Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust & Fish Legal, has been appointed to join the BBC’s Rural Affairs Advisory Committee, an influential body that provides advice and feedback on BBC output across all broadcast platforms, and in particular programmes dealing with rural, agricultural and environmental issues. He has replaced a representative of the commercial sea fishing industry who has recently left the Committee. This is the first time that angling has ever been represented at this level.
The committee meetings are attended by programme makers and editors from household favourites such as Countryfile and The Archers, current affairs programmes such as Costing The Earth and Farming Today and from the many BBC radio and TV news channels.
This appointment will not only provide an opportunity to highlight issues of concern to Britain’s three million anglers, such as the plight of marine and freshwater fish stocks, but also to get more coverage of angling on the many BBC TV, Radio and Digital channels. His appointment coincides with the first broadcast of The Big Fish on BBC2 at 8pm on Sunday evenings, which is the first prime time BBC series about fishing since the widely acclaimed ‘Passion for Angling’ a generation ago.
The Committee comprises 21 members including the Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the Former Private Secretary to HRH The Prince of Wales, a Professor of Animal Welfare from Cambridge University, and the Policy Director of the Soil Association. It meets three times a year in Bristol.
Mark Lloyd said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to represent fish and fishing at the heart of decision-making around the BBC’s rural, environmental and news output. For too long, angling has been virtually invisible on our national broadcaster’s many channels. I want to see it recognised for the vital role it plays in our nation’s culture and communities, and embraced by the BBC. Many of the issues affecting fishing are not only of interest to the huge community of anglers, but to millions of other people who care about the state of the marine and freshwater environment. It’s very welcome to see a new BBC2 series The Big Fish, which, I’m sure, will help our efforts to recruit new anglers. However, I will be pressing the programme-makers to make sure that this is not just a one-off and that angling gets a fair deal on national TV for years to come.”
Source: Angling Trust Fishing News
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