Salmon Conservation
What is the value of a salmon? This varies according to who catches it. To a kingfisher or goosander a young salmon is a tasty meal. To a poacher or commercial netsman it is upto £15 per lb. To the rural economy each one caught on rod and line is worth £4,000+, whilst to a fishery's capital value it is worth around £12,000 per fish caught each year, whether kept or released. To someone caught with an illegally taken fish it is worth minus £1,000! To those concerned with restoring a depleted salmon run, a fish left in the river to breed is priceless.
With that last point in mind, what has the Wye & Usk Foundation done to conserve and increase the number of fish on the redds?
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In 2000 we bought off the Severn Estuary drift nets for good with funding from owners, MSF (Orri Vigfusson's Migratory Salmon Fund), concerned trusts and fishermen.
Also in 2000 we signed up the Goldcliff putchers (upstream of Newport) to a five year moratorium.
In 1998, we launched a catch and release scheme to reward anglers who returned spring salmon alive to the river. This was superseded by the national byelaws, which made the return of all salmon before 16th June mandatory.
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In 2003 we introduced another River Wye Catch and Release incentive scheme from 16th June to the end of season.
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In 2003 We pressed hard, despite the unpopularity, to have worming, shrimping and prawning banned on the Wye. They were later that year.
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We joined with the Wessex Salmon Trust to provide evidence for the EU complaint against the Irish drift nets. In 2007, all legal Irish drift netting ceased.
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In 2010 WUF and Environment Agency bought off the Lydney Park Putchers for a single year. A permanent solution is sought for 2011.
And with what result?
Averaged over the last decade, about 1,200 salmon p/a will be freed to spawn the Wye & Usk rivers but in all probability, many more than that. For the first time since Roman times salmon have free access beyond the estuary nets and traps.
On the Wye, catch and release rates have risen from 7% in 1996, to over 70% in 2010 but the stocks are still at risk.
| Wye | Usk | |
| 1996 | 7% | 2% |
| 2003 | 72% | 58% |
| 2004 | 73% | 49% |
| 2005 | 85% | 60% |
| 2006 | 88% | 64% |
| 2007 | 73% | 51% |
| 2008 | 75% | 54% |
| 2009 | 71% | 47% |
Until 2009 salmon stocks were looking to be stable and satisfactory on the Usk but poor runs 2009 and 2010 have reduced its "not at risk status". This, coupled with the need to fill recently opened tributaries, mean that it would be best to return fish to the Usk too, at least until there are clear signs that sea survival rates are increasing.
Catch and Release Schemes
- a history on the Wye & Usk
In 1998, The Wye & Usk Foundation, together with Natural England, Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales funded an incentive scheme to make fishermen aware of the situation and reward them for releasing salmon. An embroidered sweatshirt was given to reward anglers who released a salmon during the non-mandatory release period. Having re-opened approximately 50% of the entire river Wye catchment during the last decade or so, the need for every salmon to be returned remains essential to their conservation.
In 2009/10, Sportfish of Winforton also joined the salmon conservation initiative and generously offered a £10 voucher for each and every Wye and Usk salmon that goes back after June 15th as a reward to anglers. Unfortunately, none of these incentives were sufficient to ensure the required return rate of over 90% was achieved and so......
In 2011 a byelaw requiring all salmon to be returned on the Wye was proposed. Although not in place (as of June 2011) we urge that every single fish is returned on the Wye. Usk fish must be returned by law until 16th June. However, this river is not reaching its conservation target and needs a higher level of catch and release that is currently being practised. In 2011, we urge, at the very least, that all coloured fish and hens are returned on the Usk after that date. To provide further incentive, Sportfish have kindly agreed to continue the £10 Voucher C&R initiative for the Usk in 2011. Please note that only one voucher per angler can be claimed in the 2011 season (terms & conditions below). If you have caught and released an Usk salmon after June 16th and wish to claim your voucher, please email admin@wyeuskfoundation.org with the following details:
Anglers name, Address for postage, Postcode, Telephone, Email, Witness name & telephone number, Date of capture, Beat, Pool, Method, Estimated Weight or Length, Sex.
Terms & Conditions:
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The initiative applies to only Usk salmon caught after 16th June.
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Salmon capture has to be witnessed or photographed. If the latter, photographs should be taken as quickly as possible with the fish in the net/margins. Please do not haul salmon up the bank or lift them out of the water.
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£10 Sportfish vouchers are limited to one per angler for the 2011 season.
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Anglers must supply their name & contact details and, if applicable, witness to WUF.
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By applying for the C&R voucher, anglers agree that their details can be passed on to Sportfish for marketing purposes.
