The Sportfishing Challenge 2000 – Part 3

18 young Europeans from 6 different countries took part in the program, most of them had never seen a fishing rod before in their life.
Filmed in Namibia, on the Zambezi and the Chobe rivers and in South Africa, on the Wild Coast near Port St Johns, the three 15 minute programs of the Sportfishing Challenge 2000 were broadcasted several times on Eurosport TV in most European countries, reaching out to millions of new potential anglers.

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The Sportfishing Challenge 2000 – Part 2

18 young Europeans from 6 different countries took part in the program, most of them had never seen a fishing rod before in their life.
Filmed in Namibia, on the Zambezi and the Chobe rivers and in South Africa, on the Wild Coast near Port St Johns, the three 15 minute programs of the Sportfishing Challenge 2000 were broadcasted several times on Eurosport TV in most European countries, reaching out to millions of new potential anglers.

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The Sportfishing Challenge 2000 – Part 1

18 young Europeans from 6 different countries took part in the program, most of them had never seen a fishing rod before in their life.
Filmed in Namibia, on the Zambezi and the Chobe rivers and in South Africa, on the Wild Coast near Port St Johns, the three 15 minute programs of the Sportfishing Challenge 2000 were broadcasted several times on Eurosport TV in most European countries, reaching out to millions of new potential anglers.

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The inherent danger of internet forums

We all experienced, a few months ago, the rapid spread of the swine flu alarm that peaked at the end of April 2009, creating a temporary crash in the stock market and widespread panic buying for medication, protection masks and foodstuff.
The scare not only caused a 5% two-day slump in some stock markets, it also [...]

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Clearing out the dead wood

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was not only caused by the excessive greed of a few elite banksters; it is the end result of numerous factors that include in particular the globalization of trade and the inherent consequences on European employment caused by the outsourcing of labour intensive production.
If free trade has been the greatest [...]

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Sport Fishing is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee; is it still a Sport?

As I stayed up at night and watched the undeniable success of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; I couldn’t stop wondering why one of the supposedly most popular sports on the planet; one that counts 40 million participants in the USA alone, 25 million in Europe and so many more million in the rest of [...]

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On the road to Nowhere!

Kevin VanDam, the current leader of the World Rankings for Bass Fishing in the USA is 40 years old, has been a Pro Bass Angler for 18 years and has cumulated more than 3 Million US Dollars in prize winnings during his career. This does not include the money he receives from sponsors.
His sponsors include [...]

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Whatever happened to voluntary work?

THE latest edition of the EFTTEX show that was held in Rome last June was a reflection of the current trends in effect in our European market.
A lot of effort, time and money were spent by most of those companies exhibiting in the show. Stands were generally very nice, with many companies and brands making [...]

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EU to adopt English as the official language!

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known [...]

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Are European retailers hampering market potential?

A lot has happened to the structure of the European supply channels of Fishing Tackle in recent years.
Twenty years ago, the supply channel would comprise a manufacturer/vendor, an export agent, an importer/national distributor, a regional wholesaler and finally the independent retailer who would sell the product to the final consumer.
Many importers/national distributors could depend on [...]

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Making the Market grow!

The present trend in the European Fishing Tackle Market is certainly not that of clear positive growth.
All we hear about are of reductions in the numbers of regular Anglers, over-fishing, depleted fish stocks, water pollution, lack of image of the hobby, competition from other sports and a soft European economy.
Not only is our trade badly [...]

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France considering Sea Angling licenses!

Last October, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France concluded that the “Grenelle de l’Environnemment” forum that he had personally promoted “will remain a milestone in our society’s growing awareness that it cannot continue to live wastefully and that it can no longer ignore the impact of our current lifestyles, production methods and consumption patterns on [...]

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UK Government abandons sea angling licences scheme

Press release by the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SEA ANGLERS
Date: March 19 2008
The government today abandoned its current plans to impose fishing licences on a million sea anglers in Britain.
The move follows several years of campaigning by the National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA) to convince successive fisheries ministers that because fishstocks were so seriously depleted [...]

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High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi

By Marian Burros, The New York times
Published: January 23, 2008
Recent laboratory tests found so much mercury in tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants that at most of them, a regular diet of six pieces a week would exceed the levels considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Sushi from 5 of the 20 places [...]

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Teaching children and young people to fish

Recreationnal Fishing is certainly one the most exciting nature awareness hobbies to pass on to children; however, if you are to develop their interest, there are a few rules that must be followed.
For starts, a close member of the family must teach fishing to the child: Usually the father.
It is a fact that Recreationnal Fishing is [...]

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In a blind man’s world; the one eyed man is king!

The European Commission today welcomed the report published by the Court of Auditors on data collection, control and enforcement under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The Commission had already decided that the review of the CFP control legal framework would be a strategic priority of it 2008 Work Programme, and the Court’s report strengthens the [...]

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WTO proposes the elimination of most subsidies for the fishing industry!

Friday 30th November 2007. The World Trade Organisation proposed the elimination of most subsidies for the fishing industry in a compromise package submitted to the global body’s 151 members. The text proposes the elimination of subsidies for the acquisition, construction, repair, renewal, renovation, modernization, or any other modification of fishing vessels or service vessels, including [...]

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Portuguese government releases data on sales of sea angling licenses

Following formal requests from various organizations including registered letters from EFTTA; the Portuguese Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has at last released the official figures of the sales of sea fishing licenses in 2007.

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Global warming is real, now, and it must be addressed! H. Lee Scott, CEO, Wal-Mart.

According to a new study by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation: “Many of Florida’s coastal bays and estuaries will be inundated by 2100 due to sea-level rise from global warming, making the “Fishing Capital of the World” uninhabitable by some of Florida’s most prized game fish”  “Fishing as we know it [...]

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Rapala strengthens strategic alliance with Shimano

October 11, 2007 
Distribution Joint Venture for Russia and Ukraine
Rapala VMC Corporation (“Rapala”) and Shimano Inc. (“Shimano”), one of the leading manufacturers of rods and reels worldwide, have decided to strengthen their distribution alliance in Russia and Ukraine by establishing a 50/50 joint venture company in Finland, controlled by Rapala. This joint venture company, Rapala [...]

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