Constitution and Rules

Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers

Founded February 2018

The Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers (hereafter referred to as NIFSA) was founded in February 2018.

The Objectives of the Federation are:

(a) To represent Northern Ireland as the national association of Sea Anglers and Sea Angling Clubs

(b)To develop, foster and regulate the sport of Sea Angling in Northern Ireland.

(c) To act and speak on behalf of sea angling in Northern Ireland and where such interests are involved, with similar organisations in other countries.

(d) To make rules governing the sport of sea angling, with a particular focus on festivals and competitions of all kinds.

(e) To cater for all traditions and to be sympathetic to needs and requirements

(f) To be an open and inclusive organisation and to welcome members from all sections of the community

(g) To oversee the selection, coordination and preparation of teams to represent Northern Ireland at international Sea Angling events

(h) To coordinate and organise Sea Angling Competitions across Northern Ireland and to promote competitions within Northern Ireland

(i) To oversee the training of, selection of and coordination of officials for Sea Angling events held in Northern Ireland

(j) To develop and nurture the relationship between the Federation and Sport NI, the Department for Communities and any other relevant government departments

The Federation consists of:

Central Committee

1. Chairperson

Chairing is a key role on any voluntary Management Committee. The Chairperson must ensure that the Management Committee functions properly, that there is full participation during meetings, that all relevant matters are discussed and that effective decisions are made and carried out.

2. Secretary

The secretary's role in any formal group is to be guardian of the process of meetings. They are usually the person who makes the arrangements for the meetings, including AGMs, and keeps formal records of the group's process and decisions: the minutes of the meeting. This may include keeping records of correspondence.

3 Treasurer

Typically, the Treasurer's duties include the following: Financial management and/or oversight. A Treasurer may manage or oversee the management of the financial affairs of the organization, often including such basic tasks as selecting a bank, reconciling bank statements, and managing cash flow.

4 Recorder

Before any competition the recorder is responsible for distribution of score cards and counting of angler numbers. After match scores are then counted and recorded for end of league placing and future national and international team placings.

(b) Member Clubs

Northern Ireland Sea Angling Clubs that have affiliated to NIFSA of whose members will be treated as individual members of the Federation.

Anglers with no Club attachment can join the Federation and benefit from the same voting and all other rights.

(d) Associate members

A paid member of the Federation but has only partial rights and privileges or subordinate status.

International Organisation Affiliation

NIFSA will be affiliated to the following International Organisations

(a) The Confederation Internationale de le Peche Sportive – CIPS, responsible for the worldwide organisation of all angling disciplines.

(b) The Federation Internationale de la Peche Sportive en Mer - FIPS-M, responsible within the CIPS for Sea Angling and the organising of World Championships.

(c) The Sea Angling Liaison Committee of Great Britain and Ireland – SALC, a watchdog committee for sea angling in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, organises the Home International Boat and Shore Championships.

Page 1 ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

Article 1: Title.

1. The title of the organisation shall be NORTHERN IRELAND FEDERATION OF SEA ANGLERS hereinafter called NIFSA.
2. The registered office of the Federation will be situated in Unit 12, 16 Balloo Avenue, Bangor, BT17 7QT

Article 2: Objectives.

2.1 The objectives for which the NIFSA is established are to:

(a) Develop, foster and regulate the sport of sea angling in Northern Ireland.

b) Act and speak on behalf of sea angling in Northern Ireland and where such interests are involved with similar organizations in other countries.

Article 3: Membership.

3.1 The membership of NIFSA shall be fully paid up individual members of its affiliated clubs. From the above there will be:

(a) Central committee

(b) Selected organising members

(c1)Any member whose subscription or affiliation fee is more than one month in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned his/her membership of the NIFSA

(d) Membership of NIFSA shall be renewed annually and run from 1st of January until the 31st of December of the same year. Fees for membership shall be agreed at the AGM.

(e) New applicants must be vetted and passed by the committee for acceptance into the Federation.

(e1) New members are not allowed to hold office for the first 3 years of membership

(e2) New members must fish 18 shore competitions or 8 boat competitions to make themselves eligible to put their names forward for national and international duty.

(f) All new members shall be entered into the federation by the committee majority vote

(g) No reason will be given to the applicant other than acceptance or rejection

(h) No new applicant can turn up at a match without acceptance of the committee

(i) No visitor or anglers to fish matches without full insurance and proof of such

(j) If a member decides to leave the federation then a 2 year gap must occur before the member can submit an application form again.

Article 4: Administration.

4.1 The administration of the NIFSA shall be by the Central Committee, whose duties shall be to carry out the directions of the amendments voted in.

Article 5: Management Committee.

5.1 The Central Committee shall consist of:

(a)The Chairperson

(b)The Secretary

(c)Treasurer

(d)Recorder

(e)Shore Recorder

5.2 The Central Committee shall:

(a) Hold its own meetings and fix its own rules of procedure.

(b) Do any act or thing that may be in the best interests of the NIFSA and in furtherance of its objects, provided it is not at variance with NIFSA rules.

(c) Members bringing the Federation into disrepute may be suspended or expelled from the NIFSA. Individual members may appeal to Central Committee whose decision is binding.

Article 6: Annual General Meeting:

6.1 The federation will hold an Annual General meeting in every calendar year at such time and place as may be determined by the Central Committee and specify the meeting as such in the notice calling it.

6.2 The Annual General Meeting shall be held for the following purposes:

(a) To receive from the Central Committee a full statement of Account

(b) To receive from the Central Committee a report of the activities of the Federation since the previous Annual General Meeting

(d) To elect or re-elect the Federations officers, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, recorder, shore recorder

(e) To elect or re-elect Committee members, the number of members present shall not be less than one third of current member numbers.

(f) The Committee numbers should no less than 3 or no more than 6

(g) To transact such other business as may be brought before it

6.3 The minimum period of notice for the annual general meeting shall be 21 days

6.4 The notice must specify the date time and place of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted

6.5 Amendment proposals from members to existing rules will be put on the closed group page.

6.6 Each member shall be allowed to put up one statement in defence/opposition of amendment. No discussion amongst members will be allowed.

6.7 After a period of one week a yes or no option will appear for members to vote. A majority vote of one or more carries the motion. A tie defeats the motion.

6.8 This decision will be open to appeal by the members but the committees’ decision after the outcome of the appeal will be final.

6.a.1 A minimum of one third of current members must be present to discuss and vote on general business.

Holding an EGM

6.a.2 An EGM can be called by a minimum of 5 members with a minimum of 5 days notice. Notified via email and additionally Facebook. Agenda to be circulated no less than 3 days in advance.

The Chairman and 2 other committee members must be present. 15% or ten members must also be present.

Article 7: Finance.

7.1 NIFSA shall be a non-profit making organization but shall build and hold a reserve of capital.

7.2 All monies raised under the auspices of NIFSA shall be managed in accordance with the by-laws adopted by the Annual General Meeting

7.3 Financial Structures of the NIFSA shall be:

(a) Central Committee shall control the finances of the NIFSA

(b)The Finance Committee shall comprise, the Treasurer, Secretary and Recorder. The Treasurer shall provide the Annual General Meeting with the audited accounts for the financial year.

Article 8: National Register.

8.1 A full register of members of NIFSA shall be recorded each year, by procedures as set out in the by-laws adopted annually.

Article 9: Prohibited Substances.

9.1 To ensure that a member of NIFSA does not have an advantage in any competition or other occasion, by the use of any prohibited substance as prescribed by the Ulster Sports Council, he/she shall provide whatever authorised sample that may be requested by a designated person or persons of a drug testing unit

9.2 A member found in possession of, or whose sample tests positive for any prohibited substance, will in the first instance, be suspended from membership of NIFSA, pending a full investigation

9.3 A member, who fails or refuses to provide an authorised sample, shall be deemed to have tested positive and shall be suspended pending a full enquiry

9.4 Disciplinary measures shall be applied according to disciplinary by-laws as laid down by the Federation and the penalties imposed shall be consistent with the gravity and occasion of the offence.

Article 10: Discipline procedure.

10.1 If the conduct of any Federation member, publicly or within a Federation event shall, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, be injurious to the interest and character of the Federation the Executive Committee shall, after a fair hearing, be empowered to expel that person from taking part in any Federation event, function or meeting, or suspend that person’s membership for such a period of time determined by the Executive Committee, but only on a majority vote of the Executive Committee, all Executive Committee Members being present when that vote is taken. This rule in no way detracts from the autonomy of an affiliated club to take whatever action it deems necessary in relation to dealing with such a breach of conduct by a club member.

10.2 Allegations regarding child protection issues will be dealt with immediately in accordance with the NIFSA Child Policy. In these instances the individual subject to the allegation will immediately be suspended from any Federation activities involving contact with children and/or vulnerable adults until such time as the allegation(s) have been fully investigated by the relevant authority.

10.3 All disciplinary procedures will be dealt with in accordance with the Federation’s Discipline Policies and Procedures.

Article 11: Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport (Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults)

11.1 The Federation will be responsible for overseeing the adoption and implementation of the

Code as outlined by the Sport NI.

11.2 The Federation is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children in its care. It recognises the responsibility to promote safe practice and to protect children from harm, abuse and exploitation. Staff and volunteers will work together to embrace difference and diversity and respect the rights of children and young people. The Federation Child Protection Policy can be obtained on our website and advice and guidance can be obtained from our Child Protection Officer. In applying for membership clubs and individuals undertake to comply with the Federation Child Protection Policy. Furthermore, clubs are to have either a formally appointed Child Protection Officer or a nominated contact to deal with Child Protection issues pertaining to the club. To reduce administrative burden clubs may adopt the NIFSA Child Protection Policy.

Article 12: Equality and Diversity.

12.1 The Federation operates an Equal Opportunities Policy where no one is denied the right to equal access on the grounds of age, race, creed, colour, gender, disability, occupation, religion, sexual orientation of political persuasion or marital status or having or not having dependants. Where there is equality of opportunity in terms of participation, competition and the rights of members to attend the Annual General Meeting, vote and hold office. The Federation Equality and Diversity Policy can be obtained from our website. In applying for membership clubs and individuals undertake to comply with the Federation Equity Policy. Furthermore, clubs are to have either a formally appointed Equality Officer or a nominated contact to deal with equality issues pertaining to the club. To reduce administrative burden clubs may adopt the NIFSA Equity Policy.

Article 13: Dissolution

If upon the winding up or dissolution of the NIFSA there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever the same shall not be paid to or distributed

among the members of the NIFSA but shall be given or transferred to the “The Royal National Lifeboat Institution”

Article 14: Any federation member that wishes to fish for and represent any of the 2 countries within the Island of Ireland, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, may do so without any impedance or prejudice from either the federation or members of the federation

COMPETITIONS AND COMPETITION RULES

For the purpose of identification the competitions are divided into three categories, A, B and C. The importance of one competition against another is not intended and should not be construed.

Category A: FIPS-M World Boat and Shore Championships

Category B: NIFSA Annual League ALL disciplines.

Successful anglers to fish future world and home nations teams will be picked from the top ten anglers. First 5 anglers shall participate in world competitions, the next 5 anglers shall participate in the home nations. Anglers 11 and 12 shall be team subs

The prizes for the Master Angler Boat Lure Kayak and Shore Championships will be decided by the Central Committee.

With each angling discipline a focal member will be responsible for the smooth running of the league.

GENERAL COMPETITION REGULATIONS

1. All competitions fished under the rules of NIFSA shall be run on a conservation basis. Every effort must be made to ensure all fish, with the exception of those to be retained for culinary use, or considered to comply with record or specimen regulations are returned alive. In boat competitions the 'Card' system will apply. Fish are allocated points on capture and are marked on a score sheet by the Steward and returned alive. The number of points awarded per fish to be decided by the organising body. A further 11 points per species will also be awarded. A minimum size of 15cm to apply. In the event of a tie, the greatest number of fish shall decide. In the event of a second tie, the greatest number of fish with the highest points shall decide. 1A Kayak rules for league to be set 1B Lure rules for league to be set

2. All competitors must be members of NIFSA unless NIFSA has organised and is running an open competition, in which case the visiting angler must pay an additional £5 to cover insurance

3. Trophies presented, as awards in all NIFSA competitions must be returned in a satisfactory condition. Any damage or loss incurred after receipt of a trophy and prior to its return shall be the responsibility of the holder, or his/her club at the time.

4. Protests made by any competitor shall be lodged with the disciplines point of contact member within 15 minutes of return to check-in. The protest shall be in writing, signed by the competitor protesting and a fellow competitor as witness and by the officer to whom it is made.

5. NIFSA reserves the right to refuse entry to anybody it deems will bring NIFSA into disrepute.

6. Under no circumstances shall a competitor hold NIFSA, its Competition Committees or any of its members, officials or authorised personnel, responsible for any accident, loss or damage, which he/she may sustain.

7. No minimum sizes to apply with the following exceptions. Conger Eel: Points shall be decided by the organising body and shall be awarded on the following basis - under 20 cm, over 20 cm, under 35 cm and over 35 cm. Lesser Spotted Dog Fish: The first two to be measured in shore events. Set points will be awarded to all Dog Fish including those measured. In either of the above systems the organising body may apply quotas for any number of species and may decide any species ineligible.

8. The following minimum sizes to apply to fish to be retained for culinary use: Coalfish/Pollock – 30 cm, Cod - 40 cm, Conger Eel - 80 cm, Flatfish – 25 cm, Haddock – 30 cm, Ling – 60 cm, Thornback Ray – 45 cm wingspan. Blonde Ray – 45 cm wingspan. In order to ensure the protection and conservation of sea fish, all members of NIFSA must observe these measurements.

9. Angling shall be by rod and line and only one rod with reel and line may be used by a competitor. The paternoster or ledger, trace or other tackle attached thereto shall not have more than three hooks or artificial lures or baits, and only one set of tackle may be in use at the same time. No bait or fish attractants may be introduced to the water prior to the start of Category A and B Competitions. A treble hook counts as three hooks.

10. The rules governing a particular competition may be framed so as to prohibit the use of either artificial lures or baits, at the discretion of the NIFSA.

BOAT COMPETITIONS

11. All Boat Competitions run under the auspices of the NIFSA are subject to regulations and/or guidelines that will be reviewed annually.

12. In boat competitions only, terminal tackle baited or unabated, is deemed to be in use once it is outside the angler's bag or box, A competitor may have a reserve rod, but this shall not be assembled unless the rod in use is disabled, or has previously been dismounted.

13. Boats must be clearly numbered and positions therein shall be drawn for. No competitor may change or be changed to any other boat or position inferior to the boat or position wherein he/she has already been drawn, unless by the agreement of the competitor and the officials controlling the competition. In certain circumstances and where it is considered necessary, the organising body may, at its discretion and with the agreement of the competitor move him/her from one boat to another.

14. In the interest of safety, any form of overhead casting from within the boat shall be barred. Where up tide casting is permitted, the cast must be made from outside the boat.

15. All boat competitions run under NIFSA rules shall have a lines down and lines up time with an immediate return to harbour. In the event of an angler hooking a fish at lines up time, the required time should be allowed to play the fish. The remainder of the anglers on board must take their lines out of the water.

16. A competitor, steward or boatman, if called upon to do so, may assist to unhook a fish caught by another competitor.

17. A fish hooked in the mouth by two or more anglers is ineligible.

18. Entry forms properly completed and signed by the competitor will be processed and accompanied by the entry fee and boat charges, must be sent to the nominated person of the promoting body by the specified closing date. Late entries may be accepted in special circumstances, but shall only be allocated places when all competitors who have complied with entry requirements have been catered for.

19. All boats must carry the safety equipment as laid down by the NIFSA. Each angler shall be responsible for providing his/her own life saving appliance.

20. NIFSA requires all boats taking part in their competitions to be equipped with rubbish collection facilities.

21. NIFSA takes no liability for boats or other property loaned or hired to it for competitions. Clubs loan or hire the property at their own risk. To protect their rights and interests and to care for their property, they themselves shall appoint a Steward for each boat so loaned or hired. Boats privately chartered by an angler or anglers cannot take part in NIFSA competitions unless otherwise specifically stated by the committee.

SHORE COMPETITIONS

22. In shore competitions the 'Measurement' system will apply, minimum fish size for shore competitions is 18cm unless previously stated. All fish are rounded down. Fish are measured by the Steward (who may be an angler on an adjacent peg) and allocated points on a score sheet according to their length and returned alive. In the event of a tie, the greatest number of fish shall decide. In the event of a second tie, the single longest fish shall decide.

23. In all shore angling competitions the area to be fished shall be marked or staked and numbered by the competition committee prior to draw taking place. Numbered 1 up from left to right facing water. Competitors shall draw for places, which shall be a minimum of 12 metres apart. Any competitor fishing other than his/her allocated place will be disqualified. In certain circumstances, the committee may permit exceptions.

24. In all competitions, where a draw for positions takes place, only one entry per person will be permitted. Where a poor position is drawn, the angler may not draw again whether he/she pays a second fee.

25. In the interests of safety, if an angler wades out to cast, he/she must return immediately to the shore.

26. In shore competitions, every competitor must report back to the check-in area, or have a fellow competitor do so on his/her behalf.

Finance

All members must be fully paid up to NIFSA before participating in any competition or activity within NIFSA.

NIFSA Discipline rules and laws

These byelaws are basically to cover incidents that because of the nature of the sport of sea angling are not easily defined by definition. Procedures set out will be applied to any matter deemed by any Member of NIFSA to warrant a complaint or protest. Taking into account the need for Natural Justice.

1. Every complaint must be in writing and signed. Complaints based on hearsay will not be entertained. The person or persons who sign the complaint must be prepared to give a direct account of the circumstances leading to the complaint.

2. Complaints would normally be in relation to unsavoury conduct likely to bring the NIFSA into disrepute, irregularities in relation to members, organisation of competitions and breaches of safety standards. Common sense should prevail.

3. Protests come under Competition Rule 23 which could lead to disqualifying of a

competitor, or in certain circumstances more serious consequences.

4. A Member of NIFSA may make a complaint directly to the organising member or

Committee member.

5. All complaints shall be acknowledged in writing to the complainant with an indication of the date of the meeting at which the matter complained of will be discussed. The committee, on receiving the complaint will decide by majority decision if there is a case for any action. Common sense should prevail and where action is warranted the body who receives the complaint shall decide if the matter complained of is (a) Technical, (b) Trivial, (c) Serious, (d), Very Serious.

6. Where the finding is Technical the necessary steps shall be taken to rectify the matter and the complainant notified accordingly.

7. If the finding is Trivial the complainant will be notified of the finding. The matter complained of will be brought to the notice of the offending person or body. If deemed necessary.

8. When the finding is (a) Serious, (b) Very serious, the person or body making the complaint will be requested to come before the committee, with a view to confirming without equivocation that the substance of complaint is sustainable. It shall be pointed out to the complainant that a copy of the complaint will have to be forwarded to the member against whom the complaint has been made and thereafter be perused to whatever level of authority. If the complainant indicates they want to proceed. The complainant will be informed that a face-to-face hearing of the matter complained of will be held. The member against whom the complaint has been made will be notified and a copy of the complaint forwarded to them. A suitable date will be arranged.

9. All the members of the committee that received the complaint and who decided the initial finding will be entitled to attend, the committee will decide beforehand on three members to act as enquirers. The member against whom the complaint has been made will be so notified.

10. The member against whom the complaint has been made shall be entitled to whatever

Representation they wish or deem necessary at their own expense.

11. The committee conducting the hearing shall be entitled to call any witness that may be in

a position to give light to the issue.

12. The member against whom the complaint has been made shall be entitled to call any

witness that may be in a position to give light to the matter.

13. At the conclusion of the hearing the committee conducting the enquiry shall meet in private session to discuss all the evidence presented, take into account mitigating circumstances that may have come to light and then vote on to either uphold or reject the complaint.

14. In view of the fact that at this point in time there is no precedent for correct procedural

penalties it will be a matter for the committee holding the enquiry.

15. Protests will be dealt with promptly and at the time as far as possible as the subject 16. A competitor who protests to a practice of infringement of a Competition Rule by another competitor should bring the infringement to the notice of the steward, who will note the time and name of the protester. The protester must be prepared to complete the Approved Form at the termination of the event. The steward at the time the infringement is brought to his/her notice will ensure that the practice or infringement is discontinued.

17. All Sea Angling Competitors are expected to know and understand the rules of fair play. The angler who is the subject of a protest may dispute the issue. If the steward is of the opinion that there is an unfair practice, or an infringement of the rules taking place the angler shall desist. If the angler insist that what he/she is doing is legal and continues the practice or to infringe a rule. The steward will inform the competitor that he or she could be disqualified, when the matter is considered after the event.

18. A competitor who under the above byelaws is disqualified or has been the subject of a protest should understand that his or her character, integrity or reputation has not been impugned. The implementation of the rule is similar in many ways to “Sending Off” or A “Foul” in football.

19. Any protest or matter in connection with an angling event not dealt with on the day or

days of the event shall be pursued as a complaint.

20. These byelaws have as their aim to prevent the spread of disaffection within the NIFSA

and it’s members.

Safety at Sea during competitions

● Every sea angling competition or festival shall have a nominated person whose sole responsibility will be to ensure that these safety regulations are adhered to. This nominated person will be shore based throughout the event.

● Competitions /festivals shall only be held under the following:

1. Must be held during the period 1st of April to the 31st of October. 2. In daylight hours. 3. In fine weather and with good visibility. 4. Wind speed less than 25 knots. 5. Wave lengths of less than 2 metres. 6. Not more than three miles from land and fifteen miles from departure point. 7. All boats to operate within a designated area, as defined by the organisers.

● The nominated person shall obtain a localised weather forecast covering the intended area of operation on the day the competition /festival is to take place.

● numbers of sea anglers per boat shall not exceed the number deemed to be safe by the skipper of each boat and shall in no case exceed twelve.

● All boats taking part in any competition/festival shall be equipped with a marine radio equipment to facilitate communication between the boats themselves and the Coast Guard (CG). Note: A mobile phone is not an alternative for a marine radio. Adequate and in-date flares. Anchors with sufficient length of rope and chain. Fire fighting equipment. Adequate bailing facilities. A second means of propulsion. Lifebuoys.

● All sea anglers must wear a Buoyancy aid or a Personnel Floatation Device (PFD) of minimum 150 N at all times while aboard the boat. Floatation suits are not an alternative as they only have a 50 N capacity. Note: Recommendation from the Department of the Marine requires a PFD to the standard of EN 396, so if you a intending on buying a new PED try and get one to this standard.

● All such safety boats shall be suitable and equipped for the purposes for which they are intended, bearing in mind the need for speed, sea-keeping, communications, visibility and means of recovery of persons from the water. Safety boat should be crewed with sufficient and experienced personnel. The role and use of the safety boat shall be fully explained to and understood by all those involved. Procedures to be used in any emergency situation, shall be clearly established in advance between the nominated person and the crews of the safety boat and the crews of the sea angling boat.

The nominated person shall give prior notification to the CG in good time, giving the date and the area of fishing of any sea angling competition / festival. This notification shall include the names of all the boats participating and the number of persons on each boat. The nominated person shall agree a reporting procedure with the CG including contact arrangements between the CG and the nominated person.

The nominated person shall maintain a written record of the names of all the boats participating in the competition/festival and the names of the persons on board each boat. Record the return of all boats and any incident connected with safety. The nominated person shall submit a report on the competition/festival to the Secretary of NIFSA

Any competition/festival organiser(s), boat owner or sea angler failing to comply with the directions of the nominated person shall be held in breach of the regulations. The nominated person shall have the authority to disqualify the boat, call off the competition/ festival or disqualify the angler. Any such incidents shall be notified to the committee.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers

1 Statement of Policy

The aim of this policy is to communicate the commitment of Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers to the promotion of equality of opportunity within our club.

It is our policy to provide equality of opportunity to all, irrespective of:

Gender, including gender reassignment
Marital or civil partnership status
Having or not having dependants
Religious belief or political opinion
Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, being an Irish Traveller)
Disability
Sexual orientation
Age

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All club members, office bearers, employees and volunteers who work for us will be treated fairly and will not be discriminated against on any of the above grounds.

Our equal opportunities policy applies to all club members, office bearers and volunteers to help all those in The Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers to develop their full potential, provide an enjoyable sporting environment for all, and fully utilise the talents and resources of available within The Federation.

2 Equality Commitments

We are committed to:

Promoting equality of opportunity for all persons
Promoting an enjoyable sporting environment in which all persons are treated with respect
Preventing occurrences of unlawful direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation
Fulfilling all our legal obligations under the equality legislation and associated codes of practice
Taking lawful affirmative or positive action, where appropriate
Regarding all breaches of equal opportunities policy as misconduct which will be dealt with through the Federations normal procedures.

This policy will be made available to all Federation members and those working for the Federation through the Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers Web Site and Facebook Page

The effectiveness of our equal opportunities policy will be reviewed regularly [at least annually] and action taken as necessary.

3 Implementation

The Northern Ireland Federation of Sea Anglers office bearers, and including the ? and Club Secretary, have specific responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy. Each office bearer also has responsibilities and we expect all our Federation members, volunteers and employees to abide by the policy and help create the equal opportunities environment which is its objective.

In order to implement this policy we shall:

Communicate the policy widely
Incorporate specific and appropriate duties in respect of implementing the equal opportunities policy into job descriptions and work objectives of staff
Provide equality training and guidance as appropriate to employees and volunteers
Ensure that those who may be involved in assessing candidates for recruitment or promotion have received appropriate training
Obtain commitments from other persons or organisations such as subcontractors or agencies that they too will comply with the policy in their dealings with our club, its members, volunteers and staff.
Ensure that adequate resources are made available to fulfil the objectives of the policy.

4 Monitoring and Review

The effectiveness of our equal opportunities policy will be reviewed regularly and action taken as necessary. Where monitoring suggests there is an issue in relation to this policy then we will develop an action plan to address the issue in question.

5 Complaints

Members who believe that they have suffered any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation are entitled to raise the matter through the agreed club procedures1 [specify]. All complaints of discrimination will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially.

In addition to our internal procedures, employees have the right to pursue complaints of discrimination through the courts or to an industrial tribunal or the Fair Employment Tribunal under the following anti-discrimination legislation:

Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, as amended
Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended
Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, as amended
Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003
Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, as amended
Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970, as amended.

However, employees wishing to make a complaint will normally be required to raise their complaint under our internal grievance procedures first2.

Every effort will be made to ensure that those who make complaints will not be victimised. Any complaint of victimisation will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially. Victimisation will result in disciplinary action and may warrant dismissal.