Breakthrough measures to protect precious salmon and sea trout stocks have been announced by Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government. The new Environment Agency byelaws, which will make tagging of net-caught salmon and sea trout obligatory, came into force on 31 January, 2009.
The new byelaws mean that:
* it is an offence to sell rod-caught salmon or sea trout in England and Wales (regardless of where they were caught)
* the carcasses of all net-caught salmon and sea trout must be individually tagged after capture and the details of the fish caught recorded in an annual log-book.
Under these new byelaws all salmon and sea trout caught by licensed net fisheries in England and Wales must have a uniquely numbered tag affixed soon after capture. The tags resemble cable ties and are threaded through the mouth and gills of the dead fish and permanently fixed by way of a tamper-proof lock. This will significantly aid anti-poaching enforcement work by the Environment Agency as any fish exposed for sale as wild-caught must be carcass tagged – if it is not, then it is likely to be illegally caught.
These new laws will act to reduce the opportunity for poachers to sell on illegally caught fish and will also reduce the number of fish caught and killed by a minority of licensed anglers who previously have offered their catch for sale. However, anglers will still be able to catch and kill fish for their own consumption or to give to friends.
Mat Crocker Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency said: “Fishmongers and those in the catering industry are key to the success of these measures. We already warn them against handling salmon and sea trout in suspicious circumstances, that may have been caught illegally or out of season. These byelaws will make it easier for them, as any fish offered to them must be tagged. We would warn anyone dealing in wild salmon and sea trout not to accept untagged wild fish. The tag also guarantees that the purchaser is buying a genuine wild fish”
In further good news for salmon and sea trout, measures put in place to protect stocks ten years ago have been renewed by Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government until 2019. Under these renewed byelaws:
* all salmon caught by rod and line before 16th June each year must be returned to the water with the least possible injury;
* salmon anglers may only fish with artificial fly or artificial lure before 16 June;
* the start of the fishing season for salmon and sea trout net fishers is 1st June. Local exceptions apply to some named net fisheries that target sea trout and may fish from an earlier date, but any salmon caught by these nets must be returned with the least possible injury.
Mat Crocker, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: “We need to ensure that the stocks of these fantastic fish are properly cared for. So I am personally very pleased that the protection given 10 years ago has been renewed for the benefit of anglers, net fishers and the environment.
“We estimate these measures to have resulted in 2,500 additional spring salmon per year spawning in English and Welsh rivers. Retaining these byelaws for a further 10 years will further protect and enhance these vulnerable stocks. These renewed measures, teamed with the new ban on the sale of rod caught fish and carcass tagging of net-caught fish, will help us achieve our goal of more salmon and more sea trout in more rivers.
“We have received widespread support for the extension of these byelaws to maintain the protection of spring salmon and help restore stocks.”
