4.1 This chapter examines the fisheries in more detail. It is important to note that unlike in many other European countries, there is little tradition in Scotland, or indeed the UK, of commercial food fisheries for freshwater fish. Perhaps this is because sea fish have traditionally been readily available throughout the country. Exceptions to this are the fisheries for salmon, sea trout and eels. Important sport fisheries have been developed for many native and introduced freshwater species, notably salmon and sea trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, grayling and pike, and new fisheries are being developed for coarse fish such as carp, roach and tench, particularly in southern and central Scotland.
4.2 The revenue generated from fishing provides an important source of income, particularly in rural areas. A survey of the value of angling to businesses in the Tweed catchment undertaken by Deloitte & Touche in 1996 found that angling brought in about £12.5 million to the area. Many hotels, guest houses and other businesses throughout Scotland rely heavily on visiting anglers for much of their income. Anglers provide a source of tourist income in the early and late months of the year. Fishing tackle shops, ghillies, water bailiffs and numerous other people depend directly or indirectly on angling. Given that the membership of SANA amounts to more than 34,000, all of whom probably fish for trout and half of whom fish regularly for salmon, and there are estimated to be 20,000 coarse anglers in Scotland, this represents a considerable market for angling-related business. As there are probably more anglers who are not members of angling clubs, the potential is even greater than the numbers shown above would suggest.
| net and coble fishery photo | 4.3 The net economic value of the net fishery for salmon was estimated to lie between £6.2 million and £11.4 million in 1988. The net fishery continues to decline with the number of nets deployed in 1998 only about one-third of that recorded a decade earlier. Dependent businesses, such as rope and net manufacturers, will have been affected by this. The net economic value of the angling fishery for salmon in Scotland was estimated to be between £270 million and £430 million in 1995*. A survey carried out by Coopers & Lybrand for the Dee catchment in 1994 indicated that salmon angling generated an income of some £6 million to Deeside. In many places, fisheries for sea trout are as important for the local economy as those for salmon, if not more so. |
| The fisheries for salmon |
* Report of the Scottish Salmon Strategy Task Force. SOAEFD, 1997
4.4 There are no hard data on the numbers of people who fish for salmon in Scotland but, in the case of anglers, it must be many thousands. Many people from outside Scotland, and indeed outside the UK, visit Scotland to fish for salmon.
4.5 Concern has been expressed in some quarters about the perceived exclusive nature of salmon fishing and the high prices that are demanded for some angling beats. However, the sport is market-driven to a very large extent, and proprietors will naturally seek to obtain in rent what the market deems the value to be. In those fisheries which command very high prices, part of the price paid ensures that the angler has the services of a ghillie and often exclusive access to the beat. Nevertheless, there are many beats where fishing may be leased for less than £20 per day. Where angling clubs own salmon fisheries, access is often available to both club members and visiting anglers. Even here, however, the numbers of permits issued are usually strictly controlled, so as to control the level of exploitation.
4.6 Salmon fisheries are regulated by prescribing the methods that may be used, by the imposition of weekly and annual close times, and by baits and lures regulations. The weekly close time for nets extends from 6 p.m. on Friday until 6 a.m. on the following Monday. The weekly close time for rods is Sunday. These times apply throughout Scotland. Annual close times vary among districts but must extend for a continuous period of not less than 168 days (153 days in the case of the River Tweed) usually between late August and early to mid-February. Within the annual close time, there are periods when fishing by rod and line is permitted. These periods also vary among districts but generally result in close times for angling which extend from about the beginning of November until early to mid-February. Some fisheries start as early as mid-January and others may not finish until the end of November. Thus, salmon angling is available somewhere in Scotland for most of the year.
The fisheries for trout and other freshwater fish
4.7 As with problems in estimating the numbers of salmon anglers, no comprehensive information is available on the numbers of people who fish for trout in Scotland. Some anglers specialise in fishing only for trout, but many are also salmon anglers and some fish for trout, coarse fish and sea fish. Prices vary but permits may be available for less than £5 per day. An economic survey of trout angling in Orkney undertaken for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council in the early 1990s revealed that fishermen spent in excess of £1 million per year. A survey on the economic importance of trout fishing in the Western Isles commissioned by fishery interests there has recently been completed and a report is being prepared.
4.8 There are put-and-take fisheries for rainbow trout throughout Scotland, the fish usually being supplied at catchable size by fish farmers. Prices vary, but a day's fishing can cost as little as £5. In recent years, many ponds have been created to support these fisheries. There are also numerous examples of lochs containing populations of wild native fish that have been stocked with rainbow trout.
4.9 As a result of the widespread distribution and abundance of game fish species, there has been less of a tradition of angling for coarse fish in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK, although the popularity of this branch of the sport is growing. Fisheries are concentrated in the south west of Scotland, the Central Belt, Loch Lomond and the Perthshire lochs. Pike are present in a large number of lochs and some rivers throughout Scotland. Many Scottish lochs also support populations of and fisheries for perch. There is increasing interest in fishing for cyprinid fishes in Scotland, particularly carp, tench, rudd and roach, especially by visiting anglers. Canals have long provided opportunities to fish for coarse fish and British Waterways is keen to encourage the use of these waters for angling purposes.
| fly fishing photo | 4.10 According to the Scottish Federation for Coarse Anglers, there may be as many as 20,000 people in Scotland who fish for coarse fish, about 1,000 of them specialist anglers who target particular species. The number of coarse anglers is estimated to be increasing at 2-4% per year. The Scottish Tourist Board has estimated that a further 15,000 coarse anglers may visit Scotland each year. Permit prices vary, but may cost less than £5 per day in some places. Fishing for grayling is a popular sport, especially during the annual close times for salmon and trout. There is an expanding interest in pike fishing in Scotland, especially by visiting anglers from other parts of the UK. The Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain and Ireland has some 2,500 members and many are finding pike fishing in Scotland to be increasingly attractive, especially in the south-west of the country. |
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Fly fishing © Lorne Gill/SNH
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| grayling photo |
4.11 There is no weekly close time for fishing for brown trout. The annual close time extends from 7 October until 14 March and applies throughout Scotland. There are no weekly or annual close times for fishing for other freshwater fish in Scotland. Thus, fishing opportunities are readily available to anglers throughout the year. 4.12 Fisheries for eels, which are on a small scale, target elvers, yellow eels and silver eels. The fishery for elvers is primarily to catch fish for export to mainland Europe for farming. Many Scottish eel populations are very slow growing. Consequently, fishing for yellow eels requires careful management to avoid over-exploitation. Fishing for silver eels is usually carried out in rivers draining extensive, shallow, lowland lochs. |
| Grayling |
4.13 The definition of the rod and line method of fishing for freshwater fish given in the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Protection) (Scotland) Act 1951 (see Annex C) causes practical difficulties for coarse anglers. The prohibition of the use of set lines, which was first enacted in the Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1860, was retained by the 1951 Act. Common practices in angling for coarse fish include 'ledgering', where a bait or baits are fished using a weighted set line, the rod being set on a rod rest. It is common practice for coarse anglers to set several lines when fishing for coarse fish. Thus, anyone who fishes for coarse fish in Scotland using the most accepted methods for that branch of the sport runs the risk of being charged with fishing illegally.
Despite the declines in catches in recent years, the Scottish salmon fishery remains of international importance, generating a great deal of income, particularly in rural areas. Fisheries for sea trout are as important as salmon fisheries in many areas and more important in some. Many thousands of anglers fish for brown trout throughout mainland Scotland and its islands. There is less of a tradition of fishing for coarse fish, but interest in this branch of the sport is growing. However, a problem that must be addressed is the prohibition in current fisheries legislation of the most widely used coarse fishing methods.