Substance are a social research cooperative that is undertaking a major research programme entitled  ‘The Social and Community Benefits of Angling’ funded by the Big Lottery Fund. This is a 3 year research programme (2009-11) in England and Scotland that will investigate the roles angling can play for those who participate in it, young people and the communities in which it takes place.

As part of the project there is a specific case study of angling in Assynt, North West Sutherland. This is exploring the role that angling can play  in rural communities, how it can be developed for the community’s benefit and how it can be supported.

Why Research Angling in Assynt

The case study in Assynt is to explore the positive role that angling can play in remote rural communities. There have been some big claims made about angling supporting jobs, tourism, participation, protecting the environment and income to community organisations but not much research has ever been done to explore these issues in the UK.

The project seeks to understand more about:

• Angling as a driver for tourism
• How angling can generate income for local organisations and people
• How this can be done in a sustainable way
• How new online tools might support the provision of information for, and generate feedback from, visiting anglers

Assynt provides a great case study for a number of reasons.

• There are a range of important community organisations involved in angling locally - the Assynt Angling Group, the Assynt Crofters’ Trust, Assynt Foundation and others. Each of these has the further development of angling, and generating income from it for wider community benefit, as key targets.
• There are a variety of approaches within the different local organisations, each with their own background.
• It is a fairly easily defined area, with a long recorded history of angling, and its unique fishing opportunities remains one of its main attractions to visitors.
• There has been a specific initiative focused on promoting angling tourism to Assynt, in particular wild trout fishing, funded by the Country Sports Tourism Group; and some of Assynt has been the subject of a brown trout protection order in recent years.
• To date little is known about who goes to fish there, and what they catch.
• We believe that we can work with these organisations to provide information that will both contribute to the wider study and help the local organisations develop.

Findings from this case study will:

• Help the local organisations by providing information on those fishing in the area
• Focus particularly on researching visitors to the area
• Provide information on the benefits people and communities get from angling
• Provide web based tools that help promote angling in the area

For the first year’s Interim Report, visit: http://resources.anglingresearch.org.uk

A National Angling Research Programme

The Assynt research is part of a larger national research programme, ‘The Social and Community Benefits of Angling’ funded by the Big Lottery Fund. The rationale for this programme is that millions of people go fishing, but not much is widely known about the activity in terms of the particular benefits individuals, young people and local communities can get from it.

There have been some big claims made about angling - that it has a range of benefits for participants (including health, volunteering, socialisation); that it can help young people in terms of education and social inclusion; and that it can help develop rural communities and local environments.

Yet the evidence base for this work is under-developed and organisations involved, as well as policymakers, need more research to understand, develop and maximise angling’s profile.

The project will work closely with angling and community organisations and charities, policymakers and anglers to help address gaps in knowledge and provide evidence of angling’s role to help influence changes in policy as well as highlight best practice.

For more information about the Social and Community Benefits of Angling research programme, please go to www.anglingresearch.org.uk