“It is cold and frosty, with lots of wildlife and plenty of grayling,” says the Salmon & Trout Association part-time field officer Keith Mason.

“It is cold and frosty, with lots of wildlife and plenty of grayling,” says the Salmon & Trout Association part-time field officer Keith Mason. He was out fishing for grayling yesterday on one of England’s fastest flowing rivers.

The great state of wildlife and fishing on the Swale yesterday is a result of the extensive regeneration work the Salmon & Trout Association Swaledale and Wensleydale Branch led from 1997 to 2002. The River needed work because of the dramatic increase in flash floods and excessive flooding over the past 25 years. Many anglers know the causes and effects of flooding only too well.

Work included:

 • River bank protection
 • Buffer strips of regenerated vegetation

 • In channel work including creating pool and riffle sequences
 • Improvements of fish habitats
 • Building otter holts
 • All weather surfaces for bridleways at ancient crossing places
 • Detailed survey/audits of the river system including baseline bird surveys

 • Managing tree belts and woodlands from tributary confluences with the main channel

The Branch was able to do all this impressive work because they applied for funding and built partnerships with the local community, including schools, and with the local park agency, wildlife trust, Environment Agency, English Nature and the Army (a landowner in the area).

Page 8 and 9 of the S&TA Nov/Christmas Newsletter features an informative article on the Swale River Regeneration Project written by Lt Col PA MacF MacGillivray OBE of the S&TA Swaledale and Wensleydale Branch.

As Peter MacGillivray wrote in his article, “Our initiation of and active involvement in this river improvement project is an example of how an S&TA Branch is in touch with the concerns of local people and environmental organisations.”

Check out the Project’s attractive website at www.riverswale.org.uk

The Fisheries Minister will attend for an open discussion session with the Salmon & Trout Association and the main angling organisations.

The Fisheries Minister will attend for an open discussion session with the Salmon & Trout Association and the main angling organisations. Thereafter, the Angling Summit will be led by Martin Salter.

Angling Summit agenda items include:

  •Cormorants & Otter Predation
  •Progress on Angling Charter
  •Canoe Access
  •Urban Fisheries Funding

  •Angling Coaching Schemes
  •National Angling Governance
  •Environment Agency Fisheries Work Following BRITE

The Salmon & Trout Association played a major role in organising this Angling Summit. S&TA Executive Director Paul Knight will lead the discussion on Canoe Access, National Angling Governance (with Martin Salter MP) and EA Fisheries Work Following BRITE (with the Environment Agency).

In November, the Salmon & Trout Association had a private meeting with the Fisheries Minister that set the stage for the issues to be discussed today.

The Environment Agency operates an automated water levels phone line for rivers south of the Scottish border down to the Humber.

The Environment Agency operates an automated water levels phone line for rivers south of the Scottish border down to the Humber. It states the height of each major river and whether the river is rising or falling. Updated every day at 6 am.

Call the EA River Phone Line at 090 6619 7722.

The Environment Agency (EA), is offering a “free” 18 minute video on good Catch and Release handling practice.

The Environment Agency (EA), is offering a “free” 18 minute video on good Catch and Release handling practice. Call the EA at 01454 624411 to order. A leaflet is also available.

Consider this video a production of your rod licence fees. As producer you might as well get your own private viewing at home this winter.

The Salmon & Trout Association is fighting for voluntary local restrictions on retaining fish. It makes all the difference for the fishing experience if a fish is returned on a voluntary instead of a compulsory basis.

Minister calls for review in new feather v fin debate

Minister calls for review in new feather v fin debate

Cormorants are an outstanding success story. At a point of such critical decline in the 70s that they were placed on the protected species list, there is now a winter population of over 23,000 in the UK alone – and that’s the problem.

Their food is fish – including endangered species such as salmon, bullheads, lampreys and eels. Cormorant flocks congregate at river bottlenecks during salmon and smolt migrations and can annihilate whole runs of fish.

Such is the concern about the quantities this bird consumes that Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries, has called for a review of the measures that gave the Cormorant protected status. He proposes that cormorants should now be managed at certain times of the year to protect the fisheries, and urges a review of the system granting licences to shoot cormorants, currently issued by Defra.

He was speaking at the Third National Angling Summit (December 11), organised by Martin Salter MP, and attended by the Salmon & Trout Association and representatives of other fisheries associations.

Comments Paul Knight, Director of the Salmon & Trout Association, “There will always be those defending cormorants’ right to take fish unhindered. Our position is that there must be a managed balance between prey and predator. We have vigorously lobbied for increased flexibility for fisheries to be able to protect vulnerable stocks of fish from cormorants. We are delighted with the Minister’s proactive stance.”

The Moran Committee Joint Bird Group, of which the Salmon & Trout Association is a leading member, has produced an information leaflet and booklet, “Protecting your Fishery from Cormorants”. This is viewable on www.cormorants.info or obtainable from the Salmon & Trout Association at 0202 7283 5838.

-ENDS-

For further information, please contact Carmel Jorgensen at 020 7283 5838.

Give your comments, suggestions and feedback on how the Environment Agency (EA) is working (or not!) to meet the needs of anglers and fishery managers.

Give your comments, suggestions and feedback on how the Environment Agency (EA) is working (or not!) to meet the needs of anglers and fishery managers.

The Salmon & Trout Association will discuss your views with Baroness Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the EA, in early February 2004.

Voice your views by filling out this questionnaire! Return to louise1@salmon-trout.org or by post to the Salmon & Trout Association Fishmonger’s Hall London Bridge E34R 9EL, or by fax to 020 7626 5137by the 16th January 2004.

The Minister of Fisheries, Ben Bradshaw, the head of Defra, Richard Cowan and the Environment Agency RFERAC (Regional Fisheries, Ecology, & Recreation Advisory Committee) Chairmen expressed interest in the questionnaire developed by Salmon & Trout Association member John Slader.

The timing of the Questionnaire is excellent because the EA is reviewing how well they are functioning post the BRITE (the EA’s 2002 reorganisation). Also, Barbara Young wants to know how the Environment Agency is and is not serving the needs of fishery interests. The best people to provide that information are those who fish!

Views on the EA’s structure and functioning are needed from outside the Agency. It is important for game angling to have its say and for that voice to be strong. The results of the questionnaire can influence the importance and the budget that game angling interests get within the EA. And that means the EA could provide more support for education, work to develop better fisheries and pay more attention to fish stocks.

The questionnaire is endorsed by the Moran Committee, which represents the interests of all the main fishing and angling organizations in England and Wales, as well as the National Angling Alliance (NAA), which comprises the main angling organizations in England and Wales. All the main angling and fishing organizations are sending the questionnaire out to members, clubs, branches, regional representatives, and riparian owners.

It is important fishery interests are given the value that they deserve. The Environment Agency has a statutory role to promote angling. We need to ensure that anglers have a strong voice within the EA.

The more responses we receive the better! Please encourage others to complete the questionnaire. Return it electronically to louise1@salmon-trout.org or by post to the Salmon & Trout Association, Fishmonger’s Hall, London Bridge, E34R 9EL, or by fax to 020 7626 5137. Return date the 16th January, 2004.