The small lochans debate!

Hi Matt, Dave,

Thanks very much for both your comments and interest in the site. Can I say first that we welcome the debate - it's only through the input of anglers that we can get feedback for the research. Matt - we understand your concerns and are very aware of the issues you raise which have been a well documented issue elsewhere (and in fields other than angling). We have a member of our team who is very experienced in researching these issues.

Sorry if this is a bit long, but we wanted to respond fully. I would like to make a few points about what we are trying to achieve.

i) We would never have developed this site without full consultation with local angling (and other) groups and we would take their steer if they thought this was in any way irresponsible. They don't - indeed people have welcomed it.
ii) As Dave says, receipts from angling are a critical source of income: for the ACT it is their biggest source of external income; for the AAG money made is reinvested so angling can be improved; for tourist related businesses it is an important element of business (through the research we wish to provide evidence of just how important).
iii) The site addresses one of the key issues that angling groups locally have reported to us - that they don't get much feedback (eg 6 catch returns in a year) as to where people are fishing, what they are catching, what they are keeping etc.. They need that information to help inform their work.
iv) One important factor is that there are very significant limitations in terms of infrastructure to increasing the amount of anglers and pressure on more remote lochans to any great degree. These include - Assynt's location; the limited number of places to stay; the majority demand on accommodation from people who are not fishing, which isn't likely to diminish; the sheer size of the area and number and diversity of lochs; the location of many lochs in places that most anglers are not prepared to walk to; the at times 'challening' nature of angling there and the overwhelming preponderance of smaller fish in many lochs...
In short, the idea that Assynt will become a mass angling tourist destination with coach parties turning up to empty all the small lochans isn't likely.
v) There are of course concerns if people start taking lots of fish from smaller/remote lochans, especially larger fish. However, our evidence so far is that the trend is the other way - there are far more people practising catch and release than used to be the case. Local advice, such as Cathel's new booklet, stress the need to be responsible in this regard. I like Dave's suggestion of people adding info for lochs about which are better for taking a small fish for the table and where none should be taken.
vi) As Dave says, much of this information is already out there and people have been reporting catches in one way or another since at least the mid 19th century.

Overall, if the site supports the efforts of those locally to increase angling numbers a small percentage, informs them about who is fishing where and catching what, helps increase numbers at times of low demand (the 'shoulders' of the season), spreads the pressure to more lochs, and thus increases the benefits from the natural resources in Assynt for the local community, then that surely is a good thing?

Finally, that fish was one I caught. And it was still in there when I left it!
Thanks, Adam