Having failed utterly with a similar campaign in the USA, the foreign animal rights organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), with a "war chest" reputed to be £30m has launched a sensationalist publicity campaign to try to get fishing banned in the UK.

The cheek of an outfit who speak for hardly anyone in Britain trying to impose their extremist view on a traditional part of British life via our own laws will be roundly repudiated by the estimated three million ordinary people in the UK who fish for leisure. Nor will it have pleased the Government, whose latest manifesto expressly reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding angling. But we can expect more of the same propaganda from PETA.

The Countryside Alliance is unique in the UK in including in its manifesto a pledge to combat the extremist animal rights agenda whilst campaigning for responsible animal welfare principles. The Alliance, which of course is well-used to challenging attacks on country sports such as hunting, has long warned that other traditional pastimes would soon be subject to similar assault.

In fishing's defence we have ourselves already swung into action. For example, through our major new "Gone Fishing" campaign, the Alliance has picked up the cudgels against PETA over the American group's previous recent anti-fishing ruse - a cleverly biased "education" pack, still being distributed in alarmingly large numbers into our schools. We will continue to fight for fishing's future and will resist implacably the attempts by animal rights zealots to poison public opinion on angling.

JOHN HAIGH, Yorkshire Area public relations officer, Countryside Alliance, Northallerton Road, Thirsk