The rivers of Cornwall are renowned for their spectacular scenery, captivating energy and abundant flora and fauna. In addition, these rivers offer a variety of excellent game angling opportunities with fishing for wild brown trout, salmon, sea trout, and grayling. Indeed, the quantity and quality of these fisheries indicate Cornwall has the potential to become one of the top UK angling destinations.

By taking an active role in these fisheries, anglers contribute to the management and protection of our streams, rivers and the wider environment. It is also apparent that, as a sport, angling provides significant socio-economic benefits. The Environment Agency’s report ‘Our Nations Fisheries’ notes that more people go fishing than any other sport with 4 million anglers contributing over £3 billion to the UK economy every year. Recreational angling is increasingly important to many rural communities in the Westcountry.

Anglers who fish for salmonids also bring sustainable employment and provide income to hotels, B & B’s, restaurants, tackle shops and a host of other local businesses. Importantly, angling helps to extend the tourist season and in Cornwall you can fish for salmon from March through to December.

The Westcountry Rivers Trust is the UK partner in an exciting new project called Salmon Atlantic Rivers (SALAR) which is broadly aimed at promoting sustainable angling tourism. This two-year project is funded through the EU Interreg IIIB programme and includes partners from the regions of Asturias and Cantabria in Spain, Brittany in France and South West Ireland. The partnership aims to identify key techniques for managing fisheries; examine methods of promoting and marketing angling; develop long-term angling tourism links and ultimately promote these regions within the European arena.

The project will encompass various studies including a survey of the economic impact of game angling and a comparative analysis of fisheries management tools. This will help us to better understand the role that angling plays within our regional economy whilst establishing how management works to maintain/improve our rivers and associated fisheries.

The project generally aims to raise awareness of the excellent game fishing available in Cornwall whilst ensuring that the infrastructure is in place to make the fishing experience truly memorable. To this end, the Trust is developing a comprehensive map-based website which will hold information on individual fishing beats, angling clubs, and local businesses including accommodation providers. The project also aims to train guides who can assist visiting anglers and their families when ‘out on the river’. Through working with both private landowners and angling clubs we can enhance access to fishing water benefiting both the UK and overseas visitors coming to the region.

The Trust, in partnership with Cornwall Enterprise and South West Tourism, aims to help businesses create new (and enhance existing) links to angling. For example, through diversification opportunities or improved promotion and marketing strategies, accommodation providers can attract anglers and their families’ leading to increased business turnover.

Introducing new people to angling is essential for the long-term development of this fantastic sport. The Trust will be hosting ‘angling starter days’ for both children and adults in which aim to teach basic fly-fishing skills including aspects such as entomology and fly-tying. Increasing local interest and participation in angling will ultimately provide knock-on benefits to fisheries, angling clubs and the region as a whole. Species such as the salmon are an important cultural and environmental symbol and the Trust will continue to work with schools and the wider public in order to promote practices that maintain and enhance our unique aquatic environments.