AN UNIQUE agreement brokered with net fishermen will help restore stocks of wild Atlantic salmon to the area?s key rivers ? the Tavy, Tamar and Lynher.
Salmon stocks in the rivers are falling, and the Environment Agency is concerned that not enough fish are reaching the upper stretches of the rivers to spawn to sustain a good fishery and a strong population.
All of the 22 salmon netsmen licensed by the Environment Agency on the three rivers have agreed to stop netting for ten years, starting from this month, to allow the fish to continue their journey into the rivers to spawn.
The average net catch for the Tamar, Tavy and Lynher from 1994-2003 has been 700 salmon a year, although last year only 273 salmon were netted.
The new initiative is a partnership between the Environment Agency, South West Water, English Nature, Maristow Estate, Lynher River Association and the Tamar and Tributaries Fisheries Association. It could see around 500 fish a year saved, and with each female laying 3,000 to 5,000 egss there could be between 750,000 to 1.25 million extra young salmon annually, an Environment Agency spokesman said.
Rod anglers are also being encouraged to play their part by releasing their catch alive back to the river.
The rod fishing season is March 1 to October 14, with a mandatory catch and release of salmon between March 1 and June 15.
Anne Voss-Bark, chairman of the Tamar and Tributaries Fisheries Association said: ?We have played our part in compensating the netsmen as we believe this will help the recovery of this most wonderful of fish.?
Staff from the Environment Agency will continue to keep a close eye on the estuaries and rivers to protect salmon from poachers and illegal netting. Anyone who spots netting taking place in any of the three rivers should immediately call the agency?s free 24-hour hotline on 0800 80 70 60.