D(K)DSFB - Kirkcudbrightshire Dee River System

Galloway Fisheries Trust Report ~ March 2004

Galloway Fishery Trust's report for the D(K)DSFB, 15th March 2004

1. The salmon hatchery project is progressing. The project costs are now within budget (Ł26 000) and have been approved by Scottish Power. The project has now been approved by ENTRUST and is thus eligible for landfill tax credits. The GFT have been requested by Scottish Power to start claiming the required funds from them. We are now able to offer the contract to construct the building once the lease is finalised by the RDDSFB. The GFT have already ordered most of the equipment required within the hatchery i.e. troughs, tanks and baskets.

2. The annual programme of habitat works completed by the GFT across the Galloway rivers continues to include work on the Dee catchment. Riparian deciduous trees are being planted along the Knocknairling Burn in the near future, any assistance would be appreciated! Further enhancement works are proposed and if any board members know of particular problems please contact us.

3. HLF Area Bid (now titled 'Sulwath Connections'!). In December 2003 a detailed project profile was submitted to D&G Council for submission to HLF in early January. No comment has been received from HLF as yet, however a steering group meeting (on which the GFT sit) is to take place shortly. A total of Ł30,000 has been applied for by GFT for habitat improvement works on the River Dee (over 3 years).

4. Robin Rigg Fish Monitoring Group - The GFT continue to be involved in the fisheries sub-committee for the main monitoring group. A monitoring programme to cover the salmon and seatrout populations of the Scottish Solway rivers has been compiled, with the aid of the GFT.

5. At the end of February, the Fisheries Development Officer (FDO) had a stand at the Go Fishing 2004 exhibition at the Birmingham NEC. A large selection of leaflets were made available to provide information on the angling available on the region's rivers and still waters. The exhibition proved to be a great success, with an estimated 40,000 anglers from throughout the UK attending. There was considerable interest in the range of freshwater and sea fishing that is available in Dumfries and Galloway and this interest could be of real economic benefit to the region.

6. The FDO recently visited the National Trust for Scotland's Estate at Threave as part of the fisheries development service. The NTS are keen to ensure that their fishing on the River Dee is run in a sustainable manner. The FDO provided various advice and is currently reviewing the fishery rules to ensure that they are appropriate.

7. Information from the fish counter has been passed to the board. Routine checks of the counter in which a 'dummy fish' signal is sent to the counter indicate that the counter is performing correctly. The annual fish counter report covering 2003 will be available within the next month.

8. GFT staff have visited Tongland Dam with members of the board to discuss various concerns. These issues have subsequently been brought to the attention of Scottish Power and will be discussed at the board meeting.

9. The GFT (through the Association of West Coast Fisheries Trusts) are involved in a EU funded project which includes work on salmon genetics. One of the main tasks of the overall project is to explore and evaluate methods of monitoring individual river stocks at sea to ascertain their migration routes, migration timings and the relative exploitation rates for different river stocks.
Rivers, which are involved in the project, will require tissue samples (probably fin clips) to genetically characterise each river. With careful surveying you may even be able to distinguish between sub populations within a catchment. Once rivers are genetically profiled, the catch from mixed stock fisheries, e.g. Irish Drift Nets, can be examined for the origin of their catch. While the project does not provide money for collecting samples, it does cover the full analysis of these samples. I think the project is quite ambitious but could provide invaluable information.
The GFT plan to include the Dee. Most samples should be able to be collected during routine electrofishing in 2004.

10. The Forest & Water Guidelines 4th Edition is now out. The GFT has had a large input, including various correspondence and giving a presentation in Edinburgh, to ensure that future plantings, replantings and harvesting protects, and where practical enhances, the surrounding fish populations and habitats. This document should provide significant benefits for the Dee system, in particular in relation to acidification issues.