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LONDON, Apr 2, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The British government is spending $33 million for a 10-year campaign to attract more minorities and women to fishing.
About 4 million people enjoy a quiet afternoon on the river bank each year, but the government has determined that today's fishermen are too white, too male and too middle-aged, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
The Environment Agency will use money raised each year by the sale of fishing licenses to pay for a new leaflet entitled "10 things you should know about angling."
"Angling does not discriminate against gender, race, age or athletic ability" and the "Government is interested in angling in the context of social inclusion in deprived urban areas," the leaflet says.
There are also pilot programs, such as an effort in Swansea that taught Muslim women and children to fish by experts from the Salmon and Trout Association.
Critics of the program say the funds would be better spent on increasing biodiversity in rivers by safeguarding otters, kingfishers and native crayfish instead of "socially engineering" fishing.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
