ENGLISH FISHERMEN QUIT FISHING TO SAVE THE SALMON:

The last generation of English driftnet fishermen has decided to hang up their nets and their way of life to save the declining stocks of wild salmon and sea trout. Fifty-two of the last sixty-eight registered driftnet fishermen have decided to call it quits and accept a compensation package given by the United Kingdom's Environment Agency. The decision to quit fishing is voluntary and follows after two years of negotiations between the fishermen and the Environment Agency. The buyout is worth 3.4 British Pounds and affects fishermen that fish between North Yorkshire and the Scottish border. The latest "Annual Assessment of Salmon Fisheries in England and Wales" shows that less than 30 percent of salmon rivers have satisfactory wild stocks. Last year, driftnetsmen caught 42,000 salmon and sea trout as the fish headed for the rivers of northeast England and eastern Scotland. The new agreement could reduce the number taken by as much as 75 percent, allowing many more fish to reach their spawning grounds. For more information see the 19 May Environment News Service article at: http://ens-news.com/ens/may2003/2003-05-19-02.asp. The Annual Assessment of Salmon Stocks and Fisheries in England and Wales for 2002 is available online at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/105385/salmon_stocks02.pdf