Sir, - Wicklow County Council has recently proposed to introduce a by-law that will ban anglers from using Blue Flag beaches in the county. Only two years ato the same council erected road signs beside the car parks for these beaches encouraging sea-anglers to fish there, together with a list of the fish types which are common to each stretch of beach.
Why spend taxpayers' money promoting something if you intend to ban it in a matter of years?
Sea-angling is a harmless past-time enjoyed by many people in this country, and it must be noted that it is not practical to fish on a beach that is full of people, as bathers tend to scare the fish away. Most anglers fish in the evening or at night when the beaches are quiet, or on days that are overcast and are not suitable for a family day out on the beach. - Yours, etc.,
Robin D. Heather, Dunbur Lower, Wicklow Town.