Sea trout fishery statistics - 2015 season

Catch and Effort Reported by Scottish Sea Trout Fisheries in 2015

The rod and line fishery

In total, 4,503 sea trout were reported caught and retained in the rod and line fishery. A further 16,940 sea trout were reported caught and released. We have no comprehensive time series of fishing effort information associated with the rod and line fishery.

Total rod catches (retained and released) of sea trout for Scotland as a whole have declined over much of the period since 1952, when our records began. Catches appear to have stabilised in recent years, however, and the total reported rod catch in 2015 of 21,443 was 96% of the previous 5-year average ( Figure 1).

Finnock are sea trout which have spent less than a year at sea and making their first return to fresh water. They may also be known as whitling or herling. Finnock catches have been reported since 2004. The total rod catch of finnock in 2015 was 9,891 which was an increase of 22% compared to the previous 5-year average ( Figure 1).

Figure 1 Rod and Line Fishery.

Catch and release

The proportion of the rod catch accounted for by catch and release has generally increased since 1994, when catch and release information was first recorded ( Figure 2) and accounted for 79% of the total rod catch in 2015. In total 95% of finnock taken by the rod fishery were subsequently released in 2015.

A proportion of fish released from the rod fishery may be re-caught and hence inflate the catch statistics by appearing in the reported data more than once.

Figure 2 Catch and Release, Rod and Line Fishery.

The net fisheries

1,521 sea trout were reported caught and retained in the fixed engine fishery. The national index of fishing effort was 127 trap months. A total of 2,760 sea trout was reported caught and retained in the net & coble fishery, and the reported effort was 57 crew months.

Reported catch and effort in both net fisheries have declined over much of the period covered by our records and remain at historically low levels (Figures 3 & 4). In 2015, fishing effort in the fixed engine and net & coble fisheries was the lowest and second lowest, respectively, since records began in 1952. Reported catch in each fishery was 3% and 1% of the maximum reported in the respective time series.

Figure 3 Fixed Engine Fishery.

Figure 4 Net and Coble Fishery.

The catch by fishing method

In 2015, 83% of the total annual reported catch was accounted for by the rod fisheries. Fixed engine and net & coble fisheries comprised 6% and 11% respectively. Restricting the analysis to the retained catch, the rods accounted for 51% of the catch compared to 17% and 31% for the fixed engine and net & coble fisheries.

Downloads

Topic sheet no. 67 explains how we collect the catch statistics.

Topic sheet no. 68 summarises the salmon fishery statistics for the 2015 fishing season.

Both topic sheets are available for download at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Publications/TopicSheets/tslist

Summary data for fishing seasons 1952 to 2015 are available for download at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/science/Publications/stats/SalmonSeaTroutCatches

These data are provided as the most complete at the time of publication. Our records are amended when further information becomes available and updated annually in April when the statistics for the most recent fishing season are published.

Contact

If you have a specific request for Scottish salmon and sea trout fishery information, please contact us directly at ms.catchform@gov.scot

Phone: 01674 677070

Fax: 01674 672604