[Hamish Young]

Some of you may have seen this on 'social media' which is where I clocked it. For those who have not, herewith yesterdays press release:

Fishery Boards unite to lease Ythan estuary and coastal nets. Netting will not proceed in 2015 in the interests of conservation.

Following negotiations between local fishery boards and the Usan Salmon Company, commercial salmon and sea trout netting in the Ythan estuary and on the coast just to the south will not take place during 2015. The netting rights in question, which had been purchased by Usan in 2014, have not been exercised since 1997. There is very considerable concern locally that renewed netting would do significant damage to already depleted salmon and sea trout stocks.

Mark Andrew, Clerk to the Ythan District Fishery Board, said: “Usan, appreciating the sensitivities regarding netting in the Ythan, offered to refrain for the whole of the 2015 season if a compensation payment could be agreed. Following a successful negotiation we have now paid the company a considerable sum. In recognition of the mixed stocks nature of the fishery, four fishery boards have contributed – the Ythan, the Dee, the Don and the Spey”.

Mr Andrew continued: “This is an excellent example of fishery boards working together and pooling resources for the common good and in the interests of fish conservation both in the Ythan and further afield”.

Alastair Hume MBE, Honorary President and founding member of Aberdeen and District Angling Association (which owns several beats on the Ythan), commented: “We at the ADAA – as Scotland’s largest community-based angling organization – are immensely grateful to all four fishery boards which have joined forces to fund this deal. For this year at least the threat of renewed netting has been lifted”.

Mr Hume added: “The Ythan is known as the working man’s river and our fishings there are available to all our 1100 members. Any renewed netting would not only compromise their enjoyment but also jeopardize all the volunteer effort and funds our club has invested over the years to support fish conservation in the Ythan, particularly through the River Ythan Trust, which is at the forefront of salmon and sea trout conservation locally”.”.

ENDS

Issued by Andrew Graham-Stewart (telephone 01863 766767 or 07812 981531) on behalf the Ythan District Fishery Board. For further information, telephone Mark Andrew, Clerk to the Ythan DFB, on 01651 851664.

Notes for editors


1) The Ythan District Fishery Board is empowered to protect, enhance and conserve salmon and sea trout and has a general duty to ensure the protection and enhancement of the fishery within the Ythan catchment. The Ythan has a strict conservation code with very limited bag limits. Anglers now release back into the water the great majority of fish they catch.

2) Virtually all the river is either controlled by local angling associations or available at very modest cost.

3) Aberdeen and District Angling Association grew from humble beginnings in 1946 to become Scotland’s premier angling club with 1,100 members and its own fishing beats on the Dee, Don and Ythan rivers. See www.adaa.org.uk

4) Mixed stocks coastal netting stations indiscriminately catch any salmon passing by, regardless of where they are heading or the strength of the various populations in their home rivers. They are completely non-selective, making the management of individual river stocks almost impossible.

So is this a first step in the direction of 'unified' fishery boards (and trusts) buying out netting stations permanently or will this be the first step in said organisations getting a kicking on an annual basis by various netting companies I'd like to see it being the former and if the boards and trusts have their wits about them they will start fund raising now.

H

[Rob Brownfield]

Ultimately, as an angler, are we are now paying a private company not to fish? (presumably the fishery board gets its money from riparian owners who get their money from anglers?)

I think I am going to take shares in Usan if that's the case, easy money for them!

What is to stop them buying as many netting rights as they can then basically demanding "protection" money from the fishery boards?

All praise to the Boards for stepping in and preventing netting, but I strongly feel the Scottish Government should never have granted a licence to Usan in the first place inline with their promise to protect wild migratory fish stocks.

The Environment Minister Aileen McLeod said:

“This forthcoming consultation shows we are committed to meeting our obligations on salmon conservation by ensuring that killing by any method is sustainable. The Wild Fisheries Review report was published in October and recommended immediate action on this issue and I am pleased to be able to act quickly on one of their key recommendations. Salmon is a protected species under the Habitats Directive and we need to ensure that any killing is sustainable".

[Hamish Young]

What is to stop them buying as many netting rights as they can then basically demanding "protection" money from the fishery boards?

I believe they did just that...... the buying up of netting rights anyway 

[Mark Zhang]

Does anyone know if the licence has a limit of killing? For example, 1000fish or more. If we cannot stop the licence, should we spend the money to hatch more salmon and put them back to river. For the licence owner, they should put back enough baby salmon to cover their killing. Another fun thought, how about we all start to kill the fish and clean the river, then nobody will buy the licence because there is no fish in the river. After that, we can re-stock our river without netting  . It's not joking, it happened in some part of earth I know, and it's still happening.

[Mike Barrio]

Your radical ideas will get you shot MZfishing