Tuesday, June 12, 2018

ALERT FROM FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SCOTLAND ABOUT PINK SALMON

Fisheries Management Scotland (FMS) has emailed DSFBs and Fisheries Trusts to let them know about a recent capture of a pink salmon on the south coast of Norway by an angler, and that a pink salmon may have been caught in commercial nets in NE England (also reported on Tweed News http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6234). FMS asks that anglers and other stakeholders as well as DSFBs and Trusts remain vigilant to the possibility of these fish turning up again in Scotland this year. 
 
FMS notes that whilst it was initially felt that the odd-year class of fish (like 2017) were likely to be most prevalent, that stocks from even-year classes (like 2018) may also occur.


FMS has offered to assist with the collection of any information on incidences of these fish, and it can be contacted (asap please) if you do record any sightings or captures http://www.fms.scot alan@fms.scot. People are asked to record the following information, and, where possible, retain whole fish, and scale and tissue samples.
 
Date caught  
Location with approximate grid reference  - (you can use https://gridreferencefinder.com/)  
Method of capture (or details of mortality)
Sex of fish
Size of fish length (cm) weight (kg)
Scale sample retained (y/n)
Frozen sample retained (y/n)
Any other relevant information

Note: Pink salmon were reported last year in Scottish waters from early July and it is possible that they might turn up even earlier in the year. One of the many reported in Scottish waters last year was from Portnacraig Pitlochry Beat, where it was found dead. It was a ripe female with only a few eggs left in place and may have spawned. There were news items about it on our News page - see