Post by alanatabz on Sept 8, 2010 10:12:24 GMT
This happened in orkney!
HUNDREDS of islanders on Orkney crammed into Kirkwall harbour to jostle for fish after 100,000 salmon escaped from a nearby fish farm.
Locals even used supermarket baskets as nets to scoop the sea for fish after thousands of select salmon - which usually fetch £10 each - were spotted close to the shoreline.
When police arrived to warn the amateur fishermen and women it was illegal to fish for salmon on a Sunday, they told officers they were searching for pollack instead.
Diarmaid Fleming, who was visiting the tiny island from London, said it was reminiscent of a scene from the movie Whisky Galore!
She added: "There were hundreds of people jostling . There were people coming out of the pub with supermarket baskets, lowering them into the water to scoop out the fish. Everybody was there: kids, old people, anyone who could walk."
Bridie Smith, from Kirkwall’s St Ola Hotel, said: "People were going past with their rods catching fish like mad."
A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said officers chose not to lay down the law. "Enforcing legislation would not have been practical, there was an awful lot of fish out there. I suspect there are a number of freezers across the island that are fairly well stocked."
HUNDREDS of islanders on Orkney crammed into Kirkwall harbour to jostle for fish after 100,000 salmon escaped from a nearby fish farm.
Locals even used supermarket baskets as nets to scoop the sea for fish after thousands of select salmon - which usually fetch £10 each - were spotted close to the shoreline.
When police arrived to warn the amateur fishermen and women it was illegal to fish for salmon on a Sunday, they told officers they were searching for pollack instead.
Diarmaid Fleming, who was visiting the tiny island from London, said it was reminiscent of a scene from the movie Whisky Galore!
She added: "There were hundreds of people jostling . There were people coming out of the pub with supermarket baskets, lowering them into the water to scoop out the fish. Everybody was there: kids, old people, anyone who could walk."
Bridie Smith, from Kirkwall’s St Ola Hotel, said: "People were going past with their rods catching fish like mad."
A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said officers chose not to lay down the law. "Enforcing legislation would not have been practical, there was an awful lot of fish out there. I suspect there are a number of freezers across the island that are fairly well stocked."
