Catch & Release
WYE SALMON: 2004 BEST START TO SEASON FOR DECADES PROVIDES BOOST FOR LOCAL ECONOMY
Since the season started on 3rd March, There has been a significant upturn in catches of salmon and visiting fishermen. Two lucky fishermen at Builth Wells and Monmouth have already landed fish both over 30lbs, but many other catches have included fish between 20 and 30lbs. Salmon have been caught throughout the entire river system, with many beats recording four times as many fish as in recent years by the same date.
Commenting on these results, Dr Stephen Marsh - Smith, director of the Wye and Usk Foundation said: "We believe success has come about as a result of the actions taken to restore the habitat of the spawning tributaries during projects started back in 1996 but also as a result of controlling exploitation of catches both by byelaw and voluntary catch and release."
"However, more recent work to open up more nursery areas means that even more adult salmon are needed to populate these streams. This in turn will increase the smolt output of the Wye and significantly advance us towards our goal of returning catch levels to above the basic minimum requirements and to a state where the river is once again supporting a thriving fishery with ghillies, anglers and fish in good numbers. It is of course not yet time to relax last years essential voluntary catch and release policy."
'For the Environment Agency Wales, Bill Purvis confirmed early indications
from rod catches were that salmon numbers had increased. At the same time
he pointed out that the recent fish pass at Hampton Court, river Lugg, opened
in 2003 for example, would open up nursery areas requiring at least 1000
extra adult salmon to take advantage of the extra habitat.
He appealed to all Wye fishermen and owners to take advantage of the
better fish stocks this year and allow future numbers to rise by putting
back as many adult fish as possible after the 16th June.'
Mike Wilkinson and Russell De'ath (English Nature and Countryside Council for Wales) who with the Environment Agency and Wye and Usk Foundation are joint sponsors of a scheme to reward salmon anglers who return fish after the period of compulsory catch and release expires on June 16th pointed out that returning fish was one of the most cost effective ways of restoring the Wye’s salmon run. END
Note to editor:
In 2003, a very successful scheme to encourage fishers to return salmon caught after 16th June resulted in a total of 72% of those caught being returned. This is the %age for the whole year: is this the figure to mention rather than 52% post 16/6?
The River Wye flows through both England and Wales and was once known as the premier salmon river of England and Wales. In 1998 it was listed as a Special Area of Conservation for (amongst other species) its salmon under the EU Habitats Directive, 1992. In October a consortium of the Environment Agency, Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission, The Wye and Usk Foundation and others received approval for a second EU funded project of £1.5 million to deal with problems such as habitat restoration, the effects of acid rain and fish pass construction.
For details of this scheme and all other Wye restoration work please contact:
Stephen Marsh-Smith
01982 560238
0781 211 8065
Rivers House,
St Mellons,
Cardiff
Peter Gough, Bill Purvis or Mike Clyde
0290 770088
Russell De'ath or Richard Jones
02920 772400
Mike Wilkinson
01531 638500
For more information on this press release please contact Graham Paskett
or Debbie Clarke at
Paskett Public Relations Limited,
50/51 Friar Gate,
Derby,
DE1 1DF.
Tel: (01332) 372196,
fax: (01332) 291035 or e-mail: grahampaskett@paskett.co.uk or debbieclarke@paskett.co.uk.
