I'm with you on this Ivor
The Dee beats are generally owned by the 'well healed' and 'well off' so do they need public money ? I think the answer to that is a resounding no.
If the beat owners want to lower the temperature, improve the fishing and therefore increase the value of their asset they are more than capable of doing it themselves without public handouts.
Improving salmon fishing in the NE should not just be about the Dee - the so called 'lesser' rivers ( Don, Deveron, Ythan etc) should given at least a fair chance but probably don't have the lobbying resources to compete with the likes of the Dee....