The Conservation of Salmon(Annual Close Time and Catch and Release)(Scotland)Regulations 2014.
On 24th November 2014 the above Statutory Instrument was laid before the Scottish Parliament and comes into force on 9th January 2015. Basically it means mandatory catch and release of all rod caught salmon (and sea trout) on every system across Scotland from the start of the season until 31st of March. This measure will be in place for a period of five years and reviewed annually.
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
“The Scottish Government places a high value on conservation of our wild Scottish salmon and other wild fish stocks. While I recognise the tremendous contribution that catch and release and the voluntary cessation of netting have had in previous seasons, I think more should be done to provide certainty about the protection of spring stocks.
“The Independent Review of Wild Fisheries has recently concluded and we are currently considering the recommendations from it and will consult further on firm policy propositions in due course. However the protection of the spring stocks cannot wait for that work to be completed and we have taken positive action to protect this iconic species.”
To view this Statutory Instrument click on the link below.
Stronger Control on Killing Wild Salmon.
The killing of wild salmon could require a licence following a public consultation that will be launched early in the new year.
The consultation will seek views on a conservation measure to ban killing wild salmon except under licence, along with an accompanying carcass tagging scheme to help enforcement. The measure would apply to both anglers and netters and it is hoped that the new system would be in place for the 2016 season. Catch and release in the rod fishery already stands at 80% across the season.
The introduction of a kill licence was a key recommendation of the independent review of wild fisheries published last month. The review called for this issue to be given immediate consideration given the conservation status of wild salmon.
Information on both of these topics can be found on the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards Website.
The Committee.