A meeting was held at the headquarters of the Słupsk District Board of the Polish Angling Association (PZW) between the chairmen of PZW clubs and members of the district executive, and MPs from the Civic Platform (KO): Zbigniew Konwiński, a Member of the Sejm, and Kazimierz Kleina, a Senator. The meeting was organised at the request of the parliamentarians, who wished to gain an understanding of the nature and context of the conflict between the PZW and Wody Polskie, using the PZW Słupsk District as a case study. The guests were welcomed by President Teodor Rudnik, who, together with the manager of the fish stocking facility in Damnica, presented the guests with key data on the functioning of the District and fisheries management, with particular emphasis on the production of salmonid, grayling, as well as cyprinids and predators. The guests then heard from angling activists, who spoke about the practical aspects of ‘Wody Polskie’s’ operations in the fishing districts leased by the PZW, as well as in woodland and field waters. Attention was drawn to Wody Polskie’s lack of preparedness to manage fisheries and protect water bodies independently, whilst also highlighting the effects of a smear campaign in media outlets linked to the government and Orlen, which was misleading anglers regarding the so-called National Fishing Grounds.
Senator K. Kleina stated that the worst consequence of such a policy by government agencies is the undermining of the position and existence of non-governmental organisations, such as, for example, the Polish Angling Association (PZW), which commit their own resources and the voluntary work of their members to effectively take over from the public administration in implementing the provisions of the Act on Fishing, Fish Rearing and Fish Farming.
To conclude, the parliamentarians were presented with a book on the history of Polish angling by President T. Rudnik.
Compiled by: Antoni Kustusz, press officer of the Słupsk Regional Branch of the PZW.
Photo: Tomasz Borowiecki.
