Return salmon call to save fish

ANGLERS are being urged to release all the salmon they catch this year as the dwindling numbers of the fish in Welsh rivers continues to cause alarm.

Dave Mee, senior fisheries adviser for Natural Resources Wales (NRW), said: “The salmon is an important part of our environment and our culture in Wales, so it is essential we do all we can to help preserve as many fish as possible.

“We would like to see anglers and netsmen voluntarily release all the salmon and more of the sea trout they catch to ensure more fish survive to migrate upstream to spawn and produce juvenile fish to help boost stocks.”

Fish stocks in 23 salmon rivers and 33 sea trout rivers are assessed annually in Wales and placed in categories according to their risk of failing to achieve important stock targets.

The assessments for 2016 show that all but two of the 23 salmon rivers (the Severn and Usk) are failing to reach their management target and are either “at risk” or “probably at risk”.

For sea trout, 16 of the 33 rivers assessed are in a similar poor condition, with a low level of spawning fish.

About 78% of salmon and sea trout are released after being caught, although this includes existing statutory controls. The number of fish returned on a voluntary basis is around 60% during the summer.

Peter Gough, principal fisheries adviser for NRW, said: “Although stock levels continue to be a cause for concern, some Welsh rivers are showing positive signs.

“The Wye showed a really encouraging improvement in salmon numbers in 2015 and 2016 and we predict it will move out of the ‘at risk’ category by 2020 to be ‘probably not at risk’.

“We believe this is the result of a combination of earlier catch and release and other fishing controls.

“The River Ogmore is also worthy of mention, with Ogmore Angling Association introducing their own rules to ensure 100% of the salmon caught are released.”

Mr Mee added: “The number of fish, and salmon in particular, migrating into many Welsh rivers was worryingly low again last year. We have seen very poor catches, especially of summer grilse [salmon returning after their first winter at sea] for the past three years.

“Most anglers are already voluntarily releasing the fish they catch but we feel the situation is now so serious for salmon that we must ask all anglers to release all of their salmon.

“We are considering further regulation.”