Fishing compensation claim considered

Traditional haaf netting is popular in the area

Marine Scotland is to consider a compensation claim over new wild salmon protection rules on the Solway Firth.

A three-year ban is in place on killing fish outside estuary limits with strict controls on numbers in inland waters.

The Annan Common Good Fund holds the rights to traditional fishing methods such as haaf, poke and stake netting in much of the area.

It has worked up a £50,000 compensation bid which Marine Scotland said it hoped to have resolved by next month.

The annual cost of applying the regulations in the area has been estimated at nearly £17,000 due to lost fish licence income.

A report to go to the common good fund sub committee outlined progress in efforts to claim the funds.

A letter from Marine Scotland confirmed it would consider the bid but it could only be done after compensation for coastal netting had been agreed.

It added that it understood the issue was one they were "anxious to resolve" and hoped to respond by the end of February.