The Salmon Net Fishing Association Of Scotland
The Salmon Net Fishing Association of Scotland was established in Aberdeen in 1906 by owners and lessees of salmon fishings on the east coast of Scotland, and is Scotland’s oldest fishermen’s organisation.
The Association’s objectives include defending, protecting and advancing the interests of salmon net fishing in Scotland, encouraging scientific research, and rendering assistance to those engaged in this work.
Ownership of Salmon Fishing Rights
All rights of salmon fishing in Scotland, whether in fresh water or in the sea, are held as private, heritable titles. Originally all owned by the Crown, over the years many have been conveyed to individuals by written Crown grants, and may be bought, sold or leased. Thus, today’s netsmen are either owners or tenants of the fisheries they operate, in the same way as the operators of rod fisheries. Where they differ is in the methods they use to catch salmon. In 2008 the netsmen’s share of all the salmon reported caught in Scotland was 13%.
Featured Book and dvd
The Salmon Fishers - Ian A. Robertson
The Atlantic salmon has probably been the focus of more books and articles than any other fish. Everything about the salmon has been covered in great detail, with the notable exception of salmon netting, a subject of heated debate amongst anglers for generations.
The Salmon Fishers shows the extent to which salmon fisheries became a way of life, integral to the wellbeing of communities around the Scottish coasts, and is an essential read for anyone hoping to understand the state of salmon fishing in Britain today.
Netting Scotland's King of Fish - DVD
The two DVD's describing "Netting Scotland's King of Fish" chronicle the many facets associated with the story of the wild salmon netting industry that once thrived all along Scottish coast and in many rivers.
Topics covered include: the right to fish for salmon in Scotland; net construction; preparing salmon for the market; telling the age of a salmon. The DVD also provides an insight into the life history of the fish around which the industry was built and the many generations of netsmen who prospered from it.