A family fishery business is again at odds with sporting interests after a call to return rod and net-caught salmon before mid-May.
The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards’ suggestion ahead of the opening of the Tay season has been made in a fresh attempt to offer greater protection to breeding fish returning to spawn in Scottish rivers.
However, George Pullar, director of the Scottish Wild Salmon Company based at Usan on the Angus coast, has accused “ill-informed interests” of unfairly castigating netting businesses.
“Even through catch and release, killing of spring fish does occur by angling,” Mr Pullar said.
“It is utter nonsense to suggest that hooking a fish and playing it until it is exhausted before landing, followed by resuscitating and then releasing the fish, has no profound negative effects upon wild salmon.
“Scientific studies have indicated that there is a significant degree of mortality associated with this practice.”
He added: “A total of 22,682 wild salmon were reported caught and killed in the rod and line fishery in the 2012 season by anglers. It stands to reason that a reasonable proportion of these will be spring fish.
“In contrast, commercial netting in Scotland killed 16,230 salmon during the same season.”
Mr Pullar’s firm also remains in talks with north-east fishery boards following last year’s Salmon Net Fishing Association of Scotland (SNFAS) reversal of a blanket voluntary policy of not beginning netting for the first six weeks of the season from this year.
“For the last 14 years SNFAS members generally have abided by this voluntary policy without receiving compensation from angling proprietors who benefit directly from netting restraint,” Mr Pullar added. “The reversal of this policy has led to an outcry by the angling sector against netting, with claims that salmon netting interests are not conservation minded.
“Let me be clear that I am speaking for my own company and not SNFAS generally, but we feel that this decision has been sensationalised and misrepresented by those who are determined to see the end of traditional salmon netting a unique niche Scottish industry.
“While we have an existing agreement with the Esk board until 2015, we have approached both the Caithness and Deveron District Salmon Fishery Boards to discuss and agree a voluntary way forward, currently without success.
“It is simply unacceptable and extremely draconian for ill-informed interests to castigate netting, calling for our legitimate legal rights to be trampled upon.
“Fishing is a way of life for us. While salmon netting now accounts for a smaller proportion of salmon caught in Scotland than angling, we are justifiably proud of our rich rural heritage.
“Scottish Wild Salmon (an EU-protected food name) is sold all over the world and should rightly continue to be recognised as one of Scotland’s finest exports.”