Overall, better news for the status of Scottish salmon stocks as increasing numbers are managing to make it back to freshwater, compared to the previous 5 year average.
With fishing effort for the commercial sector (nets etc) being the lowest since records began in 1952, the catches for these commercial concerns also declined compared to the previous 5 year average.
The rod-caught figures have been based on a 95% return of the data requested of rod fisheries by the FRS in time for the release of this '07 whole of Scotland data.
This has been accompanied by an overall 22% increase in the total rod catch compared to the previous 5 year average, with approximately the same number rod rod caught fish being killed compared to the previous 5 year average (for the whole of Scotland) but a 44% increase in the number of rod caught fish being released compared to the previous 5 year average.
The overall C&R rate is now 61% (compared to ~55% for '06):
For the 'big 4' in 2007:
**The Tweed (figs aren't absolute as the FRS hasn't separated clearly the commercial and rod caught retained fish - but approx 5000 of the retained fish for the Tweed were commercially caught)
Tweed:
~15600 total rod caught, an increase of ~13% compared to '06, and C&R rate of 61%, which is the same as the Scottish average for '07, and better than the 54.9% C&R rate for the Tweed in '06.
Dee:
5989 total rod caught, an increase of 7% compared to '06, and C&R rate of 96.7%
, which is even better than the 92.8% C&R rate for '06.
Spey:
10027 total rod caught, a slight drop to 95.3% of the '06 numbers, but C&R rate has remained exactly as '06 at 70.6%.
Tay:
8688 total rod caught, a significant drop to 73.4% of the '06 rod caught numbers, and with the C&R rate for '07 still lagging behind almost every other river at 39.1%, but a small rise in the C&R rate compared to the 35% C&R as published for '06.
The overall figures for seatrout are very much more depressing for Scotland as a whole, with historic lows being recorded, and worst for the West of Scotland.
Indeed, there is a worse picture for the West of Scotland for salmon too compared to the East, and the drop in the spring salmon runs are also concerning.
So, whilst the the overall '07 picture may have looked OK for rod catches & increasing C&R, there are particular concerns, and some considerable way to go yet to bring Scottish salmon & seatrout stocks back into 'good health' for the longer term future of our fisheries.
Mike