Livelihoods being put at risk, say fisher men

INDUSTRY: Fishermen in Filey have accused the Environment Agency of putting their “livelihoods at risk” after it failed to recommend extending the sea trout fishing season.

A consultation was held after the Government announced plans to reduce the sea trout season, which runs from April to July, to help preserve salmon stocks.

FISHERMEN IN Filey have accused the Environment Agency of putting their “livelihoods at risk” after it failed to recommend extending the sea trout fishing season.

A five-week consultation was held earlier this year after the Government announced plans to reduce the sea trout netting season, which currently runs from April to July, in order to help preserve salmon stocks.

It followed “extensive” trials last summer which saw the Environment Agency work closely with commercial netsmen to pilot a modified net designed to entangle sea trout but allow salmon to be released unharmed.

The Agency said an “unequivocal” 93 per cent of responses to the consultation were opposed to extending the current sea trout netting season.

The group of six Filey fishermen remaining in the bay, known as ‘The Filey Few’, said the consultation failed to take into account their submission, which included a 25,000 signature petition, and said that fishery “which had been at the heart of Filey for over 1,000 years” was now in risk of being lost.

Filey Few spokesman Rex Harrison said: “We campaigned for two years to keep fishing in Filey – during that time we collected more than 25,000 signatures online and in-person. We submitted those signatures from the Filey fishermen into the consultation process – it’s not listed as a response. Public opinion was on our side.

“We’ve been fighting this battle since 2018, and we don’t understand why – our fishery is clean, low-impact and such an important part of the local community.”

Mr Harrison said Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake had now contact the Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis to investigate what happened with the petition, and the Filey Few were investigating any way in which they could appeal the decision.

The Filey Few said the Environment Agency trials last year showed roughly 90 salmon a year were caught alongside the 5,000 sea trout – “the majority of which are released alive within less than a minute of capture”.

The Environment Agency told

The Yorkshire Post it was never formally given the petition.