Sensational claims that recreational angling is causing the terminal decline of salmon stocks on Scottish rivers have been rubbished.
A complaint has been lodged with the European Commission that criticises District Salmon Fishery Boards and the Scottish Government for failing to meet conservation requirements.
It calls for an end to recreational angling of spring salmon in particular on 11 rivers designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), including the rivers Tay and South Esk.
The complaint made by Dr Martin Jaffa of the Callander McDowell consultancy, which claims to represent fish farming interests has been seen as an escalation of recent hostilities between fish farmers and anglers.
It has, however, been dismissed as “mischief making” by Dr David Summers, director of the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board.
The board introduced a policy of catch-and-release in 2010 and support from anglers has been well maintained, with the voluntary release rates among the highest in the country.
That has had a significant impact upon fish numbers in the river, according to Dr Summers.
“In 2010 we released 93% of all salmon caught on the Tay and this year that figure remains at 89%,” he told The Courier.
“The number has been going up year on year and, in my opinion, we could hardly be doing more to preserve stocks.
“At the end of the day, Dr Jaffa appears to be a representative of the fish farming industry and he seems to want to mischief-make.”
Dr Summers added: “Over the past two or three years we have seen ever better numbers of salmon in the late spring.
“It has been very good and we certainly do not see the crisis that Mr Jaffa is predicting.”
Despite the success of catch-and-release, there has been an increase in the proportion of spring fish killed in the Tay, to a level slightly greater than most of the other major Scottish spring rivers.
In support of his call to the EC, Dr Jaffa said: “Threatened stocks of wild salmon are being slaughtered in the name of sport and this is happening in specified conservation areas.
“The Scottish Government has abrogated its conservation responsibilities by passing them on to the DSFBs, who have in turn abused them by not restricting catches of a vulnerable spring stock.”
He has called on the Government to shorten the angling season to allow stock to recover and, in the interim, impose a mandatory catch and release policy.
That comes on the heels of claims from angling groups that sea lice from fish farms are endangering wild salmon stocks.