The Environment Agency has launched a new consultation on its proposal to make a temporary byelaw which currently prohibits fishing in the River Esk permanent in order to enhance the protection of fish stocks.

The Environment Agency intends to apply to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for confirmation of the byelaw for the River Esk, made under the Water Resources Act 1991.

The current byelaw for the Esk prohibits fishing or attempting to take salmon and sea trout, smelt, shad, eels and freshwater fish by any means from the tideway (tidal section) of the River Esk in North Yorkshire, from Ruswarp Weir downstream to the Eskside Wharf in Whitby.

The restrictions are considered necessary to protect the stocks of salmon and sea trout from the pressure of uncontrolled fishing in the tideway.

During the 1980s to mid-1990s, salmon and sea trout catches on the River Esk declined to the lowest levels on record, in contrast to the patterns of catches observed on other nearby North East rivers.

Salmon and sea trout were shown to be especially vulnerable to angling and illegal fishing

in the tideway. Following a public inquiry, the byelaw was introduced in 1987 to prohibit fishing for salmon and sea trout in the tideway.

The status of both salmon and sea trout stocks has improved since that time. The byelaw was amended in 1997 to remove a loophole that allowed some anglers to continue to exploit vulnerable salmon and sea trout in this area. It was then subsequently renewed in 2002 for ten years and again in 2012 for another ten years. The current byelaw will expire in February 2022.

The Esk salmon stock is currently classified as being “At Risk” of failing to achieve its Conservation Limit (CL) more than 80% of the time and is projected to be “Probably At Risk” in five years’ time.

The Esk sea trout stock is currently classified as being “Probably Not At Risk”, based on a simplistic assessment of the performance of the rod fishery in recent years.

The Agency’s preferred management option in these circumstances is to renew the River Esk (Yorkshire) Tideway Byelaw as a permanent, rather than time-limited byelaw.

The EA is also recommending additional voluntary measures to improve the survival of salmon and sea trout released from the fisheries, together with directed action to improve the production of juvenile salmon and trout within the catchment.

The byelaw will prohibit fishing or attempting to take salmon and sea trout, smelt, shad, eels and freshwater fish by any means from the tideway of the River Esk in North Yorkshire, from Ruswarp Weir downstream to the Eskside Wharf.

Deadline to submit responses to the consultation is 11 April 2022 – click here to access the consultation online.