EFFORTS by environmentalists to protect fish stocks on the River Aeron could sound the death knell for one of Wales’s oldest angling clubs, fishermen have warned.

Members of Aberaeron Town Angling Club – which is thought to be over 160 years old – claim a catch and release scheme proposed by Natural Resources Wales will lead to their dissolution.

Under the proposals, all salmon and possibly sewin caught after 1 April will have to be thrown back.

As the vast majority of the club’s 90 members use worms as bait, making such returns to the water impossible, it is feared they will be deterred from re-applying for their licences.

“It means that we as a club would cease to exist but NRW do not seem to care,” one angler told the Cambrian News.

“As recent events on the Teifi have shown, slurry getting into rivers killing thousands of fish, but NRW do not seem to take any action.”

Club chairman John Davies estimated that 65 to 70 of club members were ‘wormers’.

“Obviously once a fish takes a worm on a hook it cannot be put back,” he said.

Dave Mee, senior fisheries advisor for NRW, said: “Salmon stocks are generally well below desirable or sustainable limits and we must take steps to look after them now, and for future generations.

“We have been engaging with anglers and other interested parties about the best ways to do this and will shortly conduct a full public consultation on proposals where everyone will be able to have their say.”

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