Posted on 21-5-2003

Drift Netsmen Agree to Quit for the Salmon's Sake

LONDON, England, May 19, 2003 (ENS) - English driftnet fishermen, some of
whom are the descendents of nine generations of netsmen, have decided to
give up their way of life to conserve the dwindling salmon and sea trout of
the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean waters.

The UK Environment Agency, which licenses fishing in England and Wales, has
confirmed that a majority of driftnet fishermen have accepted a voluntary
compensation scheme to quit drift netting to support the conservation of
salmon stocks. The agreement follows two years of sensitive negotiations,
brokered and administered by the Environment Agency. The agency's Godfrey
Williams said, "This hasn't been easy for the netsmen. It has an impact on
their whole way of life. Regulations are already in place to phase out the
use of drift nets - the buyout is about accelerating the process."

An unprecedented £3.4 million (US$5.55 million) buyout was accepted by 52
out of the 68 remaining netsman, the agency said. The deal will
"dramatically" reduce the number of salmon taken from the seas off the
northeastern coast of England by drift nets, officials say. Welcoming this
outcome Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley said, "Two years of talks have
produced a better than expected result for this voluntary scheme which
gives fishermen a choice. It shows what can be achieved when government and
private interests work closely together."

Barrie Deas of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations said,
"We welcome this voluntary scheme that allows those netsmen who want to
surrender their license an opportunity to do so."

The latest Annual Assessment of Salmon Fisheries in England and Wales shows
that less than 30 percent of salmon rivers have satisfactory stocks,
against conservation limits set by the Environment Agency.

Last year, drift netsmen caught 42,000 salmon and sea trout as the fish
headed for the rivers of northeast England and eastern Scotland. The new
agreement could reduce the number taken by as much as 75 percent, allowing
many more fish to reach their spawning grounds.

>From June 1, just 16 fishermen will be licensed to use drift nets along the
coast between North Yorkshire and the Scottish border compared to 142
license holders in 1992. "It is a major step in phasing out a fishery that
exploits salmon returning to many different rivers, so improving the long
term management of salmon stocks in these rivers," the agency said.

The buyout was started by a £1.25 million (US$2.04 million) investment from
the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The
remaining funds were raised by the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (UK) through
private contributions.

Andrew Whitehead, who led discussions for the North Atlantic Salmon Fund
said, "This is a landmark act of conservation, towards which we have been
working for a very long time. It would not have been possible without the
support of DEFRA, the Environment Agency, organizations such as the Salmon
& Trout Association and the netsmen themselves." Morley said, "The good
faith shown by everyone involved in supporting this agreement is a major
step to improving management and conservation of salmon stocks."

Drift netting is the principal fishing method used in Northumbria and
Yorkshire. Drift or hang nets have been used for catching salmon and sea
trout since the 1800s. Reference is made to their operation around the
mouth of the Tyne in 1867 and there is reference to "vast numbers of hang
nets" being used off the River Tyne in the early 1870s some of which were
"nearly two miles in length." By 1890, drift nets were licensed in all of
the Fishery Districts from the Yorkshire Esk to the River Coquet, with the
Boards of Conservators enforcing restrictions on the length of net and
weekly and seasonal close periods. Today the Environment Agency regulates
salmon fishing in England and Wales and issues licences. A ministerial
review in 1991 said that drift nets should be phased out because they take
salmon returning to many different rivers making management and
conservation more difficult. In 2000 a Government Review recommended that
the phasing out should be speeded up.

New regulations, known as the 2002 Net Limitation Order, mean the number of
driftnet licences issued will continue to decline. The agency can only
issue a drift net license to fishermen who have held a license in the
previous year and who remain dependent on fishing for their livelihood. As
licensees leave the fishery the number of licenses available will continue
to fall.

The type of drift net in use off the North East coast is a plain sheet of
netting with floats along the top and a weighted footrope along the bottom.
Salmon drift nets are usually 600 yards long and hang eight to 10 feet
deep. Drift nets are normally set at right angles to the line of the coast;
in theory, they remain stationary relative to the water, drifting parallel
to the coast with the tides. In practice, however, surface water movements
are complex and the nets must be hauled and reset at regular intervals to
keep them straight.