Annan Community Council unanimously agreed to scrap the remains of the sculpture and donate any funds raised towards Annan History Town Group’s proposed art centrepiece project.
The decapitated, netless and fishless statue was taken away from Seafield on Wednesday by an unknown party.
In a statement, the community council said: “If that statue was not vandalised in the first place it would still be up by Tesco. Within a week of being at Seafield it was vandalised again.
“Tesco didn’t want it, the council didn’t want it and the police came knocking on our door to ask if we would take ownership of it.
“It was a unanimous decision and it’s sorry that it’s come to this. Funds will be used for the benefit of the community.”
Originally erected at the Scott’s Street roundabout in late 2009, to mark the opening of Tesco, and pay homage to Annan’s haaf netting tradition, from the get-go the £40,000 bronze and stainless steel artwork was a talking point.
In late 2020 the community council took on ownership of the haaf netter in order for the police to assign a crime number after the head was reported missing.
However, the sculpture’s creator has warned there will be consequences if the statue he created for the townsfolk is not returned to his workshop.
Paul Cowan believes the group will be lucky if they get £50 for the scrap value and yesterday said: “If Annan Community Council don’t bring the statue to me they will be sued. I own the copyright for it.
“It was them that caused it to be damaged in the first place.
“If they scrap it they will be lucky if they get £50 for it. They are liable for the difference, they will owe the people of Annan £39,950.”
He added: “I own the artistic rights to it. If they are going to scrap it, it needs to come back to me. Annan Community Council don’t own it; the people of Annan own it.
“I want it back, I don’t want it scrapped. At some point in the future it could be repaired and put down by the harbour.
“I should’ve been informed at every stage. When they took it off the roundabout I was at death’s door in hospital.”
He added: “I feel sorry for this other guy that’s doing the new sculpture, but I support him completely. I’m all for putting art up everywhere.
“I said to him I hope it goes well. But I told him at the time to watch he doesn’t fall out with anybody.”
The Haaf Netter: A timeline
2009: AN IDEA – Annan Sculptor Paul Cowan was commissioned by Tesco to produce a statue for Scott’s Street roundabout in 2009 ahead of the opening of the new supermarket.
The £40,000 artwork was unveiled in late November, Mr Cowan said: “The brief for the sculpture was very specific – a life-size, representative bronze sculpture of a haaf netter.
“I didn’t need much in the way of research, having been brought up down the Welldale and having spent considerable time with fishermen and the fishing community.”
Then community council chairman Frank McGowan said: “They asked us what we’d like on the roundabout, and we thought an icon of Annan would be good. We put the idea to the public, and the idea that came out top was the haaf net fisherman.”
He added: “Paul’s done a terrific job. I think it’s smashing.”
2010: CRUDE JOKES – One community council member said: “Is it staying like that? How about removing the fish? Because it does look rather rude, to be honest.”
Chairman Frank McGowan said he had witnessed the statue’s design being openly mocked. He added: “Over Christmas there were two young girls taking rude photographs beside it. I won’t tell you what they were doing.”
2012: CAMPAIGN – A Facebook group calling for the removal of the statue had 350 likes before being taken down following rising tempers.
2014: PRANK – In a nod to the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow, a traffic cone was placed on the fisherman’s head.
The statue’s original head had been stolen during renovation work.
Since then the figure sported a number of humorous heads, including ghoulish masks and even a football.
Motorists and pedestrians were even greeted by a perfectly proportioned parrot, with many left wondering who is responsible for the novelty noggins
2018: DECAPITATION – The removal of the head ended up sparking a police investigation, however, this was brought to a halt when ownership could not be established. In the months that followed various different heads appeared
2020: CHANGE OF SCENERY – Annan Community Council took on ownership of the headless haaf netter. Later in the year the group had it uprooted from the roundabout and placed in storage.
Dumfries and Galloway Councillor Richard Brodie called the events another incredible chapter in its farcical history, adding: “The main thing is that it should be kept safe for future display in appropriate circumstances.”
2021: HARBOUR IDEA – Paul Cowan voiced proposals for the statue to go down to the harbour, he said: “They have security cameras, it’s in the town and people are close by it all the time.
“But it’s up to the people of Annan; they own it, and as it stands just now the community council have stolen a £40,000 sculpture from the people of Annan.”
2023: DESTRUCTION – After being positioned at Seafield, overlooking the Solway Firth, the net and fish were removed. The sculpture literally ended up becoming half of a haaf netter.
2024: THE FINAL MONTHS – At its new location, the haaf netter was criticised by nearby residents as well as the secretary of the Royal Burgh Fisherman’s Association, Barry Turner.
Mr Turner said: “The statue is not only now devoid of a head, but a haaf net and some salmon. In its present state the statue is an embarrassment to the Annan community.”
2024: THE END – The community council agreed to scrap the statue, and they arranged for it to be taken away.
