Help protect shooting and angling by voting NO in web poll

[HeatherW762]

This is an email I have received today. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on point of view) I'm on holiday & cannot email out to members but I can post it here!

Heather
........................

Dear Member of Council,

BASC is looking for support with regard to the Northern Ireland web poll-please see the message below.

With best wishes.

David

David J Penn

Secretary
British Shooting Sports Council

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7095 8181
E-mail: djpbssc@btconnect.com
Mob: 079171 48241
Website: http://www.bssc.org.uk

BSSC
PO Box 53608
London
SE24 9YN
UK

The Council is a founding member of the World Forum on the Future of Sports Shooting Activities (WFSA), a NGO in Roster Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Constituent Associations: APCTSG, APSI, BASC, CA, CPSA, GTA, ICSI, MLAGB, NRA, NSRA, SAGBNI & UKPSA.
.......................
From: Conor O'Gorman (Policy)
Sent: 05 May 2012 22:40
To: Global; Council Members
Subject: Help protect shooting and angling by voting NO in web poll
Dear all,

Please join over 700 shooters and anglers to vote NO in a web poll against proposals to give protectionists the power to ban shooting and angling in every estuary, river and lake in Northern Ireland.
http://www.nimtf.org/
There is a web poll running on the NI Marine Task Force website which gives visitors the option to vote in support of its work on the Marine Bill. In light of the threats to country sports identified in the Bill please visit the site and vote NO. This will send an important message not only to the task force but to civil servants and political representatives in NI that a Marine Bill has to consider people's needs as well as those of wildlife.
The RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and others have reacted to our vote NO campaign by starting a vote YES campaign. We are losing ground. The web poll will only allow one vote from your internet provider’s address. Ulster Wildlife Trust is encouraging voters to bypass this and register multiple votes via other computers, mobile phones and other internet accessible devices.
Next week, BASC and Countryside Alliance are scheduled to give evidence to the NI Environment Committee about our concerns and this web poll will be referred to so it is crucial that the vote remains firmly in our favour.

We expect to be called to evidence on Thursday so please email as many people as you can to ask them to visit the Marine Task Force website and vote NO before then. Please also post threads on shooting or angling forums you are members of, if they haven’t had this topic covered.

BASC's website has been updated today, but it will be your support by spreading the word on email and on forums that will make the difference in keeping the NO vote ahead.

The Marine Task Force consists of RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts and others. Put simply they want legal powers to be put in place in NI to ban shooting and angling in every estuary, river and lake in Northern Ireland. Their web poll was meant to show widespread support for the content of a draft Marine Bill that they heavily influenced. Two weeks ago support was running at 97% until BASC and Countryside Alliance started to campaign for a NO vote. Support collapsed and the marine force partners were in shock. They called a meeting with BASC and Countryside Alliance. They wanted us to drop our campaign for a NO vote on their web poll. We asked them to support our amendments to the draft Marine Bill. They refused. So we said we weren’t dropping our joint campaign. Then the vote YES campaign started.
The web poll will only allow one vote from your internet provider’s address. Ulster Wildlife Trust is encouraging voters to bypass this and register multiple votes via other computers, mobile phones and other internet accessible devices.

The world has changed. The UK protectionist organisations do not have the government support they used to have. But we have to make our voice heard. Looking at the big picture this may appear to be a small battle, but if we win it, it will motivate further battles and more wins.

Please do please email as many people as you can to ask them to visit the Marine Task Force website and vote NO.

http://www.nimtf.org/

Please also post threads on shooting or angling forums you are members of, if they haven’t had this topic covered.

Regards,
Conor.


Dr Conor O'Gorman
Policy Development Manager
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation
BASC, Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham LL12 OHL

Landline: +44-1244-573-035
Mobile: +44-7766-7766-39
conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk

[dromia]

78% no on over 3,000 votes cast.

Wonder how long that poll will stay up for?

[dodgyrog]

Another NO vote gone in.

[dromia]

I voted yes to be tactical.