I'd agree that the single biggest domestic threat to our migratory fish is indeed salmon farming, although successive Scottish governments would arguably have to be the second biggest threat for their impotence in the face of scientific fact about the dangers of salmon farming to our environment.
Now on the subject of a rod licence I have a different view, albeit based on my experiences as a student in 1990 to '93 working part time with the (then) Welsh National Rivers Authority (NRA) as a water bailiff. The NRA system was generally a good - if complicated - organisation that was an evolution of the previous Regional Water Authorities. That included a legacy of positive action in enforcing fisheries legislation matched with a willingness to tackle environment/habitat issues - the logo was a Salmon
Now I am not a fan of the EA that replaced the NRA system as much was lost in terms of the local 'flavour' and I'd wholeheartedly agree that the way the EA goes about business today is symptomatic of too many chiefs, not enough Indians and reactionary to government rather than pro-actively environment. That is a shame, but it does not necessarily mean that we in Scotland could not use some of what we have and some of what we might be able to finance (through a levy or licence) based on the NRA model. It could work.
If I knew for certain that my licence or levy fee was paying towards the provision of a professional qualified water bailiff force to police those waters under threat or without any protection currently then I would gladly pay it. I'd argue that it's something we could use nationally now - a national unit which could assist those bailiff forces already in place that are employed by the DSFBs. We already know that in most cases that there are insufficient bailiffs on Scottish waters so it would seem reasonable to suggest that a small national 'force' would go some way to helping with the issues. Police Scotland are already pushed to the limits, they do not have the resource to be able to assist bailiffs on our water systems as much as they might wish to.
It tickles my sense of humour to draw an analogy with American law enforcement, but if you consider the current bailiff forces in Scotland as the local sheriffs then what I'm supposing could most likely be considered the FBI
OK, not the best analogy but I think you probably get the idea.
How much is a fair levy/licence ??? I am uncertain. Depends what it's going to pay for and (importantly) whatever it does have to pay for has to be of benefit not a hindrance to existing fisheries management.
H
