Notice is hereby given that the Environment Agency intends to apply to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for confirmation of byelaws made under the Water Resources Act 1991.

The byelaws for the River Camel and its tributaries are intended to be in place for a maximum period of 5 years from the date of confirmation. These byelaws will:-

• Require the release of all salmon caught by rod and line from the Camel catchment and its tributaries with minimum delay at the point of capture.

• Prohibit the use of bait for the catching of salmon with the exception of prawn or shrimp.

• Require the use of barbless hooks when fishing for salmon, sea trout and brown trout using all rod and line methods.

• Restrict the use of treble hooks for the catching of salmon on artificial lures and flies.

• Restrict the maximum size of hooks for all rod and line methods when fishing for salmon, sea trout and brown trout.

• Require the release of all sea trout caught on rod and line over 50cm in length (from snout to tip of tail) with minimum delay and injury.

• Implement a maximum bag limit of two sea trout to be retained at any point in time or within a 24 hour period.

The 5-year re-application of byelaws protecting salmon and sea trout on the River Camel catchment is considered necessary to protect a declining, unsustainable salmon stock. In particular, the abundance of juvenile salmon stocks throughout the River Camel has been extremely poor in recent years. The salmon stock therefore requires ongoing protection to allow the population to stabilise and recover. The byelaws recognise that the River Camel is a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and that salmon is a designated interest feature.

The proposed byelaws will require the return of all salmon caught by rod and line within the River Camel and restrict the types of methods and hook types that are used to catch salmon. These measures are intended to maximise the survival of salmon following their capture and their opportunity to spawn. Furthermore, there is also a need to protect sea trout from over exploitation at a time of reducing salmon stocks, this is achieved by requiring release of all seatrout over 50cm in length and implementing a maximum bag limit.

Objections must be received no later than 20th June 2024.

Any person who wishes to object to the proposed byelaws must send a statement of their objection in writing to Grant Horsburgh, Freshwater Fisheries, Shellfish and Aquaculture Policy, Domestic Fisheries and Reform, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Seacole Block, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF Email: freshwater.fish@defra.gov.uk

A copy of the statement of objection must also be sent to Bryony Devoy, Fisheries Biodiversity and Geomorphology Team, Environment Agency, Sir John Moore House, Victoria Square, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1EB. Email: bryony.devoy@environment-agency.gov.uk

A copy of the byelaw has been deposited at the office of the Environment Agency at the address shown below and will be open to inspection free of charge from Monday to Friday during normal office hours from the date of publication of this notice until 24th June 2024.

Environment Agency, Sir John Moore House, Victoria Square, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1EB.