From the EA today, a new C&R campaign for Usk salmon -

"Having considered the latest evidence, and applied the Environment Agency National decision structure, we have concluded that the river Usk Salmon stock is in serious danger. Further reduction towards zero exploitation is urgently needed."

Another resounding failure for local river management, what a terrible shame.

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Musha rig um du rum da

Amazing isn't it - The Usk going from one of the better salmon rivers in England and Wales, to one of where the salmon are in 'serious danger', over such a short timespan - Must be all that money being spent on it and the improvements being made

Carl

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If you're frightened of dying and you're holding on you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth.

ahh but the money has been spent and the work has been done surely, hence people have now moved on to making sure there are enough canoes on the lower river.....

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The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'

the full details are

more information

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The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'

The Usk Salmon has gone from probably at risk to in danger in remarkably quick time but regardless what a sad state of affairs.

100 % C+R is a tool that can be used but lets not pretend it will solve the problem.

Not quite 'full' details SF; who signed this document? I ask as I haven't had the communication yet.


Some of the stated 'facts' don't stand up to scrutiny:

Despite that rather contradictory statement above; the only salmon recapture rates EA Wales have published are the study posted below.




Rather than pick holes in any Usk only C&R argument - the 2010 provisional declared rod catch of 398 grilse and 151 MSW salmon is considerably better than most detailed by the Wales EA - and if the reasons are so pressing they should seek a national C&R byelaw through the Welsh Assembly.
Unless Usk electrofish counts have plummeted, then I'm at loss at what the 'latest evidence' really is.

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Save the softmouth trout

I was forwarded it by Crickhowell AC but it was sent by Chris Rees of EA(W)

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

As I said on a previous thread, the Wye is enjoying a much improved run this year, the Severn is performing a little better and the Usk is a late season salmon river and we are halfway through the season. Common sense would be to wait until the end of the season until we start declaring the Usk salmon 'at serious risk' but I personally don't see anything wrong with C and R at the moment, even if it will only make a small contribution to the rivers recovery. Every little helps.

The river has had a Spring run though as I have seen some mid teens salmon on the Upper river which is encouraging.

Commando 1 wrote... the Severn is performing a little better

A little better than what????,,,last season with a rod catch of 202(disaster)and couldnt get much worse,,or the season before which was also dire,or the 10 year average of which is around 302????i wonder if the whole catch for the Severn has reached 150 fish yet,,and as the river had a good rise just over a week ago all the way through i wonder if this bought fish in any big numbers to boost catches???and as the season is 2/3rd's of the way through and apart from the declared rod catch at the end of season that the EA etc go on do you have other data.do you have a figure in mind for the end of season figure for the Severn???

mind you the Wuf have know moved onto the severn and teme so the runs must have improved

SS

Apologies SS, I don't know the actual rod catch figures, just heard that things were meant to be looking better. If they aren't, then this dismisses Stealth Fox's claim that the Wye is only doing better because the marine habitat has improved. There must be other contributary factors as to why people are making some comparisons to the 80's.

Stealth Fox, can you counter this with any data to show the Severn is performing better this year than previous years?