Chapter 13 – Lies, Damned Lies, and Catch Returns
IN THE latest instalment of Not Exactly Fishing, Gordon Mack ponders the values of catch returns and makes his own analysis of a week’s fishing this summer in South Uist.
Continue ReadingChapter 11 – Why I know crime does pay
EVER gone on a fishing trip with the lads and been tempted to run a small sweepstake to liven up proceedings? Not Exactly Fishing reveals how a smart London coarse angler with an inside knowledge of underworld crime, ran off with the profits on a fly-fishing holiday to the wilds of Scotland’s remote Sutherland.
Continue ReadingHas your candidate signed the salmon pledge?
IT IS heartening today to see two organisations calling for our politicians to stand up and be counted – at least as far as supporting the future of our wild fish are concerned. As I suggested here at the beginning of the year, that action to put our politicians on the spot on the future…
Continue ReadingSalmon farming study ‘underlines value to economy’
SALMON farming injected more than £500 million into the Scottish economy in 2008 with over £84 million worth of capital investment during the last three years, according to an aquaculture industry research report published today. The study, which aims to underline the value of the salmon farming industry to rural economies, comes amid growing animosity…
Continue ReadingSalmon farmers ‘bullied Scottish Government into u-turn’
“BULLYING TACTICS” by salmon farmers forced the Scottish Government into a policy u-turn on publishing the results of audits into fish farm escapes and disease infestation, one of the UK’s oldest conservation charities claims today. Threatened with possible legal action by the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) if the results of the inspection reports were…
Continue ReadingOpinion: Why coastal netting for salmon seems destined to survive
THE wild fish lobby can huff and puff as much as it likes, but the latest spat over coastal salmon netting around Scotland demonstrates just how divided the warring factions are and illustrates pointedly Government dithering about how to solve the issues.
Continue ReadingArgyll salmon farming agreement collapses as rod catches falter
RELATIONS between wild game fishing interests and the Scottish Government over fish farming controls have suffered another reverse with the collapse of a key agreement set up to try to establish peace between the salmon industry and anglers.
Continue ReadingASFB calls for Tesco to act against ‘incompetent’ salmon producers
RETAIL GIANTS like Tesco were today urged to recognise the environmental damage caused by salmon farms which fail to prevent accidental releases of fish into the wild, following an escape of up to 100,000 smolts into Loch Lochy, near Fort William, Scotland. In a thinly-veiled call for a boycott of salmon farmers, such as Marine…
Continue ReadingS&TA calls for drastic cuts in salmon farm lice levels
THE Scottish Government was today urged to act rapidly to forestall severe increases in sea lice infestation expected to hit marine salmon farms in the West Highlands and islands. Fears also emerged that Scotland could become a “dumping ground’’ for bad practice by multinational salmon producers if our parasite control regulations were not harmonised with…
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