Fishing dispute heads to Europe , Scotland

Fishing dispute heads to Europe

Anglers and netsmen who fish the same Angus river are at loggerheads over the cause of dwindling salmon stocks.

31 December 2011 13:47 GMT

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292033

Fishy business: Each side lays the blame with the other Pic: © STV

A group of anglers who fish the River South Esk in Angus have launched proceedings against the Scottish Government, claiming ministers are not doing enough to protect dwindling salmon stocks.

The fishermen filed a legal complaint with the European Commission amidst claims that a local netting company is taking too many fish.

Anglers allege that netting stations which catch fish as they swim up the Angus coast are partly to blame for the shortage of fish in the South Esk.

They have called for the Scottish Government to implement ‘conservation proposals’ that would address the problem.

Byron Pace, spokesperson for Brechin Angling Club, said: "What we see on the River South Esk and what has been picked up by the Scottish Government's own scientists is that there's been a dramatic decline in the Spring component of Atlantic salmon on the River South Esk for a number of years now and the rejection of the conservation proposals put forward to the Scottish Government puts that under serious threat."

In their complaint to the European Commission, the anglers’ legal team argues that ministers have emphasised the property rights of the netsmen at the expense of protecting salmon stocks in the river.

However, their case is disputed by the netsmen, who insist there is no evidential basis for the claims being made and point to a count of over 18,000 fish in the nearby North Esk in 2010.

George Pullar, spokesperson for Usan Salmon Fisheries Ltd, said: "Their season length is 223 days. Ours is only 80 days. So how can we affect stocks like their season when most of the season we're not actually fishing and there's quite clearly no problem with the stocks on the North Esk?

“It makes me wonder where they get the evidence to base that there's a problem with the South Esk.”

The local salmon fisheries board has also lobbied the Scottish Government to impose netting restrictions. Usan Salmon Fisheries said such limits would destroy their business

via news.stv.tv

The Daily Catch Team

THE DAILY CATCH http://fishingnews.posterous.com/fishing-dispute-heads-to-europe-scotland Fishing dispute heads to Europe Anglers and netsmen who fish the same Angus river are at loggerheads over the cause of dwindling salmon stocks. 31 December 2011 13:47 GMT Comment 292033 Fishy business: Each side lays the blame with the other Pic: © STV A group of anglers who fish the River South Esk ...