KEEP THE TRADITION OF SALMON NETTING ON THE TAMAR TAVY

Yes I agree with you that this is about salmon stocks and conservation and it is you who have detracted from those issues. The facts are that counter data is wrong and inaccurate especially in high flow events and has been so for many a year.This data is used to calculate the number of salmon returning to the Tamar and is the prime constant used to determine Conservation Limits and management strategy including the use of NLO's and by-laws.The exploitation by nets and rods equates to just 5% of the RSE leaving a more than workable stock of 95% to maintain a healthy salmon legacy and comply with these mysteriously arrived at CL's.
A 70% decrease in netting effort and the cessation of the,Irish,North East drift net fisheries mean that there are more salmon than are being counted by a stock assessment regime thats based on catch statistics.
Given the increase in salmon licences and a no limit policy for angling it is safe to say that any future increase in exploitation is going to come from a 34% catch and keep regime and not the netting effort. But while the rod fishery is exempt from further restriction the 3 Tamar netsmen are overladen with petty by-laws, loss of fishing area, a 23 fish quota,a log book and tagging regime,a clocking in procedure all of which are disproportional and discriminatory.
Those are the facts and I hope the Minister takes them into consideration before making his decision.