Minutes of the 2nd Meeting of the Freshwater Fisheries
Forum Steering Group held at Strathearn House, Broxden,
Perth, on Tuesday 13th July 2004.
In attendance:
David Dunkley - SEERAD (Chairman)
Gordon Brown - SEERAD
Graeme Waugh - SEERAD
Richard Gustar - SEERAD (Secretariat)
Bob Laughton - representing East Coast Fisheries
Trusts
Dr John Armstrong - Fisheries Research Services
George Holdsworth - Association of Scottish Stillwater
Fisheries
David Howell - Scottish Natural Heritage
Colin Innes - Salmon and Trout Association
(Scotland)
Derek Keith - Scottish Campaign for Public Angling
Professor Peter Maitland - Fish Conservation Centre
James McAloon - Consultative Committee on Protection
Orders
Major General Seymour Monro - Atlantic Salmon Trust
Ronnie Picken - Scottish Anglers National
Association
Robert Ritchie - Salmon Net Fishing Association of
Scotland
Brian Davidson - Institute of Fisheries Management
Andrew Wallace - Association of Salmon Fishery
Boards
Ron Woods - Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling
Jane Wright - Association of West Coast Fisheries
Trusts
Sarah Bayley - Association of West Coast Fisheries
Trusts
Apologies
1. Apologies had been received from Callum Sinclair,
representing the Scottish Environment Protection Agency;
Alastair Stephen, representing the Institute of Fisheries
Management - Brian Davidson deputised for AS; Willie Miller
representing the Consultative Committee on Protection
Orders - James McAloon deputised for WM; and Dr Colin Bull
representing east coast fisheries trusts - Bob Laughton
deputised for CB.
Structural Matters
2. It was agreed that a task matrix/status report should
be developed to record progress against each of the Bill
issues under discussion.
Action - SEERAD to create and maintain a task
matrix/status report.
Representation
3. Each member of the Steering Group was asked for a
short paragraph explaining whose interests they
represent.
Action - Members of the Steering Group to
submit a paragraph outlining who they
represent.
4. The Group asked to be sent copies of the minutes of
the inshore fisheries and aquaculture fora. The Group also
suggested that a member of this Group should be represented
on each of the other fora. It was noted that some members
of this Group might be on the aquaculture forum anyway.
Action - SEERAD to copy minutes of the other
fora to the Steering Group.
5. The Group considered the need to have suppliers of
fish represented, for example The British Trout Restocking
Association. The Salmon and Trout Association (Scotland)
and the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling said they
would both represent grayling interests. The Association of
Scottish Stillwater Fisheries stated that it represented
all types of commercial stillwater fisheries. Dr Armstrong
passed on a request from the Scottish Fisheries
Co-ordination Centre (SFCC) that it be represented on the
Group. The Group felt that sufficient members of the SFCC
were already present.
Action - Steering Group to consider need for
representation of fish suppliers.
Communication
6. The members of the Steering Group committed to
communicating the results of the deliberations of this
Group to those they represent, as well as feeding back the
views of their constituents as best they could. The Group
discussed how to contact persons who are not members of any
particular group, and suggested several options to
explore:
- notices in tackle shops;
- letters to national and local newspapers, including
free newspapers;
- fishing magazines; and
- the website
The Chairman said that SEERAD would seek guidance from
the Executive's press office.
Action - SEERAD to explore means of
communicating the Group's messages.
Action - Members of the Steering Group to
include a link to the discussion forum on their
organisation's webpages.
7. The Group agreed that all future minutes should
record only agreed points of discussion and actions.
Feedback from the Forum
8. The Group agreed that Stirling was an ideal location
to get maximum attendance, and that the facilities were, in
general, good. It was felt, however, that the lecture
theatre layout may have constrained full participation by
the audience in discussion.
9. It was agreed that the next forum should be towards
the end of this year, with another one in April/May 2005;
and that there should be at least two further Steering
Group meetings between now and the next forum. The Chairman
said that Steering Group papers would be circulated to all
persons attending fora. Regarding comments received from
persons attending fora, it was agreed that these should be
ranked and categorised, and dealt with under respective
Bill issues.
Future Socio-Economic Study
10. SEERAD reiterated that Scottish Ministers have
announced a forward look study into freshwater fisheries
and aquaculture, i.e. what these sectors might look like in
8 to 10 years time. The Steering Group was asked for its
views on the scope of the study. Suggestions included:
- impacts of fish-eating birds, seals, and sea
lice;
- potential market for angling in Scotland;
- how to maximise opportunities and minimise
threats;
- future cost of running a fishery;
- options to increase the economic value of
freshwater fisheries;
- future participation in angling;
- sustainable fisheries; and
- constraints on access
It was agreed that perhaps it was too early to commence
on a study of this nature, given the process that this
Group has just embarked upon. SEERAD intimated that the
study could be phased, and members were asked to reflect on
the matter and provide further ideas by the end of July. A
question was also raised of whether sea angling should be
included.
Action - Steering Group members to provide
further thoughts by end of July.
Bill Issues
Angling methods
11. Following substantial discussion on the issue, the
Steering Group agreed that coarse angling methods which
were legal in England and Wales should be made legitimate
in Scotland. In terms of how this is done there remained a
couple of options, i.e. whether to:
- define rod and line legalising use of multiple rods
and rod rests for all types of angling; or
- define rod and line differently for particular fish
or groups of fish, e.g. game/coarse
The Group agreed that since the implementation of any
proposed regulatory measures probably depended on the
future management structure which this Group was to look
at, it seemed sensible to revisit the issue when fisheries
management was discussed.
Action - SEERAD to produce some options for
legislation.
12. It was agreed that the use of gaffs, tailers and
knotted nets as auxiliaries to taking salmon or freshwater
fish caught by angling should be banned.
Movements of fish Between Catchments
13. The Steering Group agreed that introductions and
movements of fish into and within Scotland should be
regulated, for example to minimise ecological impacts,
prevent the spread of disease, and protect the genetic
integrity of stocks. It was also agreed that, in principle,
any Scottish legislation should reflect the provisions
available in England and Wales under section 30 of the
Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. It was recognised
that the Group still needed to consider who should
administer movement controls, and who would enforce the
legislation.
Action - SEERAD to send the Steering Group
members information about section 30 of the 1975
Act.
Use of Live Fish as Bait
14. The Steering Group considered the issue from a
fisheries perspective, i.e. it was widely acknowledged that
the use of live fish as bait in the past has led to the
introduction of fish species into waters in which they were
not previously found, and that some control if not an
outright ban was required. Several options were suggested
including:
- an outright ban;
- restricting the use of live fish as bait to waters
from which the bait has been caught; or
- relying on movement controls (refer to paragraph
13) and a code of practice on the use of live fish as
bait
The Group also discussed the ethical argument against
the use of live fish as bait.
Survey of Anglers Opinions of a Rod Licensing
System
15. Ms Bayley said she would circulate the results of a
small-scale survey looking at anglers opinions of a rod
licensing system.
Action - Ms Bayley to circulate results round
the Group.
Date and Place of Next Meeting
16. 10:00, 27 August 2004, Perth
SEERAD - August 2004