News - JANUARY / FEBRUARY

A very Happy New Year to everyone, albeit slightly delayed, for which my apologies.
As the restrictions continue it is essential, if normality is to stand a chance of returning, that we all follow the necessary precautions. For those of you who are within walking distance of some fishing, you are the lucky ones. Stay safe and enjoy!

Salmon & Trout Conservation

This well known charity are inviting you to join a webinar (by Zoom).
Thursday 18th February at 6pm (until circa 1900 hrs)
In a series of conversations, Matthew Wright will seek to untangle the people and issues in wild fish conservation. First up, Matthew will attempt to untangle Feargal Sharkey and our chalk streams.
Join Matthew, Feargal and friends for a relaxed and convivial evening, to be enjoyed perhaps with a glass of wine to hand.
To book a place for this rather exciting event please email:
Immy O’Keefe at immy@salmon-trout.org

If you have not yet attended anything using the Zoom platform, it is simple to join. If I can do it……………………!

I shall be there and hope you will also decide to attend.

If you have updates to make, should you be listed, or discover new opportunities which are not mentioned, then contact : ceri.thomas@anglingtrust.net. You can, of course, keep up to date by signing up for a regular newsletter, details being on the site.

 

 

Wild Trout Trust

Well, time certainly does fly by! It is nearly time for the annual WTT Spring Auction. This respected charity relies on the donation and sale of a wide variety of auction lots, to further the work it does. Last year was difficult for the majority of charities and, as you can anticipate, this year is likely to be even tougher!

The auction in 2021 will take place between the 19th-28th of March. As in previous years it will be conducted both on eBay and by post. If you do not get a hardcopy of the auction lots catalogue, you can view these exciting items on the WTT website www.wildtrout.org together with information on how to submit a bid. As a donor of some auction lots, I always look forward to this auction; in addition to making a couple of bids I have, over recent years, made some very good friends with winning bidders.
Talking of the WTT website, yesterday, before preparing this I spent some time looking at the site. There is a wealth of information there, which might well be of use to those undertaking home tuition, at this time. It is fascinating. I was taken by the short videos on Arctic Charr and Catch and Release.

Neptune Balls and Plastics

Not all news about plastics in the sea is bad news! I refer to an item which appeared in January 2021. In this piece it was reported that underwater seagrass, in coastal areas, appear to trap plastic pollution in natural bundles of fibre known as “Neptune balls”. Researchers discovered that the swaying plants which are anchored to shallow seabeds, may collect nearly 900 m plastic items in the Mediterranean alone each year. The study was reported in the journal Scientific Reports, a peer reviewed journal published by the Nature Publishing Group since 2011.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/15/seagrass-neptune-balls-sieve-millions-of-plastic-particles-from-water-study-finds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

World Fish Migration Foundation.

The next scheduled World Fish Migration Day is the 21st of May 2022. That said. there is a wealth of information on the website at www.worldfishmigrationfoundation.com and, as I have indicated earlier, there is a great deal which might help with your home tuition.
For example find “Dam Removal Europe” if you would like to get into some exciting stuff, go to the Dambusters video!
A wealth of information and knowledge awaits you.
In the interim those with some artistic skill might want to consider the

2021 International State-Fish Art Contest!

World Fish Migration Day has just passed, but that does not mean the learning and creativity stops there. The Wildlife Forever team has recently launched their 2021 International State-Fish Art Contest. Young artists from 5-18 years old are encouraged to participate by drawing and learning about different fish species! Check out their website for all of the details including contest deadlines and the 'official fish list.'
Information is available at www.wildlifeforever.org/home/state-fish

AND FINALLY!

The Environment Agency has published some encouraging figures for 2019. The figures can be viewed in total at www.gov.uk/government/publications/fisheries-annual-report -2019 -20120. It may not necessarily load so Google Environment Agency Fishing Report 2019-2020.
Comparing the figures there is increasing hope!

England & Wales	2019	2018	%released 2019	2018
Salmon Caught	9163	7787
Welsh Caught	1489	1299
Salmon released	8171	6857	89%	88%
Sea Trout   caught	21330	13608
Welsh Caught	9799	5360
Sea Trout Released	18217	11603	85%	85%

Percentages are given BUT on average changes. You can work out the real improvement from the above figures. Finding the 2019 figures for Wales alone is not easy, as the gross figures are combined for England and Wales. I have shown some Welsh figures in blue! It reveals an interesting development – based upon UK Gov figures -16% of the total salmon caught and 42% of the total sea trout caught, were caught in Wales! Obviously there are other reasons to consider in any analysis.