British Canoe Union Petition

[Wildswimmer]

The BCU are campaigning to have the same rights of access to rivers and lakes in England and Wales, as are enjoyed North of the Border in Scotland.

This campaign is to secure rights for users of ALL non-powered craft - specifically including open-water swimmers.

Please go to the following link and sign the e-Petition to the Prime Minister:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Canoeists/

It only takes a few minutes and is in all our interests.

For more info on the campaign go here:

http://www.riversaccess.org/pages/pv.asp?p=rac2

Wildswimmer Pete

[zanshin]

Done

[cougar]

Done..

[mirror]

Dun it hun

[Pete]

Yet another example of having the same government but different laws. If we are the same nation; we should have the same laws.

[broomhillsaved]

Have signed up Pete (WS). The photo comes from the River Access website.

[e-fitz]

Done!

[Spidey]

Forgive me for asking. What is the need for this, what are the restictions, and why are they there. Who or what is being protected by said restrictions?

Is it broke and does it need fixing?

I am posting this as a question and not to wind anyone up.

[still learning]

ive signed but I couldnt ever imagine doing what Pete & his mates do, Im much too soft for that, also a bit frightened of open water, not really a strong enough swimmer,but Ill support his cause.

[Wildswimmer]

Originally Posted by Spidey

Forgive me for asking. What is the need for this,

As explained on the Rivers Access page, the public only have the right to navigate (= swim in) just 2% of rivers in England and Wales.

Originally Posted by Spidey

what are the restictions, and why are they there.

Fully explained on the Rivers Acces page

Originally Posted by Spidey

Who or what is being protected by said restrictions?

The interests of powerful vested interests, cheifly angling.

Originally Posted by Spidey

Is it broke and does it need fixing?

I'd have thought the answer to that question to be obvious. The BCU wouldn't be mounting an expensive (in terms of money and effort) campaign if it wasn't needed.

Bear in mind that it cost the Hatchmere campaigners several thousand pounds to wrest control of one small lake from a wealthy angling club who wanted it all to themselves.

And I marked our territory by swimming in it today:



Wildswimmer Pete

[cougar]

Jeez Kermit that Pink hat dun arf stand out mate..

[richard-broer]

I allways thougt that the UK was a free country like almost all other European. This revises my views.
In my country (The Netherlands) all water is open to all exept when noted. Then it has signs and often a fence. This is the case indeed with waters privately owned, and even then the water is useually swimmable.

[Wildswimmer]

Originally Posted by Spidey

Forgive me for asking. What is the need for this, what are the restictions, and why are they there. Who or what is being protected by said restrictions?

Is it broke and does it need fixing?

I am posting this as a question and not to wind anyone up.

Originally Posted by richard-broer

I allways thougt that the UK was a free country like almost all other European. This revises my views.
In my country (The Netherlands) all water is open to all exept when noted. Then it has signs and often a fence. This is the case indeed with waters privately owned, and even then the water is useually swimmable.

Should anyone have any doubts as to what we're up against, please look here:

http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/f...ic.php?t=12448

This is a thread covering a canoeist's correspondence with Martin Salter MP, the anglers' Parliamentary spokesgob. It's not just the powerful angling clubs, we suspect the Countryside Alliance of being behind all this. The CA still holds that townies should be banned from "their" countryside. They lost over land access when the Countryside Rights of Way (CROW) legislation came into force, but they successfully prevented inland water from being included. That's why we have such a fight on our hands - we are taking on some of the wealthiest, most powerful vested interests in the country.

The angling club with the fishing rights at Hatchmere has never forgiven us for re-establishing our right to swim the lake, and would no doubt get us out if it could. There isn't any peace at the lake - more like an armed truce. Very much a case of the price of freedom being eternal vigilance. And one reason I'm freezing my bits off swimming it during the winter.

Wildswimmer Pete

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by Wildswimmer

As explained on the Rivers Access page, the public only have the right to navigate (= swim in) just 2% of rivers in England and Wales.
Fully explained on the Rivers Acces page
The interests of powerful vested interests, cheifly angling.
I'd have thought the answer to that question to be obvious. The BCU wouldn't be mounting an expensive (in terms of money and effort) campaign if it wasn't needed.
Bear in mind that it cost the Hatchmere campaigners several thousand pounds to wrest control of one small lake from a wealthy angling club who wanted it all to themselves.
And I marked our territory by swimming in it today:
Wildswimmer Pete

I only asked because it seemed to be all about canoeits and I could not see the swimming connection. I was genuinly posing a question. What is the link that gives be the feature.

[Wildswimmer]

Originally Posted by Spidey

I only asked because it seemed to be all about canoeits and I could not see the swimming connection. I was genuinly posing a question. What is the link that gives be the feature.

The second line in my original post:
"This campaign is to secure rights for users of ALL non-powered craft - specifically including open-water swimmers."

The second paragraph on the Rivers Access Campaign homepage:
"Restricted access to water is a problem for us all, not just canoeists. swimmers, boaters, walkers, rowers and anyone wishing to participate in non-powered watersports and activities........."

In law a swimmer is a "vessel" and is navigating. That's why we can swim in all waters with statutory navigation rights. The BCU are campaigning to secure public navigation rights for ALL non-powered water users - including swimmers. That's the swimming connection - and RALSA is supporting them.

Wildswimmer Pete