The local fishery manager in Cornwall (the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Association) develops new byelaws in private, excluding the public from Byelaw Working Group meetings and refusing to disclose Byelaw Working Group agendas or meeting papers to the public. This is despite the UK being a signatory to the Aarhus Convention, which is aimed at transparency in environmental law-making.
Additionally, it allows the Chairman to serve for more than 10 years. This is contrary to the Government’s Code on Public Appointments. A Cornish Councillor said in 2020 “most of the major democratic nations in the world have limitations on the amount of time that a person can remain as president as two terms. And the only people who go longer are the tyrannical states like Russia and some of the other places. I think it is a backward move, something we need not do. I would suggest that we don’t do it.”
If you know any Cornish sea anglers, please pass this message on to them and suggest they kick up a fuss by contacting their MP, Councillors and members of the Cornwall IFCA Committee.
Comment (5)
Paul Jennings| June 10, 2024
This is not new but im glad its been recognised, the C stands for Commercial amongst other things
Nicholas Tops| June 11, 2024
Agreed, Cornwall should b setting the example but not like this
John Locker| June 11, 2024
There seems to be the same complaints from the same people over this no matter the response. Why should anyone be forced from a role that they do well – without a better replacement candidate available; simply because there is a time limit on their term? Sounds awfully like cutting your nose off simply to be politically correct. A certain amount of common sense is required here.
d1a2v3i4d5| June 12, 2024
A limit on the term for which an individual may serve in a public office is a fundamental rule of government. It’s not “political correctness”.
The Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, states “there is a strong presumption that no individual should serve more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years. In exceptional cases, Ministers may decide an individual’s skills and expertise is needed beyond such a tenure.”
This rule should be upheld in local government, including Cornwall IFCA. Cornwall IFCA’s current failure to follow this rule is damaging its credibility with stakeholders.
This isn’t about whether person x does a job well. And no-one is irreplaceable.
MichaelB| June 15, 2024
You could be right. I notice time and time again the resistance by CIFCA and delaying of any action regarding a netting byelaw, now awaiting IVMS data, not aware of any other IFCA using this as a reason, and the blocking of the Salmonid byelaw.