Good news at last?

[shaunemac]

Record salmon catches on the River Tees
Anglers will be celebrating the best salmon rod catches on the River Tees in almost 90 years.

Provisional figures for salmon rod catches on the river in 2008 reached 266, the highest recorded since 1922.

Environment Agency fisheries staff were hoping a recovering trend of salmon catches in the Tees would continue to follow the predicted pattern. But last year’s total far exceeded expectations – scientists had been anticipating a rod catch of approximately 200 fish. The five-year average salmon catch for the Tees was only 139 fish so the 2008 figure has come as a welcome surprise. 

“This catch demonstrates how well the Tees salmon stocks are recovering after significant water quality improvements carried out by the Environment Agency over the past 20 years,” said Environment Agency fisheries technical officer Paul Frear.

“This catch represents about 50% of what has been determined to maintain sustainable stocks in the river in the long term.”

The news will be welcomed by anglers, who have previously expressed concerns about slow rates of salmon stock recovery. These concerns have been incorporated into the River Tees Salmon Action Plan.

Paul said: “Despite this catch being a great result, we mustn’t get too complacent as there are still many issues to resolve to ensure the salmon recovery continues.

“We need to keep improving tidal water quality and free passage of fish at obstructions, and also examine how much spawning potential we have in the upper river.”

Anglers can help to monitor the improvement in Tees salmon catches by completing an angler’s logbook. Contact the North East fisheries team on 0191 203 4141 for one of these. You can also view the River Tees Salmon Action Plan  which has full details of all the issues relating to salmon recovery

[Hopper]

how come its 2008, does it take 2 years to find out how many fish where caught ?
2 years is along time, last year might have dropped ?

[Ste F]

Were they caught by anglers or the seals at the barrage

[carpie]

You's better hope those numbers don't go up 
As the tyne is ment to be one of the best salmon river in england and boy can you not get on it.
Some stretches cost £1000's to fish.Imho it has F****D up the coarse fishing big time.
They even wrecked the river ramping water out of kielder.Was ment to help the salmon but MONEY was a factor as the dam produces electric.

We get 2 matches a year on the decent parts and that is more to do with one match being run by the EA.
Also get one in november when salmon season is finished.

[shaunemac]

salmon dont get caught until much further up mate past darlo , to be honest , the coarse fishing finishes there anyway so we should be ok