Renfrew Residents join Provost to preserve fishing rights

50 Renfrew residents joined Renfrewshire’s Provost Celia Lawson on a historic trip down the Clyde to preserve the town’s fishing rights on the river.
The guests were invited to watch as Renfrewshire’s civic leaders carried out the historic act of casting the nets to retain the rights of salmon fishing on the Clyde.
The tradition goes back as far as 1781 when the town lost the right to the fishing on parts of the Clyde by not fishing in the area.
King Robert III had granted a charter to the community of Renfrew granting the right to fish the River Clyde as far back as 1396.

However Renfrew Town Council failed to keep the rights on parts of the river owned by Sir Michael Stewart because they hadn’t fished those areas for some years. From then on it became practise to maintain the rights by having the Provost, Baillies and Town Clerk put out the nets and haul them in every three years. The practise of casting of the nets is still carried on as a tradition.
Provost Lawson was also joined by the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire Guy Clark, West Dunbartonshire’s Provost Denis Agnew, local councillors, MPs and MSPs for the trip from Braehead pier to the mouth of the River Leven.
Provost Lawson said: “Renfrew has a rich history and this is a great tradition which I have been honoured to be able to continue twice in my time as Provost. I am also delighted to have opened this up as an event for local residents to join in and celebrate the history of their town. It was a great day out for everyone.”

News Release from Renfrewshire Council