Yes Duncan, found out about it on ADAA Forum. I am afraid the Scottish Numpty Party are not just satisfied about pushing Fish Farming beyond a sensible (and sustainable re wild stocks) remit, they seem to be pandering to the netsmen now as well ! Now, they could argue, that they too have a right to target wild stocks and when anglers start whingeing about predators, commercial fisheries etc takin "oor fush" we just sound selfish. If anglers feel strongly they should not support an Estate that runs a sport fishery as well as leasing netting rights to a commercial organisation. Vote with your feet, or if you fish there you have no grounds for complaint. Perhaps the returns from angling are down and the estate is leasing the commercial netting to make up the shortfall ? If so it is a pity that an angling syndicate or Association couldn't have been approached and leased it instead - I can think of one locally that I am sure would have been very welcomed by it's members ! If they really are just reaping the bounty of both then they are irresponsible and greedy, in my opinion. Talk about a conflict of interests. But then is it not the same with Johnston's on the North Esk ?
Now, I am not anti-fish farming per se, but if we have so much of it then why do we have to net already pressured wild stocks which are precious in terms of tourist angling as well as local recreational angling ? Has anyone surveyed to determine whether the Foveran engine is sustainable re the existing stocks ? I personally find it hard to read most of the angling press at the moment whether it is Bruce Sandison's becoming-boring-very-fast crusade against the Salmon Farming Industry or Trout Fisherman with it's "let's nuke the Cormorants" agenda as, we anglers, just sound like Victorian 'Sportsmen' eg. kill anything with hooked claw or beak or stop anything that conflicts with our own particular interests. Truth is all things have to exist together, but I agree that natural predators coupled with a netting engine could tip the balance against all interests actually, but primarily it is the fish that will suffer. The fact that anglers are saying "oh well, at least the netsmen will kill off the seals" is really worrying and is totally missing the point. If they did, the netsmen would just catch more of the fish in the estuary ! A Seal has to work for it's dinner, a net just sits there.
Maybe one of the Ythan Board will come on and enlighten us further, particulary with what the quota is for the two engines that have been leased. Truth is we don't know much about this venture, it may not be as bad as we think ot it might be terrible.
Lindsay