British anglers ordered to throw back every salmon
By Auslan Cramb
Published: 11:40AM GMT 15 Jan 2010 The catch and release policy will operate on the River Tay from January to the end of May, with other conservation measures in place for the rest of the summer and autumn. The radical measure has been introduced by the Tay District Salmon Fisheries board after a disappointing season last year, when catches dropped by as much as 50 per cent on some beats. From June onwards all female fish should be released and anglers should keep only male fish under 10lb each day. Until now anglers have been asked to release the first salmon they catch each day, and to keep one in every two. Spring salmon are normally larger fish and are less abundant than the summer grilse — young salmon, which have spent just one winter at sea –- and the autumn grilse and salmon that return to the river later in the year. William Jack, chairman of the Tay board, said: “In 2009, the Tay experienced a poor run of spring salmon as well as a disappointing grilse run. “Over the last few years there has been a very substantial increase in the number of salmon being released safely back into the water by anglers, for which the board is most grateful.” However, he said the catch and release code still needed to be strengthened, with all rivers facing the problem of increased mortality of salmon at sea, possibly due to climate change affecting food supplies. …
