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Post by wnion on Jul 30, 2007 11:45:05 GMT -1
Saturday 28th July 2007 Members of the Mersey and Weaver Fisheries and Angling Consultative were celebrating good news for the “King of Fish” at their last meeting.
The main river in the MWFACA area, the River Mersey, was formerly one of the most polluted river systems in the UK, but in recent years industry has cleaned up its act and as a result salmon are now returning.
The Mersey and Weaver is predominantly a coarse fishing area but members value all species of fish and recognise the benefit of having salmon in their area.
The Environment Agency has made much use of this in publicity material and monitored the numbers returning through its fish trap on Woolston Weir, near Warrington.
However in 2006 the numbers returning showed an apparent down turn despite the public watching more than ever jumping at the weir.
Investigation revealed that the EA Fisheries Team had been diverted from checking the fish pass and given other work to do so that by the time they got there, the main run had gone through.
The MWFACA was so concerned that it wrote to the Regional Director about the priority attached to this.
He has now personally re-assured the consultative that the EA attaches the highest priority to ensuring the return of salmon and that in 2007 Fisheries staff will be able to monitor the run at the correct time. Members and the Fisheries Team – and no doubt the Salmon - were pleased at this satisfactory result.
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Post by greyduster on Jul 30, 2007 13:44:12 GMT -1
This piece of news regarding the Mersey salmon stocks maybe hype by the EA but its seriously worrying thought that there are NO fishery staff in that area trained or qualified in salmon fishery protection. by this I mean... do not have anti poaching detection skills, are not sufficiently able to cover all catchments where salmon are now prevalent such as the Bollin, the Goyt or Etherorow and of course the main salmon pass at Woolston weir at Warrington. The EA Byelaws state as far as weirs are concerned the following :-
Extract of EA North West regional Salmon Byelaws
17 Removal of fish No person may take or remove from any waters within the area of the Authority without lawful authority any salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels, whether alive or dead. (Confirmed 11th October 1989)
22 Fishing near weirs No person shall, without the previous consent in writing of the Agency, during the period between the 30th day of September and the first day of the salmon close season for rod and line in any year, take or attempt to take by any means, any fish within a distance of 20 metres above and 50 metres below the crest of any man-made construction which impounds water in the rivers and streams of the River Ribble catchment upstream of the Naze at Freckleton (excluding the River Darwen, River Calder and the River Douglas), and in all rivers and streams north of the Ribble catchment. In respect of the undermentioned weirs no person shall at any time take or attempt to take by any means, any fish within a distance of 20 metres above and 50 metres below the crest of the said weirs:- Branthwaite Weir River Marron; Calder Hall Pumphouse Weir River Calder (W.Cumbria); Stramongate Weir River Kent; Holmehead Weir River Caldew; Buckabank Weir River Caldew; and in respect of the undermentioned weir no person shall at any time take or attempt to take by any means, any fish within a distance of 20 metres above and 75 metres below the crest of the said weir:- Ennerdale Mill Weir River Ehen; No person shall at any time without the prior consent of the Agency in writing, take or attempt to take by any means any fish within a fish pass or within a 5 metres radius of either the entrance to or exit from any fish pass. (Confirmed 7th June 2005)
No mention of any of the many weirs in the Mersey catchment despite the EA knowing of the increasing stocks so why didn't they anticipate this situation.
Answers on a postage stamp as usual please!
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