Fish
7.19 The commercial sea fishing industry, although a small sector, is more important to the regional economy than is typical nationally.
7.20 In 2006, there were 7,116 fishermen in England and Wales, of which 1,090 (15%) were in the South West. Nationally, the number of people employed in sea fishing has declined by 32% since 1996, although there has been little change in recent years. Between 2005 and 2006, there was a slight increase of just over 7% in the total number of fishermen in the South West, which was higher than the 0.1% increase experienced nationally. (Marine Fisheries Agency, 2007)
7.21 Major fishing ports in the South West include Brixham, Newlyn, Plymouth, Teignmouth and Weymouth. In 2006, 34,584 tonnes of fish and shellfish were landed into these ports by UK vessels, worth over £49.9 million. The total landings in the region have generally declined and were almost 15% lower in 2006 than in 1999 and 14% lower than in 2005. (Marine Fisheries Agency, 2007)
7.22 Salmon and sea trout are a good indicators of the health of the freshwater environment and are a significant resource in the South West.
7.23 There has been a long-term national decline in salmon catch, which has been mirrored in the South West. Total salmon catch (rod and net) in the region fell to it's lowest point in 2006, with 2,279 fish, 70% below the 7,774 fish caught 10 years ago but only just under 1% below 2005. (Environment Agency, 2007)
7.24 Sea trout catch has also fluctuated in the region with a 45% decline in fish caught between 1996 and 2006, from 9,456 to 5,212 respectively. Between 2005 and 2006, sea trout catch in the region declined by 37%. (Environment Agency, 2007)
7.25 Low flows and high temperatures throughout much the summer of 2006 resulted in poor angling conditions and low catches of both salmon and sea trout. Although conditions improved in the autumn, this was a little too late for most sea trout fisheries, however this did improve some salmon catches particularly in rod fisheries.
7.26 More information about fish is available from the South West Observatory Environment website