it has been a week of very mixed weather but nothing has occurred that might harm the newly despatched eggs in the redds. I was at the river mouth in midweek ( truth to be told, it is every day!) and I counted nine seals lying on an island, I also saw about fifty plus cormorants and several merganser ducks. All of the aforesaid are a huge threat to salmon at various stages of their lives and are all protected in law. WHHY? The salmon fishing industry brings in millions of pounds to the Scottish economy and I have yet to meet anyone who travels to the North of Scotland to look at a cormorant. What we have here is the hatred of one group for another! On one hand we have the "toffs" who travel to enjoy the sport of salmon fishing. On the other hand we have people who hate the "toffs" and will do anything to stop any activity that they might enjoy. Let us take the salmon fishing out of the equation for a minute. The life of the salmon is one of the most incredible in nature. it must be among the most wonderful of God`s creations. We know that, for many reasons, the salmon population is decreasing, but yet we protect other creatures, of which there is an abundance ( probably over abundance) which will decimate these wonderful creatures. Pathetic, silly , stupid are words which come no where near describing the people who have put these laws in place. We have nutters " re-wilding" nature but have little concern for the creatures that we still are able to enjoy the sight of. I am sure that, if these idiots were told that Lions and Tigers used to roam Caithness they would feel the compulsion to reintroduce them !! I think that the "snp and greens" are already on board as they seem to wish for Scottish people to go back to living in mud huts!!