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Angling Trust – Wrasse Campaign

The Angling Trust has launched a national campaign calling for an immediate closure of the live capture wrasse fishery supplying fish to the Scottish salmon farming industry and is urging all anglers and conservationists to get involved.

Live wrasse are now being transported from the South West of England to Scottish salmon farms where they are used as ‘cleaner’ fish, to eat the sea lice that infest caged salmon. Sea lice cause serious damage to both the farmed fish and to wild salmon and sea trout throughout the region.

The Angling Trust’s campaign to end the live wrasse fishery includes an online petition, an email system to lobby councillors and a poster to be displayed in fishing tackle shops.

The demand for wild-caught wrasse for this purpose has seen a boom in the value of wrasse, which was just a few years ago of little commercial value and only used as pot bait for crabs and lobsters.

The live capture fishery now means wrasse is one of the most valuable species landed into UK ports – fetching up to £150 per kilo – and the opportunity to profit from this has seen uncontrolled expansion of the fishery. Click here to read more.