Stocks of sea trout in England and Wales have been steadily increasing in contrast to declining numbers of salmon, the Environment Agency says. Sea trout rod catches reached four times those of salmon in 2003.
The growing abundance of sea trout, the migratory form of the native brown trout, has increased in the majority of rivers since 1974, in many cases significantly so. The species, fished for in net fisheries and by anglers, is now present throughout Western Europe except for some areas of western Scotland and Ireland which have seen serious decline.
Sea trout are found on average in just over a quarter of all rivers in England and Wales, with their strongholds in Wales and the west, but also in once polluted rivers of the North East of England and the South Wales valleys. Wales, which has the widest distribution – sea trout are present in about half of all rivers – will from 6-8 July host the first major gathering of international experts on the species to take place for 20 years. Experts from the Environment Agency will be amongst them.
In comparison to salmon stocks, sea trout are leaping ahead, with the total reported catch for England and Wales in 2003 roughly two and a half times that of salmon. Catch statistics provide one of the main means of measuring sea trout abundance. Monitoring juveniles is not practical because the fry and parr of sea trout cannot be distinguished from those of the native brown trout. Why some of the species develop into migratory fish whilst others remain in their spawning rivers is one of the mysteries that surround the species. Little is currently known either about survival rates at sea.
As with many other fish species, the impacts of changes to the climate and freshwater environments have affected sea trout across their distribution. The need for more effective and pro-active management of sea trout fisheries makes it timely to review and communicate recent scientific developments on sea trout management world wide.
Sea trout fisheries play an important role in the economic development of rural areas. They have also attracted significant investment from the UK Government and Europe through funding for improving river habitats, access through rivers and the infrastructure of fishing and angling-related tourism.
The Sea Trout Symposium, subtitled The biology, conservation & management of sea trout, takes place at Cardiff University from 6-8 July conservation & management of sea trout. The symposium will be attended by fishery managers, scientists, policy makers, NGOs and other experts from Europe and North America. It aims to raise awareness of the species, review the advances made in understanding in the last 20 years and guide future practice to protect stocks and maximise benefits through sustainable fishing and careful environmental management.
Opening addresses on day one of the Symposium will be given by Carwyn Jones, Minister for the Environment, Planning & Countryside in the Welsh Assembly Government, and Dr Helen Phillips, Director of Environment Agency Wales. Topics for discussion over the three days include sea trout stocks and fisheries, and in particular issues around their management; genetics and life history; and ecology and population dynamics.
The Symposium aims to develop a set of recommendations that will be influential in guiding the future direction of sea trout protection and management and its outcomes will be published after the event.
Dafydd Evans, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said, ‘This Symposium represents an excellent opportunity for experts within the field to gather together to share and develop best practice. Although it has been a long time coming, we anticipate that the outcomes from this Symposium will be worth the wait in helping to improve and develop sea trout science and management.
‘In addition, we hope that the Symposium will raise awareness among anglers and the public as a whole of this valuable species and the mixed fortunes it faces.’
For more information on the Sea Trout Symposium, please visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/seatrout.
Note from FISHINGmagic
The Symposium is being sponsored by the Environment Agency, Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Executive, The Atlantic Salmon Trust, The Central Fisheries Board (Ireland), the Salmon and Trout Association and The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.
Sea trout catches in England and Wales
Total declared rod catch for 2003 was 45, 101; this compares with 11,519 for salmon. The river with the highest declared rod catch for sea trout in 2003 was the Twyi in Wales at 4,175.
The total reported sea trout net catch was 29,248 in comparison to 17,188 for salmon.
Comparing recorded catches since 1974, there has been an increase in catch on 53% of rivers, of which 29% were statistically significant.
