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Electrofishing Survey This Document Has Been Produced By Electrofishing Survey This document has been produced by Of The River Nith Nith District Salmon Fishery Board 37 George Street To Assess Aquatic Populations Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway In The Vicinity Of Scotland DG1 1EB The Proposed North Lowther Energy Initiative 01387 740 043 [email protected] www.river- nith.com Report author: Debbie Parke Senior Biologist Original 22.07.08 Amended 04.08.16 Reviewed and authorised: Jim Henderson Fishery Director 22nd July 2016 Cover photo: View down the Wanlock Valley Commissioned by MacArthur Green on behalf of North Lowther Energy Initiative Ltd Survey undertaken by Introduction Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 1 The River Nith is a river of major importance as a salmon and sea trout fishery, and is the largest river in 1.2 Nith District Salmon Fishery Board (NDSFB) ............................................................... 1 south west Scotland. It has its source in Ayrshire and flows through Dumfriesshire, spanning 1.3 North Lowther Energy Initiative Ltd ........................................................................... 1 1.4 North Lowther Wind Farm and surrounding vicinity .................................................. 1 approximately one hundred kilometres to its estuary in the Solway Firth, a total catchment area of 1200 1.5 Aquatic sampling ........................................................................................................ 2 square kilometres. 1.5.1 Fisheries surveys .............................................................................................................. 2 1.5.2 Invertebrate surveys ................................................................................................... 2 1.5.3 Freshwater Pearl Mussels ........................................................................................... 2 The annual catch of migratory salmonids is of significant economic importance to this rural area. An This Study ................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Aims ............................................................................................................................ 3 economic survey has been conducted and that revealed that the Nith accounts for £ 2.2 million being spent 2.2 Feasibility .................................................................................................................... 3 in the local economy (Leslie, 2000). There are net fishing interests in the estuarial reaches, with Haaf 2.3 Site selection .............................................................................................................. 3 Methods ..................................................................................................................... 3 netting a commonly used method. There are a range of fixed nets on the western boundary, still within 3.1 Electrofishing surveys ................................................................................................. 3 the Nith District Salmon Fishery Board area of jurisdiction. Angling is widespread over most of the main 3.1.1 Electrofishing apparatus ............................................................................................. 3 3.1.2 Ancillary equipment ................................................................................................... 3 stem and some larger tributaries of The Nith. Net fishing and angling produced a joint catch of 1119 3.1.3 Personnel .................................................................................................................... 3 salmon and grilse and 1346 sea trout during 2015 (N.D.S.F.B., 2016). 3.1.4 Techniques ................................................................................................................. 3 3.1.5 Data recording ............................................................................................................ 4 3.1.6 Salmonid species ........................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Nith District Salmon Fishery Board (NDSFB) 3.1.7 Non salmonid species ................................................................................................. 4 The NDSFB is a statutory body constituted under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries 3.1.8 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................. 4 3.2 Invertebrate surveys ................................................................................................... 4 (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003, tasked with the management of migratory salmonid species within 3.2.1 Invertebrate sampling apparatus ............................................................................... 4 their catchment area. The Board is empowered to conduct works and execute measures to safeguard, 3.2.2 Personnel .................................................................................................................... 4 3.2.3 Techniques ................................................................................................................. 4 improve and enhance stocks of migratory salmonids within its jurisdictional area. The NDSFB has no remit 3.2.4 Invertebrate identification.......................................................................................... 4 to manage non-migratory species other than with the permission of riparian owners and only where 3.2.5 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................. 5 3.3 Photography ............................................................................................................... 5 management of these species would be deemed to be in the furtherance of migratory species. Results and discussion ................................................................................................ 5 Management of non-migratory species of fish within the Nith catchment is conducted by the Nith 4.1 Electrofishing results .................................................................................................. 5 4.2 Freshwater Invertebrates ........................................................................................... 6 Catchment Fishery Trust who works closely with the Board. The NDSFB is active and works in areas of 4.3 Freshwater Pearl Mussels ........................................................................................... 6 fisheries protection, restocking hatchery programmes, habitat restoration and predator control (NDSFB, 4.4 Invasive Species .......................................................................................................... 6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 7 2016). Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 7 References .................................................................................................................. 7 1.3 North Lowther Energy Initiative Ltd This survey was commissioned by MacArthur Green on behalf of North Lowther Energy Initiative Ltd (NLEI Ltd.), a joint venture between 2020 Renewables and Buccleuch Estates Ltd. NLEI Ltd is proposing to site 35 wind turbines and associated infrastructure (the Development) on the northern section of the Lowther Hills, between Sanquhar and Wanlockhead. An EIA scoping report was submitted to Scottish Ministers in January 2016. 1.4 NLEI and surrounding vicinity The network of watercourses within the proposed footprint of the Development drains into two major tributaries of the River Nith; the Crawick Water and the Mennock Water. Both of these tributaries are known to contain excellent spawning grounds with the Crawick Water being known as a prime salmon spawning tributary and the Mennock for its sea trout. Although the fisheries surveys do not target non-salmonid species they are captured as a matter of course during these surveys. Other species typically found in watercourses within the Nith catchment 1.5 Aquatic sampling include eel, stone loach, minnow, lamprey, stickleback and grayling. Of significance to any construction In order to assess the aquatic species that may be present, and ultimately influenced by the construction project will be the presence of lamprey or eel due to their protected status. There are three different of the Development, NDSFB was commissioned to conduct fisheries and invertebrate surveys. In species of lamprey that reside within the River Nith; sea lamprey, river lamprey and brook lamprey. All addition, surveys for freshwater pearl mussel habitat were commissioned. three species of lamprey are listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (River lamprey are also listed 1.5.1 Fisheries surveys in Annex V) and in Appendix III of the Bern Convention. River and sea lamprey are on the UKBAP Priority These surveys are carried out to primarily assess the densities of juvenile salmonid species of fish present List. Eels are under threat with their populations declining by 90% over the last two decades. They are in the watercourses. The salmonid species
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