SUPREME Court judges have agreed that a local fisherman can claim compensation after being ordered to drastically cut the number of salmon he catches.

Nigel Mott, 72, from Sproat won a declaration in the Court of Appeal in 2016 that overturned an earlier decision by judges which interfered with his right to enjoy the fruits of his fishing lease under human rights law.

The saga began when Environment Agency restricted his ’right’ to fish using the putcher method, an ancient fishing technique in 2012 when it limited his catch to 30 fish for that season and further limits of 23 were imposed in 2013 and 24 in 2014.

Mr Mott has fished the Severn estuary for 40 years and traps adult salmon in conical baskets as they make their way back from the sea to the river of their birth to spawn.

Today (February 14) five Supreme Court justices unanimously dismissed the Agency’s appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision.

The justices emphasised that the agency had been correct to emphasise the special importance of environmental protection but the amount of fish he was allowed to catch did not reflect the need to draw a fair balance.

They added that the agency’s conditions were closer to ’deprivation’ and was totally ’disproportionate’.An Environment Agency spokesman said: "We welcome the court's support for the Environment Agency's role to impose catch limits on salmon, and the recognition that Mr Mott's case is exceptional."He added that the agency had accepted the court's ruling and would work with Mr Mott to agree appropriate compensation.Full story in next week's edition of The Forester.