Wider Issues

The Association has positive relationships with a number of organisations.  There are also a number of issues that the Association has an active interest in, as they impact the Esk fishery as a whole. This page lists some of those organisations and explains some of the issues the Association considers important. 

The committee is always interested in members’ view on these issues and if anyone wishes to be actively involved with any of these issues or organisations, please also get in touch.

Final byelaws following the EA's 2017 review into salmon conservation in England

These byelaws became effective on 1st January 2019 and available here.  There is a summary here.

The changes are broadly helpful, removing the North East drift nets and restricting the T and J nets further from 2019.  The proposed restrictions on how we can fish with rod and line have been dropped, but in order to retain the right to take an occassional salmon, the return rate on the Esk as a whole must be 90% or more or the EA has expressed an intention to impose mandatory catch and release of salmon. 

Drift netting for salmon and sea trout off the north east coast has been prohibited.  T and J nets are to continue under existing licences, but for sea trout only.  Whitby is in the middle of district 3 (there are 7 districts starting at the border with Scotland (district 1) and working down to the Humber estuary (district 7)).  The netting season for district 3 is now 26th March to 30th June.  There are no licences in district 2 to the north of us; the season for districts 4 and 5 is now 26th March to 31st July each year  and the season for districts 6 and 7 is 26th March to 31st August.

There ought therefore to be no fresh wild salmon for sale and no fresh seatrout outside the relevant seasons.  If you are aware of salmon/sea trout being sold outside the appropriate seasons, please contact us urgently as they may be the product of poaching.

Organisations

• Angling Trust/Fish Legal

 The Association is a member of these organisations as they:

• promote the interests of rod and line fisheries

• keep us informed of changes relevant to the Association

• provide the Association’s insurance and 

• give us access to legal advice if we need it

 More information is available on the Angling Trust 's and Fish Legal' s websites.  

• Wild Trout Trust

The WTT has worked with the Association, Glaisdale Angling Club and YERT to consider habitat questions in relation to the Esk.  Its work has included running habitat improvement workshops on Glaisdale Beck.  It has a fascinating website.  

Issues

• Ruswarp Turbine

The Association cooperated with the construction of Esk Energy ’s turbine which was installed at Ruswarp Weir in 2011, where the Esk becomes tidal. It became operational in 2012. Various assurances were given at that time the decision to go ahead was reached, but we do not feel that all of them have been met. The assurances included:

1. a new fish pass, to be installed near the turbine outflow to minimise confusion amongst fish about where the main migration route is (the new pass is roughly 60% efficient, the original was 100% efficient)

2. a fish counter within that pass (this never happened and EA now assert that they are not committed to implement it)

3. assurances that the revised configuration of new pass and turbine would not have a negative impact on fish migration (which include eels and sea lamprey, not just salmon and sea trout) – as above, we doubt this has been achieved and

4. sponsorship by the Environment Agency of a 5 year research project by the Hull International Fisheries Institute ("HIFI"), which was published in 2016.

The final HIFI report contains a huge amount of information. The Association lobbied with YERT in relation to an earlier draft.   The Association is of the view that the current situation is worse than the previous arrangement.  

As the Association also owns the bed of the river upstream and downstream of the weir (but not the weir itself) we have some practical power. The Wild Trout Trust has provided this report in relation to dredging work that Esk Energy wished to do below the turbine outflow; we believe that the plan will have a negative effect on fish passage and have therefore not agreed to the work.  We do not intend to be obstructive, but we do intend to protect the fishery and the valuable habitat provided by the island beneath the weir.

In the absence of a fish counter we are left to monitor fish returns and juvenile monitoring results to identify any long terms adverse impacts.

• Poaching

Until 2015 the Association had its own river keeper, whose job included prevention of poaching. The Association remains committed to fighting poaching and was originally sold the rights we hold at Ruswarp precisely because we were committed to preventing poaching.

Without a river keeper we are finding new ways of fighting poaching and are looking for volunteers who might wish to join the Angling Trust’s Voluntary Bailiff Service (one of teh committee is a member). 

We will continue to cooperate with YERT, the other land owners, the EA and the police to minimise all forms of poaching.

• Tideway ban

This ban prevents ALL fishing from the County Road Bridge at Ruswarp down to Whitby Harbour. We believe it is a good thing as there were problems with people snatching salmon and sea trout in this area.  

• Net limitation order

This order limits the number of nets deployed off our coast, the dates they can fish and the catches they can make. the position of nets is being considered in an EA consultation in late 2017 and we have made our views known. Coastal fisheries are a big issue for salmon and sea trout. In 2013, the EA reported the following catches: