Angling Too White

I had to check the date on this story to make sure that it wasn't an April Fool's Joke. It sure sounds like one.

The British government thinks that the sport of fishing is too white, too male and too middle aged, they are going to spend £19 million over the next ten years to try and attract more women and minorities to fishing.

The government is apparently issuing a leaftlet which offers these gems of wisdom-

"Angling does not discriminate against gender, race, age or athletic ability"

But not all genders, cultures, ages or people of different athletic ability may actually be interested in fishing. Nevermind, the government simply can't bear to think that white, middle-aged men have a monopoly over anything...good grief, the horror of angling's oppressive exclusion of minorities! Something must be done! What's next, a multi-million pound campaign to break the white stranglehold over downhill skiing? Formula One racing? I see that they aren't prepared to spend millions of pounds to promote the shooting sports.

"Government is interested in angling in the context of social inclusion in deprived urban areas."

Because there are so many opportunities to fish in deprived urban areas. Are these people really able to function in modern society let alone hold postions of power? Really?

One thing which bothers me about all of this is that Labour actually has a "parliamentary spokesman for angling". What a wonderful use of our nation's resources. It certainly must be a taxing position.