Trout and Salmon

FISH-FARMING CRISIS
HITS HEADLINES
A COMBINATION of scandal and
shocking scientific discoveries
have pushed the fish-farming
industry into the national media
spotlight, where its practices may
be scrutinised by the wider
public rather than just the
angling community.
The Times newspaper (June 2)
reported that an astonishing
1,000,000 farmed salmon died in
Loch Fyne fish farms in 2016 as a
result of a plague of sea-lice.
Its findings were based on a
report by Salmon & Trout
Conservation, which revealed how
200,000 Loch Fyne fish died in
October alone. Despite the deaths
and sea-lice infestation, some Loch
Fyne farms enjoyed RSPCA Assured
certification and their salmon was
sold in Co-Op supermarkets.
Sunday Herald (June 4) reported
allegations that giant US firm Merck
hired scientists to criticise a study
that revealed the company’s fish
farm chemical was causing
widespread environmental
damage in Scotland.
Merck makes Slice, a pesticide
containing emamectin benzoate
that is used to kill sea-lice.
According to Sunday Herald, the
scientists behind the study and the
Scottish Environment Protection
Chemicals, feed and fish faeces form a sludge on the seabed under a fish farm.
MEMORABLE FISH
THE WINNERS of the Sharpe’s
fish of the month competition in
April are: salmon – Martin Parker,
Foxford, Mayo (10 lb, East Mayo
AA water River Moy, on fly); trout
– Alistair McEwan, Glenkindie,
Aberdeenshire (4 lb 4 oz brown
trout, nymph, River Don).
May’s winners are: salmon –
Ewan Maclachlan, Aberdeen
(20 lb, Sluie beat, River Dee,
Green Highlander); trout –
Daniel Brown, Bridgend
(brown trout, 7½ lb, River
Ogmore, Skullhead Intruder).
Agency (SEPA) privately protested
about Merck’s involvement in a peer
review process, but were overruled
by Scottish Government and salmon
industry officials, who insisted
Merck’s role should be kept secret.
Sunday Herald also disclosed that
at least 45 lochs have been
contaminated by the chemical.
The documents revealing the
cover-up were obtained by Salmon
and Trout Conservation Scotland.
Merck said: “Emamectin has been
used for more than 15 years for the
safe treatment of sea-lice on
Atlantic salmon.” The drug has
been widely approved for use by
governments around the world.
Further criticism of aquaculture to
hit the headlines was a landmark
study by Inland Fisheries Ireland
scientists, reported in The Irish
Times (May 22), which has indicated
that grilse numbers can crash by
more than 50 per cent in the years
following high lice levels on nearby
salmon farms during the smolt
migration. Dr Samuel Shephard and
Dr Paddy Gargan’s study was based
on 26 years of data from the River
Erriff. However, they also concluded
that the impact of the lice does not
explain the overall decline in the
Erriff’s salmon population, which may
also be caused by climate change.
RUTLAND'S 40
ANGLIAN WATER is marking
the 40th birthday of Rutland
Water by offering discounted
fishing on the weekend of
July 15-16.
Boat and bank permits will be
only £10 (two fish plus catchand-release);
day boats will be
£15 (8 am-5 pm). There will also
be a tagged fish competition
with the winner receiving a 2018
season ticket. On Saturday, there
will be starter lessons, fly-tying
shows, a charity auction and
commemorative cake-cutting.
The reservoir opened for
fishing on May 6, 1977.
For details, call the lodge:
01780 686441.
HELP TO STOP BYCATCH
ANGLING TRUST CHIEF
MARK LLOYD ASKS
FOR VOLUNTEERS
TO MONITOR
INSHORE NETTING
IN APRIL I reported that the
Angling Trust has successfully
persuaded the Environment
Agency to consult on proposals for reducing
targeted coastal netting for salmon and sea-trout,
and the consultation – delayed by the general
election – will be launched shortly. The attention
of the Save Our Salmon campaign has moved on
to reducing the bycatch, and illegal catch, of
migratory fish in the wide variety of inshore nets
that are used in our estuaries and around our
coastline. Gill nets, when set as entanglement
nets, will catch any and every fish that tries to
pass through them, and have become much more
widespread in recent decades.
The ten Inshore Fishery and Conservation
Authorities (IFCAs) around the coast of England
are in the process of reviewing their byelaws. This
was a requirement set out under the Marine and
Coastal Access act of 2009. The IFCAs replaced
the old Sea Fisheries Committees and are
responsible for managing fish stocks and fisheries
to six nautical miles from the shore. Some have
made more progress than others in reviewing
their existing byelaws. The bylaws cover a whole
range of issues, but these include the protection
of smolts and returning adult salmon and seatrout
in estuaries and at sea.
Last autumn, Angling Trust published a dossier
of evidence about the need to reform the inshore
netting regulations and we used it to support our
input into consultations on new bylaws restricting
the use of nets in estuaries in both the Cornwall/
Devon and Severn IFCA districts, which were
eventually approved by the IFCA committees.
When signed off by Defra they will have a
significant impact – subject to being enforced – in
ensuring better protection for migratory fish.
Most IFCA committees include anglers, but
commercial netsmen still dominate. We need
local anglers to get involved in the bylaw review
process by using their knowledge to propose new
bylaws, or amendments to existing byelaws, to
ensure IFCAs manage stocks in their districts in
line with their responsibilities to, “lead, champion
and manage a sustainable marine environment
and inshore fisheries, by successfully securing the
right balance between social, environmental and
economic benefits to ensure healthy seas,
sustainable fisheries and a viable industry.”
The Southern IFCA is one of the next IFCAs to
begin the process of reviewing bylaws relating to
netting. Southern has an Angling Liaison Group,
with whom the Authority (covering Dorset,
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight) consults over
byelaws. If you know this area, please work with
this group, or apply to join it, to help us protect
salmon and sea-trout from illegal and
legal fishing.
If you would like to help,
please contact our Head of
Marine (david.mitchell@
anglingtrust.net). We will let
our members know when
an IFCA launches a review.
Please join to support our
work and keep informed:
www.anglingtrust.net/join
August 2017 | 43