FURTHER INFORMATION:
Consultation on Application for a Fishery Protection Order for the North Assynt Area
The Assynt Crofters Trust and the Lagg Fishery are jointly applying for a Protection Order for the land which they individually own and own fishing rights to. As part of this process, there is a consultation with anglers (local and visitor) and local residents on the proposal. This page provides further information abut the proposal in order to inform that consultation. It is also available from the ACT Office in Stoer and can be read as part of the online survey (https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/bJK8PHn6vc).
1. BACKGROUND
Freshwater fishery Protection Orders were introduced as part of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 2003. The purpose of a Protection Order is to:
· Increase public access to fishing.
· Protect fish stocks
Protection Orders enable these to happen by:
a) Allowing the owners of fishing rights for freshwater non-migratory fish to enforce the need for a permit to fish (and permit rules) by making it a criminal offence to fish without one.
b) Ensuring that angling remains accessible and affordable to the general public.
Protection Orders cover fishing for wild brown trout, charr and coarse fish but not salmon and sea trout, or stocked fish, which are ‘protected’ elsewhere in legislation. In North West Scotland, the Assynt and Coigach Protection Order was granted in 2004 and covers the area from Coigach to the southern parts of Assynt (the area covered by the Assynt Angling Group). The North Assynt estates have never been covered by a Protection Order.
2. THE NEED
There are a number of reasons a Protection Order is needed:
- · Fishing without permits: Increasing evidence of people are fishing without permits on both ACT and Lagg fisheries. Without a Protection Order neither can enforce their permits.
- · Reinvestment: Declining permit sales means that both organisations are less able to maintain the fisheries and improve them for the public – including conservation monitoring, native re-stocking, manning permit sales locations, replacing damaged boats and infrastructure etc. The ability to encourage more people to fish and to ensure that they have a permit, will help enable this.
- · Illegal methods / alien species: There is evidence of illegal methods being used – such as reams of spinning line, lures and spinners being found near some lochs - and of non-native fish such as minnows.
- · Monitoring: The Protection Order will open up the possibility for greater cooperation between fisheries science, land-owners and anglers to improve monitoring, reporting and stock conservation.
3. BENEFITS FOR THE PUBLIC
- · Increased access to fishing through better permit provision, information and guides.
- · More investment to assist access to fishing such as paths, gates, stiles and boats.
- · Improved fish stocks and reducing harmful methods and practices.
- · Improved knowledge about fishing in the area - stocks, disease and pollution through greater angler feedback and cooperation.
4. SUPPORT
In recognition of these benefits, the application is supported by:
- The West Sutherland Fisheries Trust
- The Assynt Angling Club
- The Assynt Angling Group
- The Oldany Estate
5. THE PROPOSAL
The Applicants
- · Assynt Crofters Trust
- · Lagg Fishery (Strathcroy Estate)
The Area
All of the waters and freshwater fishing from the southern boundary of the Assynt Crofters’ Trust land (from Nedd through to Achmelvich), along the coast north to the Stoer lighthouse and then east to Nedd. It includes the Strathcroy estate (Lagg Fishery) which is an independent estate that sits within the Assynt Crofters’ Trust overall boundary. It excludes the area between Clashnessie and Drumbeg that is the Oldany estate land and island (as this has no fishing). A map is available from the ACT Office or on the online survey.
Fishing:
· ACT: Over 150 lochs and lochans on their estate with wild brown trout fishing. Small rivers including the Manse Burn.
· Lagg: The wild brown trout fishing owned by the Lagg Fishery on the Strathcroy estate. Lochs with stocked rainbow trout are excluded.
· Joint: The fishing includes some lochs, Loch Poll, Garbh Loch Mor and Garbh Loch Beag on which both the ACT and Lagg have fishing rights.
Fish Species Covered:
· Wild brown trout
· Eels (although it is illegal to fish for them)
· Char (if present)
It excludes salmon and sea trout as Protection Orders do not apply to migratory fish which are covered by other legislation. It also excludes stocked trout.
Management and Conservation
· New sets of permit rules for both fisheries to improve conservation.
· Liaison Group to oversee the Protection Order.
· Cooperation with the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust to explore ongoing monitoring.
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