A Scottish wild salmon company has acquired netting rights for wild trout and salmon in the Ythan estuary and adjacent foreshore, bucking the trend for angling bodies buying up these rights.
Scottish Wild Salmon Company is a brand name of Usan Salmon Fisheries Ltd, which primarily owns salmon netting rights on the North and East coast of Scotland as well as in the Moray Firth.
George Pullar, director, Usan Salmon Fisheries Ltd, said: "Given our long association with wild salmon and sea trout in Scotland, we look forward to managing these long-established rights, in a sustainable manner, working in partnership with the angling community to open up access opportunities for anglers of all ages and backgrounds.”
He pointed out that even though the company has taken on the angling rights, the fishery will continue to be open to the public going forward from this year.
But he warned that some limited netting will be required on the foreshore and lower estuary to allow the company to ensure that the area remains one of the top sea trout rivers in Scotland for future generations.
“The average sea trout catch over the last five years has been just under 1000 per annum from the Newburgh fishings. While this is a credible baseline, we would expect to see these numbers significantly increase once the current predation levels are reduced,” Mr Pullar added.
Usan Salmon Fisheries Ltd has a reputation for harvesting and providing Scottish trout and salmon to domestic customers in Scotland and the UK, as well as exporting Scottish Wild Salmon all over Europe.
Established in the 1960s, the indigenous Scottish company remains one of the last salmon netting operations in Scotland.
