from the Angling Trust (AT) and the Environment Agency (EA), we have introduced three new Officer roles, enabling our compliance with applications for support. The Association now has:
Welfare Officer – Andy Southey
Junior Development Officer- Aaron Bunning
Environmental Officer- Stephen Brown
With these roles in place we have been able to secure £570 of AT financial support for equipment and training that will facilitate a number of ‘Get Into Fishing’ events over the summer. Training and equipment has also been provided by the EA that has enabled us to start regular testing of the water quality at a number of key sites along the canal. We await a larger £4800 AT bid outcome for new platforms on the Middle Pound.
- Whalesborough Lake
A change in management has seen the lease termination notice rescinded by our Landlord. We are able to fish the Lake as normal. The hiatus created by the termination notice has left us with a backlog of maintenance that we are addressing through negotiation with the Landlord. One immediate impact is that the Lake will be a Members Only water from the 1st June 2025, and we will not be selling day tickets after that date.
A major blow to us was the discovery of ‘gill maggot’ in two of the fish that we sent for testing pending their transfer to the Main Canal. All of the fish we have stocked into the lake have been health certified. As with most of these cases, it is suspected the illegal release of pond/aquarium fish (i.e. goldfish) into the lake was most probably the source. This has effectively wiped out the value of the fish stock in the Lake, estimated in the tens of thousands of pounds. Please do not release fish into or move fish between fisheries, the result can, and in this case has been, devastating.
- Middle Pound
You may have noticed the tow path repair work which will hopefully provide angling access to the deeper end of this section. The Pound has had to be drained to carry out these works (the majority of the fish were safely ‘escorted’ through the sluice into the Main Canal). As previously mentioned, we are hopeful in securing £4800 of AT funding to install four platforms in this section.
A restocking plan for this section will be agreed in time for September when it is safe to introduce fish.
- Main Canal (Sea Lock to Rodds Lock)
The less I say about the so called dredging the better, needless to say our evaluation is it was a wasted and costly exercise, and more disappointingly a huge opportunity lost. We did manage to refurbish the platforms in the Second Basin and with EA support 1500 bream and roach were stocked in January.
The development plan for this section includes the possible installation of platforms at Whoopers Bend and further stocking in the autumn/winter depending upon availability of health checked fish.
- Hele Bridge Stock Pond (Old A39 Road Bridge to Marhamchurch Incline)
We have received permission from Cornwall Council to re-establish the pegs originally located on the tow path side of the fishery. Three pegs have been cleared and we hope to agree a platform design and installation date with Cornwall Council in the very near future. If this proves successful then we will explore the installation of pegs on the car park side of the fishery.
- Navigation and River (Whalesborough Lock to A39 Road Bridge and River Neet Footbridge)
For clarity, this section is included within the Cornwall Council Lease and BCAA hold the fishing rights (from all banks) as designated. As such, there is no close season on this section, operating under the same angling rules as the Main Canal, Middle Pound and the Hele Bridge Stock Pond. Upstream of the A39 Road Bridge on the river Strat, and the River Neet footbridge, the EA fishery seasons apply and land owner’s permissions are required to fish these rivers.
- Website
We are shortly to move our website to a new platform. This will enable us to add new features, including a page where we can publish the fishery plans so members can view them in real time.
There is a lot to do in the next season and you will hopefully notice the positive impact that a number of the projects we are pursuing will have.
Tight lines everyone.
Paul Braund
Chairman
BCAA