NRW’s consultation on Salmon And Sea Trout Catch Controls

Having just completed an enormous consultation response regarding sustainable management of Wales’ natural resources, we now have another one to consider, which covers fishing bye laws.  We want as many of you as possible to give us feedback so that we can complete the response form with your feedback in mind.

You can access the information which NRW has supplied at https://naturalresources.wales/guidance-and-advice/environmental-topics/consultations/our-own-consultations/salmon-and-sea-trout-catch-controls-2017/?lang=en (the downloadable documents can be found at the bottom of that webpage).

If you do not wish to read all this information, here are the key elements relating to the river Usk and its tributaries (and for most if not all Welsh rivers depending on which aspect you are considering):

• Catch and release of salmon: NRW wish to change the  bye laws so that all salmon that are caught, be it by net or rod and line, must be returned immediately to the water, whether it is alive with the least possible injury or dead.
• Catch and release of sea trout: NRW wish to change the  bye laws so that all sea trout that are caught before 1 May, be it by net or rod and line, must be returned immediately to the water, whether it is alive with the least possible injury or dead.
• Maximum size of sea trout: NRW proposes to introduce the following change:  “any person who removes any live or dead sea trout of a size larger than 60 centimetres with rod and line from any river or tributary in Wales shall be guilty of an offence. The size shall be ascertained by measuring from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail.”
• Angling methods for salmon: to ensure the highest rate of survival after release, NRW proposes “no person shall fish for, take or attempt to fish for or take any salmon with rod and line by means of any bait from any river or tributary in Wales.”  Bait  means worm, prawn and shrimp.
• Angling methods for sea trout: to ensure the highest rate of survival after release, NRW proposes no person shall fish for, take or attempt to fish for or take before 1 May any sea trout with rod and line by means of any bait.   Again bait  means worm, prawn and shrimp.
• Lure: to ensure the highest rate of survival after release, NRW proposes “No person shall fish for, take or attempt to fish for or take any salmon or migratory trout by means of any lure other than an artificial fly weighing less than 5 grams and then only without any weight being attached directly or indirectly to the fishing line in the Usk Fisheries District between the 2^nd day of March and the 1^st day of June following.”   In addition, “No person shall fish for, take or attempt to fish for any non-migratory trout with rod and line by any other means than an artificial fly in the Usk Fisheries District at any time.”
• Hooks: to ensure the highest rate of survival after release, NRW proposes that only barbless or de-barbed hooks are used.  In addition, “No person shall use a bait or lure furnished with more than one hook unless the gape thereof measured from the shank to the point does not exceed 10 millimetres (0.375 of an inch) save and except that the gape of hooks attached to a plug bait may be as great as 13 millimetres (0.5 of an inch) provided that the said plug bait is used without any weight and in no case shall any bait or hook be furnished with more than nine hooks and no weight or sinker shall be attached below the lure or bait.”
• Hook – sea trout and bait:  NRW proposes that a person may only fish for sea trout (when allowed) by “means of any bait furnished other than by a single worm baited on a single barbless or de-barbed hook with the gape of any such hook measured from the shank to the point restricted to 8 millimetres.”
• Treble hooks:  treble hooks are completely banned, be it for salmon and sea trout.

NRW intends these changes to remain in force for ten years before reviewing it.

Please will you advise UFA what thoughts you have about these proposals, in general and specifics.  Please give your reasoning, which may include data.  This will help us no end

We also ask you to respond to this consultation as an individual – the more feedback NRW receives the better.  Here is the response form: 2017 bylaw-response-form.

We look forward to hearing from you – and thank you in anticipation!