Galloway Fisheries Trust

Temporary position available assisting the River Cree Rare Fish Project

Posted: 15th December 2011
Closing Date:  1st February 2012

Description
A short term temporary position is available assisting the Project Officer with mainly field and some lab work.  This would assist in the delivery of the River Cree Rare Fish Project.  Specifically this would be concerned with assisting the monitoring the spawning migration of River Cree sparling (smelt) an anadromous fish species, and helping with hatchery and translocation work and some small experiments.

This will involve taking water temperatures, surveying for signs of the beginning of spawning and subsequent sampling of fish.  This involves some night work.  Life history measurements will be taken from the fish and these will further be used in a conservation translocation to re-introduce these fish to a river of former occurrence.  Monitoring will also take place at the translocation site to assess the success of previous translocations.  The candidate may also be required to assist in other Rare Fish Project work when necessary.

While this is a voluntary position a stipend is available.

Person specification
The candidate should be of hardy nature and have a high level of motivation - willing to work unsociable hours and conduct outdoor work, sometimes in poor weather conditions.  The candidate must also commit to work for the entire field season February/March 2012.  There is a possibility that some work may extend into April.  A full valid driving license is essential.

This would suit someone with a biology/science background who wishes to gain experience in freshwater ecology and conservation.  Experience of species or habitat surveys would be a bonus but is not essential.  The candidate should show attention to detail, be able to follow instructions carefully and may be required to conduct some lone working during the day.  The ability to both use their own initiative and work with other members of the Trust is also important.

Please contact Liz Etheridge for more details.  To apply please provide a CV and covering letter to mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org.

New website pages!

Posted: 1st November 2011

We are always keen to look at how to improve our website and we have made some recent changes to make it easier for our supporters to keep up to date with our work. Under 'what we do' there is now a tab titled 'on-going projects' which gives details of some of our main work we are presently involved in. Five new pages have been added so far as detailed below:

• CIRB - Invasive Non-Native Plant Species
• Galloway Fisheries Volunteer Scheme
• Dee Eel Restoration Project
• Celtic Sea Trout Project
• Border Esk Fish Barrier Project

More limestone addition on the High Cree

Posted: 19th October 2011

While acidification in the headwaters of the River Cree (High Cree) is slowly improving due to reductions in air pollution (the cause of acidification) and improving forestry practices, successful natural salmon spawning is still very limited. Many salmon eggs and alevins (newly hatched salmon) currently die in the spawning substrate during flushes of acid water in winter and spring.

In September 2011 experimental limestone gravel additions of over 100 tonnes each have been completed in four sites on the High Cree. This forms part of a highly monitored study, partly funded by the SEPA Restoration Fund, that began in 2010 looking at whether limestone gravel can provide a spawning habitat for Atlantic salmon that will protect the acid-sensitive eggs and alevins in the gravel from damaging acid flushes.

Limestone gravel being added to an area of the High Cree

Initial results of a small limestone addition in a single burn in the High Cree have been promising. While the limestone has very little impact on the water flowing over it, the pH of the water inside the gravel has been much increased. However, these larger scale additions are required to find out whether this will have a real biological impact on survival of early life stages of salmon in recovering acidified areas. In the future this method might be particularly useful in marginal areas such as the High Cree where adult salmon are attempting to spawn, but where few eggs and alevins survive. This work is being undertaken as part of the River Cree Rare Fish Project. For further updates as the trial continues, please keep an eye on the website.

Midnight netting expeditions

Posted: 19th October 2011

In early summer GFT staff were out on the coast carrying out netting for the Celtic Sea Trout Project. Collecting samples of sea trout from the coast is part of the work to be done in 2011. GFT have 3 ½ zones in which to collect samples of sea trout – all along the Galloway coast - it is almost like looking for a few dozen needles in a very large haystack! Taking account of what other project partners had been doing in Ireland, England and Wales, as well as here in Scotland, we decided the best tides to try and collect samples on were the biggest tides which came in the early hours of the morning. Not to be outdone by the successes our colleagues on other rivers (they had caught the odd sea trout) we were determined not to blank!

A cracking sea trout netted on the coast

Nets were set late afternoon/early evening and were left to ‘fish’ through the tidal cycle until we could get to them again just as the tide was receding. The results of our late night netting expeditions have been very good so far: each night we have caught at least one sea trout. We have organised another netting expedition this month so fingers crossed we don’t blank.

American Mink Trapping

Posted: 29th September 2011

Concerns have been raised recently regarding the numbers of American Mink on the river catchments Bladnoch and Cree. The American Mink is a medium-sized member of the weasel family that was first brought to British fur farms in 1929 and all wild mink in Britain today are descendants of escapees. Previous studies have shown that Mink can reduce numbers of salmon and trout parr in small streams and kill adult spawning fish. Mink also pray on ducks, chickens and are also a major factor in the decimation of the water vole population. The water vole (Arvicola terrestris) is a threatened native mammal, having undergone a dramatic decline (88% between 1989 -1996) due to largely mink predation.

Mink Raft

Galloway Fisheries Trust (GFT) was successful in securing funding to start running mink trapping programmes on both the Kirkcudbrightshire Dee and the Water of Fleet. This is being carried out by local volunteers made up from landowners, riparian owners, managers, anglers, conservationists, rangers, and gamekeepers. Each volunteer has been issued with mink rafts and traps that were designed by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

Mink Trap

At present, GFT has a small number of land traps available. (Note – no floating rafts are available at present.) GFT is interested in hearing from anyone wishing to take part in this extension to the current project. GFT will provide anyone on the Bladnoch and Cree with a land trap, and also give a quick training session. GFT would also provide a mink dispatch service for those who do not own a gun of their own. By law, it is illegal to re-release any mink caught and also traps must be checked everyday.

If you are interested in trapping mink on the river catchments Cree and Bladnoch, please contact Project Officer, Neil Dalrymple at GFT on 01671 403011, or email to mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org.

Kirkcowan fishing competition 13th August 2011

Posted: 18th August 2011

This year’s annual Kirkcowan Fishing Competition took place on Saturday. Similar to the previous two years, the river was mostly in flood but this did not deter eager anglers, ready at 8 am for beats to be drawn across the Tarf and Bladnoch. Clugston Loch was also on offer this year particularly for the juniors, of which there were four. In total, around 30 anglers entered.

Kirkcowan Fishing Competition 2011

The rain stayed off for the duration of the competition and a great buffet greeted anglers returning for prize giving at 5 pm. The winning fish was a salmon of around 8 lbs, caught by Lesley Drysdale on Shennanton in the upper Bladnoch. Winner of best bag went to Hazel Johnson for her two pike and a perch. 2nd and 3rd adult prizes went to Speedy McGaw and Mick Howson who each caught trout of up to a pound and a half. In the junior section, all prizes came from the Peter Greasley Memorial fund and as the only junior to come home with any fish, Connor Wright picked up both awards ( the Bill James Shield for 1st Junior and the Peter Greasley Cup for Best Bag) with his array of trout caught up the Tarf. A selection of fishing tackle including Sharpes and Shakespeare rods and reels in part donated by Jonathon Haley and Robert McCreadie, made up the winner prizes.

Some superb prizes were also on offer in the tombola which included a days fishing on the Bladnoch, fishing tackle, a hotel meal for two and supermarket vouchers donated by a number of Newton Stewart, Wigtown and Kirkcowan businesses. John King was winner of the Sharpes fly rod in the five pound board with Howard taking home a Ron Thompson Rod and Shakespeare reel for 2nd, Andy McCreadie a side of smoked salmon (donated by Sir Michael Wigan) and bottle of Port for 3rd, Scott Pagan a landing net for 4th and Rowan Armstrong a sack of tatties (donated by D. Pagan) for 5th.

Galloway Fisheries Trust would like to thank Tina and Kevan of the Craighlaw Arms for a tremendous buffet and organising sponsorship from Belhaven Best. To Paul Greasley for additional funds to the Peter Greasley Memorial fund; Jonathon Haley for main and tombola prizes; all River Tarf and Bladnoch proprietors who kindly donated use of their beats for the day and in particular, Robert McCreadie who also made Clugston Loch available for the event. The day would not have been possible without much organisational help and Galloway Fisheries Trust would like to thank Jonathon Haley, Colin Richardson and the Craighlaw Arms proprietors Tina and Kevan who made the day a great success, raising in excess of £666.00 for the Galloway Fisheries Trust combined with Guess the Weight of the Salmon competition at Wigtown Show (won by Lesley Drysdale who guessed the correct weight of 4 lb 12 oz) and Catch a Salmon competition at Wigtown and Dumfries show.

Sea lamprey spotted in Newton Stewart

Posted: 12th July 2011

Due to the reporting of a sea lamprey in the River Cree in Newton Stewart by an angler, some amazing footage was captured in June of a pair of sea lamprey nest-building and spawning.

Sea lamprey move rocks with their mouths in order to build a nest.

These large lampreys migrate into freshwater as the water temperatures increase and spawn in freshwater in May and June. They spawn in similar habitat to salmon in lower sections of rivers and even build redds in the same way as a salmon.

The ROV filming the one remaining sea lamprey left the day after spawning was observed.

Sea lamprey die after spawning, so during this part of the year sea lamprey carcases are often reported and GFT have been very grateful to anglers for the numbers of sea lamprey reports that have been received this year. In particular we thank Murdo Crosby who brought the live sea lamprey to our attention and helped with the filming of the sea lamprey pair using the GFT Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) for the River Cree Rare Fish Project.

Volunteering Success!

Posted: 7th December 2011

Recently GFT held a volunteer day (Galloway Fisheries Volunteer Scheme) on the Mindork Burn on the Tarf Water to open up an overgrown section of water before spawning Salmon arrived. The willow trees that were not only causing overshading, the under water branches were also identified as potential blockages. A team of keen volunteers removed the underwater branches and selectively thinned out the bankside trees.

Before: The water was hard to see from the bridge

During: Notice the willow branches growing out of the water in the background

After: All potential blockages have been removed
and bankside willow trees have been selectively thinned out

Summer survey season is nearly over!

Posted: 19th October 2011

The Trust staff have been working hard this summer to complete electrofishing surveys and fieldwork for various projects that are on-going. As seems to be the norm nowadays, we have been plagued with rainy weather and higher river conditions in the summer months (where are the sunny, dry summers that we all seem to remember?).

Jackie taking measurements of fish

However we have persevered and our electrofishing surveys for this season are almost complete. A brief look at the data shows some interesting results, for example, we found salmon fry in the Big Water of Fleet again, close to where, in 2010, we found the first salmon fry for 20 years.

Obstruction removal on the Fleet (very satisfying work!)

Posted: 19th October 2011

The Trust has recently been carrying out quite a bit of work for the Fleet Project. Along with some liming work (both limestone sand and powder), gravel loosening and self-seeded Sitka spruce removal (organised and paid for by Forest Commission Scotland), we have removed some quite nasty obstructions on the burns entering and leaving Loch Fleet. The obstructions were actually constructed of old monitoring equipment which was left in place by the original Loch Fleet project in the 1980s and was now broken, overgrown with vegetation and causing major obstructions to sediment and fish movement into and out from the loch.

The main spawning burn for Loch Fleet
which was almost completely blocked with old equipment

A team of GFT staff and volunteers spent a few days removing the obstacles which was no mean feat! Some drastic measures had to be taken to exhume some of the fibreglass structures from the watercourses and needless to say, not much was left intact for reuse. The burns are now free of man-made obstructions and will settle back into their natural flows and sediment movements over time, and, importantly, fish passage has been eased significantly. Check the Gallery section of the website for some more photos of the work.

A little of what we’ve been up to this summer...

Posted: 29th September 2011

It has been a hectic last couple of months at the Galloway Fisheries Trust. We’ve been juggling electrofishing, sea trout netting for the Celtic Sea Trout Project and preparation for Wigtown and Dumfries Shows with the huge task of organisation that surrounds our main fundraising event, the Galloway Fisheries Trust Dinner Auction which we held on Saturday the 10th of September at Lochinch Castle near Castle Kennedy.

Jackie, Jamie and helpers setting in-shore nets at Luce Bay
to collect sea trout as part of the Celtic Sea Trout Project

Every two years, we hold a dinner auction to raise funds for our own charity as well as two others. This year, Gardening Leave was a new addition alongside Marie Curie. Preparation for the event started early in the year with everything from booking the marquee and toilets to sampling food for the dinner, sourcing sponsors, arranging adverts and particularly gathering up lots, all needing to be done well in advance of the evening.

Jamie, Neil and Liz at Dumfries Show on the shared stand with Annan Fisheries Trust

There was real interest in the event and over 270 guests attended. Angela had quite a job on her hands this year! Dumfries and Galloway Life also came along to photograph during the evening and on offer were over 130 lots split between the live and silent auction which ranged from fishing, shooting and stalking to art work, a designer mog cushion and an Apollo 13 landing inspired crystal vase!

Guests enjoy a glass of champagne whilst viewing some of the Lots
on offer at this year's GFT Dinner Auction

A slight change this year saw us relocate the marquee to the courtyard to allow us to accommodate our larger than normal guest list. The evening kicked off with a champagne reception at 7pm when guests could view the various lots before entering the marquee at 8pm for dinner followed by the live auction. During the meal, guests entered £5 notes into the luxury hamper draw and filled in bid slips for silent auction lots which were sorted during the live auction.

In the marquee about to start the Live Auction

All lots were sold this year and everyone had a fantastic evening, particularly our Chairman Dougal Evans who managed to model an interesting loo seat around his head at one point! Final takings will be announced shortly. Well done to Angela, Dougal, the Dinner Auction Committee and all who helped make the event such a success, especially the donors of lots and cash whose generosity was profound as always and much appreciated.

Improvements on the lower Cree

Posted: 2nd August 2011

Concerns that there appeared to be very little salmon spawning and juvenile habitat in the lower River Cree, in and around Newton Stewart, prompted the forming of a small working group (made up of GFT, SNH, Cree DSFB, SEPA & NSAA) to investigate these concerns.

Electrofishing and a walk over habitat survey was completed by GFT and a detailed geomorphology survey was undertaken by Dr H Moir (CBEC Eco Engineering). The surveys found very little suitable habitat to be present and suggested that the construction of various angling structures in the past had, over time, disrupted the natural movement of the substrates which were needed to replenish the downstream spawning beds. Dr Moirs report recommended the removal or reduction in height of three weirs so that sediments could move more freely down the river and not become trapped in the pools.

A Cree weir being reduced

The weir improvement work was completed in early 2011 and will be monitored closely to check it has the anticipated environmental improvements. The project was funded by GFT, SEPA Restoration Fund, Scottish Government and various fishery interests of the lower river.

The Celtic Sea Trout Project

Posted: 1st August 2011

The Celtic Sea Trout Project is researching sea trout around the Irish Sea. The project aims to understand more about the various sea trout populations present in 100 different rivers which flow into the Irish Sea from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. This work aims to understand why many sea trout populations around the UK have declined in recent years, in particular the project is looking at what the sea trout are doing at sea.

A Cree sea trout

The GFT is a partner in this multi agency project and are co-ordinating the collection of samples from the Border Esk, Water of Fleet, Luce and Cree – up to 300 samples are needed from each river! During 2010 anglers started collecting scale samples. We need more samples again this season please. In addition to scale samples (which can be easily taken from fish which are being returned alive) we would also ask that if the fish is killed for eating then please freeze the guts and head for us. By having this, more in depth analysis can be carried out on each individual fish.

We are also undertaking coastal sampling of sea trout throughout 2011 to understand more about migration routes and feeding at sea.

Any angler who is interested in helping out with this project should get in touch with GFT and we can provide full information packs as well as scale packets, bags and labels for storing samples. Many of these packs have been distributed to fishery interests over the last two years. Please remember we are also interested in scale samples from herling. This project can only work if anglers collect samples from their sea trout catches – please keep helping! For more information see www.celticseatrout.com or click here.

Salmon in the Classroom

Posted: 4th July 2011

Primary schools taking part in this year’s Salmon in the Classroom project have just completed the third and final part of the project.

Having raised and released 100 salmon as alevins in the spring; the class now return to the site to oversee their fish being captured using a technique called electrofishing.

The upper classes of Minnigaff Primary explore their buckets of salmon, trout and eels at Pulniskie Burn on the Cree catchment during the final part
of the Salmon in the Classroom Project.

Primary 5/6/7 from Minnigaff Primary School can be seen handling salmon, trout and eels caught from the Pulniskie Burn on the River Cree catchment earlier this week. Dalbeattie, Sheuchan and St. Peters Primary Schools also took part this year.

Galloway Fisheries Trust would like to pay tribute to John Moran of Dalbeattie who sadly passed away recently and whose support was greatly appreciated within the Dalbeattie Schools during the early parts of the project.

For more information on this SNH funded project, please see www.snh.org.uk/salmonintheclassroom/ or to sign up for next year’s project, contact Rowan on 01671 40 3011.

Project Update: Controlling priority invasive non-native riparian plants and restoring native biodiversity (CIRB)

Posted: 23rd May 2011

September 2010 saw the start of a 4½ year project (part funded by EU Interreg) to control and if possible, eradicate invasive non-native plant species (INNPS) on the banks of Galloway’s rivers. During the Autumn/Winter of 2010, GFT surveyed the Water of App, Luce, Bladnoch, Fleet, Dee and Urr for the presence of Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam and Giant Hogweed. The results of these surveys enabled GFT to record exact areas and locations of INNPS and collect the relevant land owners’ permission to control on each river. With these results GFT then invited local control companies to tender for the control work.

GFT have allocated each individual river with a specific control method that is based on plant development, location and timing (as detailed below).

You will notice that visits scheduled on those watercourses that have been allocated the control method of Stem Injection are planned for later in the year. The reason behind this is to ensure the plant is at its strongest to support the stem injection treatment. This will increase the effectiveness of the application. With this in mind, GFT request that land owners and members of the public do not think we have forgotten about the area or missed the ‘spraying window’.

GFT will contact all land owners prior to any control work being carried out.

GFT are also keen to hear from anyone interested in assisting in the project or to find out some more information about the current and proposed work, please contact CIRB Project Officer, Neil Dalrymple by telephoning 01671 403011 or by email on mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org.

Claymoddie Garden Opening
15th May 2011 - 1pm-5pm

Posted: 28th April 2011

Robin and Mary Nicolson are opening Claymoddie Garden and Galloway Plants (Whithorn) in aid of GFT and MacMillian Cancer Support under Scotland’s Garden Scheme. Entry £3.00.

Tea – YES! Plants – YES! Sunshine – HOPEFULLY!

Salmon in the Classroom Project 2011

Posted: 15th April 2011

We have just finished delivering the first two parts of our “Salmon in the Classroom” project to five primary school classes across the region. This year Dalbeattie, St Peters R C, Minnigaff and Sheuchan Primary Schools have been taking part with things a little behind usual schedule having suffered a long cold winter which has left salmon eggs well behind in their normal development.

Minnigaff School children gather around their salmon eggs

Delivery of the project is done in three parts. The first takes place in spring when a GFT biologist visits the class, gives a short PowerPoint presentation which educates on everything from bio-security and habitat enhancement works to improve spawning grounds for juvenile production to conservation-minded river fisheries where sport can be enjoyed without compromising vital native salmon stocks. The visit ends with the biologist setting up a tank system in a cold place in the school where 100 native salmon eggs are left to hatch under the care of the class. Once hatched, the salmon are ready to be transported to their native river system and the second part of the project takes place. Now at their local river, the class are briefed on the salmon life cycle and the attributes of the burn as a good salmon spawning site. The children then participate in safely releasing the young salmon before travelling to the GFT hatchery where they see their hatching units on a far greater scale (up to 300,000 wild salmon and sea trout are reared here every winter). Before leaving, the children tour the rainbow trout farm upon which the hatchery is situated. This part of the project is a good insight into the conservation reasoning behind wild fish hatchery operation (for combating the effects of acidification etc) versus rainbow trout farming for commercial production. Part three takes place in the summer and sees the children return to the spawning burn where they oversee GFT staff undertaking electrofishing to collect fish from the burn. This hands-on part of the project is often the most fun and best demonstrates the different juvenile stages of the salmon life cycle but also is a great insight into what else lives in the burn (eels, lamprey, inverts etc).

We have been running the Salmon in the Classroom Project on an annual basis since 1991. Popularity in the project has increased in recent years and it is now run by various Trusts and River Boards throughout Scotland. This year we have been funded by Scottish Natural Heritage who also provide a dedicated website which combines all the information schools need to get them started (see www.snh.org.uk/salmonintheclassroom/ If you know of a local primary school that would like to be involved next year, please contact Rowan Armstrong at the GFT on 01671 40 3011 for your details to be taken.

The Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) Annual Conference 2011

Posted: 3rd February 2011

The Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS)
(in association with the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards)
annual conference will take place on Wednesday 23rd March 2011 at The Battleby Institute, Redgorton, nr Perth.

Conference Theme:

The developing role of the third sector:
What can fisheries trusts bring to the party?

Fisheries trusts and District Salmon Fishery Boards are taking an increasingly proactive role in delivering partnership projects and initiatives where their priorities are shared with those of Government and the public sector. The pressures on public sector spending are likely to mean that their work will be more tightly focused and prioritised in the future and this may provide opportunities for the third sector generally, and fisheries trusts and boards specifically, to make telling contributions in a range of fields.

The conference will explore the developing third sector role in delivering projects of shared priority interest to public sector and fisheries groups through presentations on policy and practical project application studies from speakers from all sectors.

Presentations include:

• The evolving role and necessity of partnerships from a public sector perspective
• The practical application of genetics work to fisheries management decisions
• The developing role of trusts and boards in the management of invasive non-native species
• Possible opportunities presented by the developing sustainable flood management legislation

To register your interest or to book as a delegate please email stephen@rafts.org.uk.

Wildlife Festival 2011

Posted: 21st December 2010

The 2011 Dumfries and Galloway Wildlife Festival will begin on the 2nd of April with a range of wildlife related activities taking place across the region up to the 25th of April. For an electronic copy of the festival leaflet, please click on the link below.

Our participation in the festival will involve two hatchery open days during which a GFT biologist will give a tour of the Gibb hatchery near Wigtown where we house wild salmon and sea trout eggs up to the fry stage before they are released back into their native river in the spring. Once the hatchery tour is complete, visitors will be given a tour of Torhouse Trout Farm upon which the Gibb hatchery is situated. The event gives visitors an excellent insight into the conservation reasoning behind wild fish hatchery operations versus rainbow trout farming for commercial production.

The Gibb hatchery open days will begin at 11am and finish at around 1pm on the 15th and 22nd of April. This is a free event but please contact us in advance of these dates to book your place.

To reach the Gibb hatchery, follow the signs that will be in place during the morning of the event along the roadside, beginning at the junction below Wigtown where the B733 Kirkcowan road meets the A714.

Wildlife Festival
2011 Leaflet

Fly-Fishing in Afghanistan

Posted: 26th April 2011

A rare opportunity to hear Robin Ade talk about trout fishing in Afghanistan. He will give a humorous account of his experiences.

The talk is part of the Wigtown Spring Weekend event and will take place between 3.30pm – 4.30pm at The Bookshop on Sunday 1st May. Cost is £4 and should be booked on 01988 403222. Hopefully see you there!.

Website updated and new info!

Posted: 16th February 2011

We have just finished up-dating the website and various new information has been added too.

Key improvements include:

• A new section on rod catch statistics (from 1952 – 2009) for all local rivers. Data is presented for both salmon and sea trout. The catch information will be updated annually (click here).
• The information on the River Cree Rare Fish Project has been updated to cover the findings of the project to date (click here).
• Now that the Sulwath Connection project is completed we have detailed the wide range of habitat enhancement measures completed on the Luce, Cree, Fleet, Urr, Dee and Border Esk under this project (click here).
• We continue to add new photos to the Gallery to illustrate our work (click here).
• Any comments on how to improve the website are always appreciated!

New Project Launched:
Controlling priority invasive species and restoring native biodiversity (CIRB)

Posted: 4th February 2011

Galloway Fisheries Trust (GFT) is one of five Scottish partners led by the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) with the Ayrshire Rivers Trust, Argyll Fisheries Trust and the Tweed Forum that have successfully secured EU Interreg support for a £2.6 million initiative (with £1.2 million attributed to the Scottish Partners) to control and if possible eradicate on a catchment scale various alien riverbank plants. This will be achieved by developing best control techniques in cross-border collaboration with Queens University Belfast, the Central Fisheries Board in the Republic of Ireland and the Scottish partners.

The project began on the 1st of September 2010 and will run for 4½ years in order to manage and control effectively the regeneration of the plants and to demonstrate the improved ecosystem services and economic benefits resulting from their removal. In Galloway all the work will be focused on eradicating Japanese knotweed and Himalayan Knotweed from across six catchments; Water of App, Water of Fleet, River Luce, River Bladnoch, Urr and the Kirkcudbrightshire Dee. The control work will be undertaken by GFT staff, contractors and volunteers and involve both knapsack spraying and stem injecting herbicide. This work will support that already being undertaken by the Galloway Fisheries Trust on the lower River Cree to eradicate Japanese Knotweed in and around Newton Stewart.

If anyone would like to assist in the project or to find out some more information about the proposed work, please contact CIRB Project Officer, Neil Dalrymple by telephoning 01671 403011 or by email on mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org.

Limestone gravel addition on the High Cree

Posted: 6th January 2011

The headwaters of the River Cree (High Cree) are acidified, while this is slowly improving, successful natural salmon spawning here is still very limited due to the adverse effect acidification has on the highly acid-sensitive salmon eggs and alevins (newly hatched salmon). Many of these currently die in the spawning substrate during flushes of acid water.

Limestone addition in late December

To assist egg survival limestone gravel has been added to a burn in the High Cree. This is part of a heavily monitored liming trial, partly funded by the SEPA Restoration Fund, which aims to find out what effect this measure might have on the success of salmon spawning. The limestone gravel is unlikely to have a much of an effect on the acidification of the water above the gravel, but it is hoped will neutralise the interstitial water within the gravel. It is believed that this will positively effect the survival of eggs and alevins by protecting them during their developmental period in the gravel. After this, the young salmon move out of the gravel to feed as fry which are more acid-tolerant as shown by the survival of stocked salmon fry in the High Cree.

If this initial trial is successful, then further trials are planned with limestone gravel to be added to other areas of the High Cree this summer. In the future this method might be particularly useful in marginal areas where adult salmon are attempting to spawn, but few eggs and alevins survive. Alongside the gradual increase of pH to more salmon-friendly levels, reductions in air pollution (the cause of acidification) and improving forestry practices it is believed that this targeted liming technique might speed up the recovery of spring-spawning salmon to the High Cree.

This work is being undertaken as part of the River Cree Rare Fish Project. For further updates as the trial continues, please keep an eye on the website.

Galloway Fisheries Trust

Fisheries House, Station Industrial Estate, Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland. DG8 6ND
Telephone: 01671 403011      Fax: 01671 402248      E-mail: mail@gallowayfisheriestrust.org
Scottish Registered Charity No. SC020751

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