KEEP THE TRADITION OF SALMON NETTING ON THE TAMAR TAVY

#73: Ianto - Yep, because there are plenty of seatrout in the river and he returns all the fish he catches. As do most fly fisherman. Whats your point? What does Matt Hayes have to do with netting of precious salmon stocks on the Tamar?

#75: Orri - Your silence speaks volumes, thank you!! I dont think I need to say anymore

If theres no fish we might have paddlers, canoeists and ramblers who just want to enjoy our beautiful scenery.Fishing is not our only attraction and thank god if everyones like you.

I defended four netsmen who were called poachers just because they couldn't hold the pole in one spot in a raging gale and spring tide .I defy anyone to do that but of course these petty by law infringements are usually thrown out by the magistrate anyway. Silent is one thing I've never been nor a poacher so as I've said you have the evidence I don't so I can't comment.

#78: Welsh Jane - So basically, you would not be concerned if the fish stocks were wiped out as tourists could canoe and ramble as appose to fish. Sorry but what point are you making here Jane?

#85: Orri - Poor and uneducated, can you be anymore insulting

Full of delicious expensively produced young salmon I suppose which is what you can expect when you interfere with nature. an imbalance. Good for you as a bass fisherman but I think the Riparian owners in the upper Tamar see it differently. You may keep Welsh Jane happy by putting  Tamar Salmon (bass) back on the menu.

'Friend of the nets' the netsmen themselves are proud to be net fishermen they admit that their way of life did not put emphasis on gaining an education one is even dyslexic easy pray for the the graduates,statisticians,and academics that abound in the Angling Lobby and EA so that is a question for another day have they been 'bullied' during the process.

Isn't just typical the Minister can't even give the netsmen 25 minutes he was most probably enjoying
corporate hospitality with the angling lobby . Such contempt from a Cornish MP.

Changed my mind your not worth a comment.

#93: - netsmen I agree sadly, poaching seems to be a way of life for some who have no regard for nature, fish stocks or the authorities trying to protect and conserve. They seem think its thier "right" to decimate the salmon, seatrout and bass stocks for cash in hand with no conscience or remorse. Its a disgusting situation. Quota's, you must be kidding right, who really believes they will be adhered, if granted. Get real, wise up, its not just the Tamar, poaching with nets goes on anywhere there is a profit for these individuals. License or no license, legally or illegally, it will still happen

The biggest predators of Tamar salmon either through the 20% mortality rate due to Catch and release ( according to John Webb of the Atlantic Trust) or the a 34% catch keep rate are the rods. No matter how EA and their masters the Riparians spin it that is a fact so why aren't there measures taken to stop the exploitation of gravid multi wintered fish in September and October. This is the logical conclusion but the argument made is that the commercial netsmen (a label put on the traditional netsmen by the pro-angling weighted Fishery Groups) business is not as importantin socio economic terms to the business of the well off,well connected gentry.
The EA a supposedly impartial agency who act as 'honest brokers' and negotiate and assess any net buy out by angling interests also decide as the regulatory body on how many nets must go.
If that is not a conflict of interest nothing is. If the netsmen don't agree to those findings they are told to appeal to Defra so how do you do it if your dyslexic or can hardly read and write? So you ask for a meeting with EA officials the guys who your complaining about to arrange a meeting with the Minister? The meeting is agreed and a miserly twenty minute is allocated. Bravo.Then the Minister doesn't turn up and surprise surprise the consultation period has expired.

What a shabby disgraceful way to treat stakeholders.

#97: Orri - Nothing will stop poachers netting Salmon, country wide epidemic, families and their associates, tradition eh!! License or not, its all BS!! Poachers with gill nets being caught all over great britain. Salmon usually end up abroad via dodgy fishmongers. Court appearance, £500-2000 fine if successfully prosecuted. Usually maintain that they found the net with salmon in it and get off. Nets confiscated by authorities involved. Then what happens, the poacher who make a killing financially (as well as wild endangered creatures) sources another net and carries on until they get caught again. This whole petition is a joke, poaching / netting is a commercial business. Until the salmon are wiped out this will happen again and again and again. HARSH BUT TRUE