Anglers have hit out at "draconian" measures depriving them of one of a town's best fishing spots.
Salmon anglers have said the Environment Agency are shunting them 20m further down the river in Shrewsbury away from the weir, taking away a spot which has been fished for "at least 35 years".
Angler Phil Plant explains the situation.
Salmon anglers have said the Environment Agency are shunting them 20m further down the river in Shrewsbury away from the weir, taking away a spot which has been fished for "at least 35 years".
Angler Phil Plant explains the situation.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 OK Phil, so we're here at Shrewsbury Weir. You've been fishing here for 35 years. Just
00:05 explain what the problem is. I've been fishing here for 35 years for salmon. Recently the
00:11 Environment Agency are bringing in a bylaw which is already in place and has been for
00:16 long years. Fishing from the toe of the weir, 45 metres down, which takes about 30% of our
00:23 fishery off us. There is a white line here which has been in here for 35 years plus that
00:29 I know to and that's where we've been governed to fish to. Last year the EEA were down here
00:35 numerous times saying they've now taken a measurement from the centre of the weir on
00:41 the GPS coming 45 metres at 90 degrees to this concrete which takes off about 30% of
00:48 the fishery. There isn't enough room for the amount of anglers that fish here. We're all
00:54 feeling that we're bullied. We're getting bullied by the EEA at every chance. When we
00:59 ask the EEA why they're doing it they say because they can. Right. There's no actual
01:04 environmental reason that they're doing it. There's no environmental reason. Last year
01:08 there was less than 10 salmon caught off this particular part of the river at Shrewsbury
01:13 Weir and Chris Banger who is the fisheries manager admitted to us that there was more
01:18 fish run the river last year than in previous years. We can't understand why we're having
01:24 these draconian measures. We're getting beat up with them all the time basically. What
01:31 are you asking to happen? All we're saying is because all the salmon have to go back
01:35 which we haven't got a problem with that. We're just saying we want to fish to where
01:39 we've always fished to and why are they actually putting this new line in which reduces the
01:45 fishery and all it will do is it will end up driving away salmon fishermen. I personally
01:51 won't renew my licence here this year and I know a lot of others won't because if you
01:56 get half a dozen guys on here now to this new line they're proposing there's nowhere
02:02 to fish. Some guys come from the Midlands, up in Wales, they come quite a way here. They
02:08 could turn up with six guys here. Where am I going to fish?
02:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]