The Environment Agency wants to hear from anglers, fishery owners and other interested parties about its proposals to reform the law on fish removal by rod and line and the removal of a close season on still water brown trout and salmon fisheries.
The proposed new brown trout and salmon byelaws could see anglers allowed to fish on stillwaters year round, while the reforms on fish removal could spell a victory for anglers that have long campaigned for tighter controls to protect fish stocks. The proposed fish removal byelaws will also make it mandatory to return rod-caught eel and shad.
The consultations are open now and can be found at
Fish Removal: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/consultations/108764.aspx.
and
Brown trout and salmon on stillwaters: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/consultations/108768.aspx
If you do not have internet access or prefer to respond by post, you can obtain a hardcopy of the consultation documents by phoning 08708 506 506 (Mon-Fri, 8am – 6pm), quoting “fish removal” or “close seasons” consultation.
Adrian Taylor, policy manager at the Environment Agency, said:
“In developing our proposals, we need to balance the need to protect fish stocks with the rights of fisheries owners and managers to decide how their fisheries should be managed. We need the views of the angling community to help us strike the right balance.”
