Legal threat to force anglers to return all rod-caught salmon in Scottish rivers
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Anglers could be legally prohibited from eating any salmon they catch in Scotland’s rivers, under a proposed law aimed at preserving fish numbers.
The Scottish Government is aiming to encourage more fishermen to practise 'catch and release' whenever they land a salmon.
But ministers have issued a stark warning that unless stocks improve drastically, they will consider making it illegal to take home a rod-caught salmon.
The radical proposal, which would effectively spell the end of a practice as old as angling itself, has sparked fierce debate among fishermen and conservationists.
Some argue that a ban on taking wild salmon to eat would undermine one of the key pleasures and purposes of fishing – and also severely damage the sports tourism industry, which is worth millions to the Scottish economy.
Others say the measure is needed to protect rapidly dwindling populations of salmon in the country’s rivers – warning that only drastic action can save Scotland’s ‘king of fish’ from extinction.
The potential ban is mentioned in a Scottish Government consultation on how to improve catch-and-release rates for wild salmon.
Currently, 95 per cent of all rod-caught Atlantic salmon are released voluntarily by anglers.
But the government’s proposals contain a warning which states: "Should these voluntary measures be unsuccessful in achieving 100 per cent catch and release, we are also seeking views on the prospect of introducing mandatory measures in future to achieve this aim.
"This would potentially involve amending legislation to prohibit the retention of Atlantic salmon on all rivers in Scotland, regardless of their river grading."
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) said a blanket ban on taking salmon was "heavy-handed".
Bob White, of the SGA, said: "Everybody I know is against this. We already return over 90 per cent of fish. In fact, this year among my clients we have only kept two – and that is because they were damaged.
"You cannot describe the joy fishing gives people. It is in mankind’s DNA to catch fish. You can see the buzz it gives people when they hook a salmon, and they still get the shakes when they land one.
"We don’t need this heavy hand of government. There are a lot of jobs at stake. We have a voluntary system that is working well, and the Scottish Government come along with this draconian approach.
"It would send out the wrong message if rod-caught salmon were banned from being eaten – it would put people off coming to Scotland to fish."
The Atlantic Salmon Trust, whose patron is keen angler King Charles, said the ban would have little impact on fish stocks as the numbers of salmon taken are already so small.
Chief executive Mark Bilsby called for action to tackle the other factors affecting salmon, such as climate change, river barriers and pollution. He said: "It is small numbers against the bigger picture. We need to concentrate on the causes for the sustained decline of returning salmon to UK waters since the 1980s."
Official figures show 35,693 wild salmon were caught in Scotland’s rivers last year, the lowest since records began in 1952.
The Scottish Government said a report on the consultation will be published by the end of the year.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance that angling plays in supporting employment and the wider rural economy across Scotland.
“The consultation on proposals to achieve higher catch-and-release rates and proposed river gradings for 2023 is now closed. All responses are being thoroughly considered and an outcome report will be published by the end of the year."
