THE last surviving traditional salmon fishery on the Welsh region of the Severn estuary is hoping to secure its future with a new “sustainable” fishing agreement.

The Black Rock lave net heritage fishery at Portskewett has outlasted other methods of fishing such as tuck nets, stop boats, putts and putchers.

But to continue, it needs to net a new deal with Natural Resources Wales after the current 10-year agreement runs out this year.

Unlike other methods of fishing, the Black Rock lave net fishermen survived because they embraced change.

An agreement was forged ten years ago with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency to be sustainable, with the group limited to a maximum of just five salmon per month during the three-month season from June to August.

Spokesman Martin Morgan said: “This agreement is now in its tenth and final year and we are optimistic that the newly formed NRW, with a fresh approach to fisheries such as ours, will renew this agreement, which has worked well for all concerned.

“The fishery, unlike others, is now thriving with all eight licences taken up by young local men which has given it a new lease of life.

“A huge part of the fishery has been the promotion of it as a tourism and heritage site, and this aspect could, or would not, exist without the fishing.

The fishermen have been featured in several TV programmes in recent years, as well as on radio and in books and magazines, and have exhibited at prestigious events and locations such as the Eisteddfod, St Fagans National Museum of History and the Royal Welsh Show. 

“It has also become a huge local community feature,” added Mr Morgan, “but perhaps the greatest achievement has been to prove that a traditional salmon fishery can exist in a sustainable way in the 21st century.”

For more information and the times to see the fishermen in action, go to www.blackrocklavenets.co.uk or their Facebook page.