Rateable Values Of Fishing Rights

All fishing rights registered on the valuation roll are assigned a rateable value based on the estimated rent that the fishery may theoretically realise. This is simplified to a value on the average number of salmon and sea trout caught each year. The Valuation Joint Boards for Tayside and Grampian (which are entirely independent of the Esk DSFB) calculate the rateable values using a five-year average of fish catches for each fishing right.

The latest reassessment was undertaken in 2023 using catch figures for 2015 to 2022 inclusive. Salmon are assessed at £100 each and sea trout at £25 each; for example, a fishery with a five year catch average of 25 salmon and 25 sea trout caught per year would have a rateable value of (25 x £100) + (25 x £25) = £3125. There is a minimum rateable value for fishing rights of £250 for the North and South Esk, although the River Bervie fisheries have a far lower minimum.

A list of rateable values for all Scottish fishing rights on the valuation roll can be found on the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA) website www.saa.gov.uk. In the box ‘Search for a Rateable Value’ go to ‘Advanced Search’, in the Region box, select ‘Tayside’ or ‘Grampian’ in Core Description select ‘Fishings’ and then Search. In Tayside, the Esk DSFB fisheries are on pages 1 to 9. Unfortunately the fisheries on the Grampian site are scattered.