End of an era.
End of an era of salmon net fishing
There will be more salmon in the River Dee now that we’ve bought out the three remaining licences for net fishing in the tidal area of the river. The area was a thriving salmon fishery for hundreds of years. Gradually, fewer fish have been returning to spawn as a result of global warming and declining food supply, as well as sea netting and natural predators. Net fishing was making matters worse, so we’ve gradually been buying out the licences. There were originally 34 licences: 30 for draft nets, and four for trammel nets. Licences were much coveted, strongly defended, and kept in families for generations – all four trammel net licences were held for many years by one family from Flint. The record catch was 52 salmon, taken below the Old Dee Bridge by draft net. It was so heavy that a horse and cart had to be used to transport the catch.