Amazing what is sometime said on internet forums.   See what Marsh Smith has said regarding the below graph which was posted there.

Interesting graph. Depends on the accuracy of the figures used too. However, if you can see the point where the decline started, you will find yourself looking at the time the first hatchery commenced and, in many peoples view, the point at which this substituted any positive fishery management with the disastrous consequences shown. NK (S. Marsh Smith)

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He is now suggesting that the original EA hatchery is possibly the cause of the Wye's decline it seems to me.   He conveniently forgets the aweful years of UDN, the terrible drought year in 76 when thousands of fish died, the huge increase in the Greenland fishery taking multi sea winter fish, the increase in netting from the Irish drift nets and putchers, huge in river poaching at all times including off the redds at spawning time.  He claims much of the catchment was blocked off -it was not.

I will say again he with other original founders of WUF were responsible for setting up the Green Bottom hatchery - on a site which due to cold spring fed water was unsuitable from the start. Ok for hatching but not for growing on.

He was responsible for setting up the Painscastle hatchery, again on a site unsuitable because of American signal crayfish in the adjacent stream and in the ponds used for the water supply.

Some one told me the other day that the concrete base for the hatchery cost £30,000 though I have no means of verifying that. It may not be true and no doubt he will tell me if it's not -or possible sue me. he's good at that.  Whatever the cost to the owners they lost the lot lock, stock and barrel, and they brushed it under the carpet. To this day I suspect many of the owners don;'t even know just how much the complete loss cost them. Parr were raised in the ponds by the site owner and released into the stream with no Section 30 licence (Oh Mr Gough apparently says he issued one though - retrospectively- as they didn't know at the time they were in fact released. very convenient.

They stocked fish all over the Wye catchment yet he never believed it would work and now suggests it was dangerous. He will say this is in light of new genetic information -it was not. He never believed in hatcheries but did it anyway. ask yourself why.  Because the owners wanted it and funded it so why not.

How do I know -I know because I was there at the time unlike many others who sit at a computer chair and spew out so called facts from 50/150 miles away hardly ever having seen the river..Rigby, Bradshaw, Watkins et al -you know who you are.

What Marsh Smith knew about fishery management when they started WUF you could write on the back of a postage stamp. Another originator Phillip Parkinson had fishery qualifications but like many others soon fell foul of the Marsh Smith mantra and departed.  Marsh Smiths Tweed friends gave him the model he has tried to base things on on the Wye, a completely different river, and another fishery 'scientist' David Summers gave him input too.  He, David Summers, by the way now runs the big Tay hatchery - so another who goes along with the paymasters and can't possibly believe the current so called genetic consequences- can he?. Well of course he might but like others in the EA and NRW you wouldn't want to put your head above the parapet and put another point of view would you. You need the job after all.

The whole situation is a mess with claim after unsubstantiated claim. WUF won't produce all the electro fishing results or anything else they don't want scrutinising, have no idea how many smolts are produced, term all young fish as 'juveniles' because parr counts are probably down in many areas.  You get the results you want if you monitor yourself most of the time. Common sense really -why shoot yourself in the foot by publishing something that didn't work  That's why they claim everything has been a success..  After so many years of bullshit if they produced thier data now who would believe them?  You won't find me amongst the handfull who might.

He says hatcheries are expensive,  well 7, 10 ,12 million pounds or  whatever it is seem an aweful lot of monet for 550 odd fish.  In any other job he would be out on his ear. Why isn't he????????