Question reference: S5W-02223
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 30 August 2016
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Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any fisheries legislation introduced in 2015-16 will affect net and coble fishing and, if so, which.
Answer
The Scottish Government introduced the following regulations which may affect net and coble fishing depending on the categorisation of the conservation status:
The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 prohibits the killing of wild salmon within in-land waters in areas below a defined conservation limit. Salmon stocks are managed on annual basis according to their conservation status e.g. the retention of salmon is permitted in category one and two area (where the probability of the stock meeting its conservation limit is above 60%) and introduces mandatory catch and release in category three areas (where the corresponding figure is less than 60%).
The Salmon Carcass Tagging (Scotland) Regulations 2016 introduce provision any net caught salmon in-river to be carcass tagged – tags can only be issued to net fisheries operating in category one and two areas; and
An extension to the close time was brought into force across Scotland in 2015 ensuring that any salmon caught prior to 1 April (and 1st May 2016 in the Esk district) each year must be released.