The ATA has issued some advice for tackle shops regarding trading during the current Covid-19 Lockdown situation in England, detailing how a Click & Collect service could work
If fishing is open locally to you, a Click & Collect service could be provided to supply bait etc on the basis of the customer calling you and arranging to pay electronically and collect on a date and time you give him/her.
Key points regarding fishing in England during Lockdown 3
- Fishing is permitted but not night fishing or matches
- Travel should be limited to only local waters
- Fish alone or with one bubble member
This is a strictly limited resumption of LOCAL fishing and very different to how we have been allowed to operate since May.
We are in a National Lockdown and this must be respected. The law requires a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home or penalties will apply.
The Government has recognised that fishing can be seen as exercise, which is expressly permitted under the lockdown rules, although outdoor recreation is not.
Organised sporting gatherings are prohibited so no match fishing.
The exercise is limited to once a day so no overnight fishing whatsoever.
To remain within the law you should follow the Government’s guidance, and only fish locally. If you have no local fishing available then you will have to take your daily exercise in other ways.
Travel
You must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (for example, for work or education purposes). If you need to travel you should stay local – meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live – and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. The list of reasons you can leave your home and area include, but are not limited to:
- work, where you cannot reasonably work from home
- accessing education and for caring responsibilities
- visiting those in your support bubble – or your childcare bubble for childcare
- visiting hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health
- buying goods or services that you need, but this should be within your local area wherever possible
- outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)
- attending the care and exercise of an animal, or veterinary services
If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practise social distancing while you travel.
Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble.
Click and Collect should be okay as long as the customer is local and the purchase is needed for the fishing trip taken as exercise.
What is ‘local’?
This specifies the ‘local area’ – i.e. town, village or part of the city in which you live. However, there is a recognition that there will be a need to travel for outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space).
Anglers will need to apply common sense and judgement in defining their local area rather than fixating on parish boundaries. A lake or river in a neighbouring parish may well be closer than one on the other side of the same town. In short, you should be fishing your nearest available waters.
Can my fishery stay open?
Fisheries are not on the list of businesses required to close under the regulations. Camping, chalet accommodation, club houses or social facilities of any kind cannot open though onsite toilets with appropriate hand sanitising can remain in place.
The regulation requires the closure of “outdoor sports grounds or facilities”; if you are concerned that this might apply to your fishery you should seek specific advice.
You are allowed to leave home to exercise (which includes fishing) outdoors, but you can only meet with another person in ‘public outdoor places’ which include parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests, public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them). This will apply to most fisheries either commercially managed or operated by clubs that are open to members of the public.
Can tackle shops still trade?
Tackle shops are classed as non-essential businesses and must close but they can still offer a ‘click/call and collect’ service.
Advise customers that they must be wearing masks while queuing and observe social distances. Allocate arrival times to avoid a crowd accumulating outside and advise all customers that only local travel is permitted.
Follow all recommended precautions regarding cleaning surfaces which may be touched and PPE for staff and customers.
You may want to restrict business to electronic payments only in advance of collections to avoid handling cash.
Ensure that all staff members are adequately provided for and protected.
Monitor government policy each day since click and collect appears to be under review at the moment.
Keep in Touch
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus
https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/social-distancing/index.htm
Click and Collect
Staying safe while using click and collect services
A controlled ‘click and collect’ service for retail may operate.
It’s important that both businesses and the public stay safe when using these services.
To make sure click and collect facilities can operate on an appointment-only basis it is recommended that businesses should apply the following principles:
Retailers and customers are encouraged to use online ordering and delivery as the first choice as it will limit social interactions and contacts
Retailers who do not have an online facility should consider potential of phoned-in or text ordering
Collections are required to be by appointment only and should be scheduled to make sure no customer-customer contact and no queuing
Allocate time slots which will allow them to manage a reasonable number of people per hour
If collection is from a store in a shopping centre the collection point should be close to the entrance with a one way system
Design the click and collect system to avoid / reduce shared contact surfaces
Continue to frequently clean any shared surfaces that are unavoidable and increase the use of hands-free technology to deliver services
Guidance for customers
When using click and collect services, customers should:
Collect their items from the entrance door as they are not permitted in the store
Collections should be by a designated customer to collect only – therefore no household groups
Attend within the timeslot they have been given by the retailer
Use pre-payment methods and contactless proof of purchase on collection where possible
Wear a face covering
Travel to and from store should if possible be by car, foot, or bicycle – if by car, members of one household should travel together (and only one person to collect, see above)
Use hand sanitisers either your own or those provided by the store
Practical guidance for staying safe
The use of measures such as appointments helps to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading and helps to support the Test, Trace and Protect programme.