New rights will tackle poaching on the Clyde

Sep 21 2006

A MEASURE likely to curb poaching on the Clyde was approved this week.

The move gives Mid Clyde Angling Association exclusive fishing rights at nine key locations.

Since 1991, the association has held the Crown lease for the right to catch salmon and sea trout between Bothwell Bridge and Dalmarnock Bridge.

However, the rights to land non-migratory fish, such as brown trout and course fish, remained with landowners.

Now, South Lanarkshire Council and the association have agreed a deal covering nine stretches of the riverbank owned by the authority.

The deal grants to the association, for a nominal rent, a 10-year lease for the right to fish non-migratory species at the nine locations.

At a meeting of the council’s estates committee on Tuesday, enterprise resources director Iain Urquhart said the agreement granted to the association exclusive fishing rights at the stretches of riverbank.

“It will enable the association to manage, in whole, the fishing at the various water stretches,” he added.

“This would include the management of the water courses and river banks (control of weeds, etc), annual re-stocking of the courses with brown trout and the right to tackle and control any poaching activity.”

Mr Urquhart said the agreement relieved the council of the financial burden of maintaining and policing the riverbanks.

The new lease agreement will allow the association to sell fishing permits to anglers.

Members of the association will decide on the cost of the permits at their annual general meeting, and the tickets will go on sale in March.

Kemp Meikle, the 60-year-old Hamilton man who chairs the 160-member association, said they had sought the agreement to strengthen the hand of bailiffs.

It would help them tackle the problem of anglers who fish for salmon without a permit and, when challenged, claim they are only looking to land brown trout.

“Poaching remains a problem,” he said.

“When the fish are running, people get to hear about it and go down to the riverbank and go after them,” he added.

“But by having consent to issue permits for brown trout, as well as salmon, it is going to make it a lot simpler to police the water.”