The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), November 20 2007

NEW BID TO SAVE SCOTTISH SALMON

[Rachel's introduction: "With marine survival such a lottery, the precautionary principle must prevail -- and this means drastically reducing indiscriminate exploitation."]

By Graeme Smith

A major campaign aimed at conserving wild salmon stocks in Scotland's rivers by trying to close coastal netting stations was launched yesterday.

The Salmon and Trout Association (S&TA) is spearheading the campaign under the slogan "The Net Loss" and says the existence of this type of fishery is indefensible at a time of such uncertain marine survival because of factors related to climate change.

Scotland banned salmon drift netting more than 40 years ago but still allows a declared average annual catch of some 25,000 salmon to be killed in almost 60 mixed stock fisheries around Scotland's coastline.

S&TA wants to facilitate their negotiated closure through buying or leasing the associated heritable rights.

Paul Knight, executive director of S&TA, said: "The Atlantic salmon is one of the truly great iconic species of Scotland. It is too valuable a resource to the rural economy for its long-term future to be put at risk by unrestrained and non-selective coastal netting.

"With marine survival such a lottery, the precautionary principle must prevail -- and this means drastically reducing indiscriminate exploitation."

He said the fact mixed stock netting catch was allowed to kill as many returning adults as they can catch made a mockery of attempts to maintain and restore fish numbers.

George Holdsworth, Scottish policy director for S&TA, commented: "We hope that the new Scottish Government will build its conservation credentials by adopting a far more robust line on mixed stocks salmon netting."

S&TA has opened discussions with the owners of two netting stations.

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