I was pleased to convene a positive meeting with Stephen Till and George Winn-Darley, trustees of the Yorkshire Esk Rivers Trust, and Filey fishermen to discuss proposals by the Environment Agency that could see an end to the historic fishing industry in Filey. The trust is in favour of the new byelaws proposed by the Environment Agency which are intended to conserve salmon stocks by reducing the numbers caught in the North-East net fishery and in rivers. However, these new measures are vehemently opposed by Filey fishermen who think it will devastate their livelihoods unnecessarily, as Filey’s fisherman catch mainly sea-trout and only miniscule amounts of salmon.
Our discussions meant there was a much better understanding of the effects these proposals would have on the incomes of the families that depend on it and on the future viability of fishing in Filey, which is already down to just seven boats. These boats only catch around 150 salmon a year, compared to the 4,600 sea-trout which are caught every year. In addition, the Filey fishermen have agreed to release all salmon caught in the future if agreement can be reached.
Everyone at the meeting agreed that we should work together to make sure that salmon stocks are protected whilst securing the future of Filey fishermen for this and future generations and the wider economy of the town which depends on a vibrant fishing community.