The Anglers’ Conservation Association (ACA) is celebrating the success of its first fundraising dinner, held at the Fishmongers’ Hall in London on Thursday 23 February.  Nearly £10,000 was raised from tickets sales and from an auction of donated gifts, ably carried out by angling’s finest auctioneer, Neil Freeman of www.anglingauctions.com.
 

115  guests, including restaurant critic and TV star Giles Coren, angler John Bailey and Sir Edward Dashwood attended the event, which looks set to become a regular part of the ACA’s annual calendar of events.  Tom Fort, a regular contributor to Trout & Salmon magazine, spoke eloquently after dinner about the condition of our nation’s fish stocks.

Donated items included: a week’s fishing on the Miramashi River in Canada (Ponds Fishing Resort), top of the range Orvis fishing tackle and a stay at the Gliffaes Country House Hotel in Wales.  All the proceeds of the event will go towards the ACA’s famous ‘fighting fund’ which allows it to take legal cases on behalf of its members at no risk or cost to the clubs, associations or riparian owners concerned.  It is only through raising money from events of this sort, donations and the subscriptions of its 10,000 members that the ACA is able to take on polluters throughout the UK in this way.

The timing of the event was particularly apt as the ACA was that very day celebrating the suspension of sales of cypermethrin sheep dip across the UK, something it has been calling for since 1997.  The ACA had contributed its legal expertise to force the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to see sense.  It will be continuing its campaign to ensure that this suspension becomes a permanent ban.

Mark Lloyd, ACA Executive Director, said:

“Organising an event like this involves a lot of work, but we were delighted that everyone had such a great time and that we managed to raise vital funds for our work fighting pollution.  The ACA is extremely grateful to everyone who generously donated and bid for items at the auction, to Neil Freeman who was a brilliant auctioneer and to the Fishmongers’ Company for supporting the event and allowing us to use its magnificent hall.”