May 2010 Review
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WESTER ROSS FISHERIES TRUST REVIEW MAY 2010 ©Wester Ross Fisheries Trust 2010 www.wrft.org.uk Registered Charity Number SCO24787 WESTER ROSS FISHERIES TRUST Registered Charity number SCO24787 REVIEW by Peter Cunningham, Bob Kindness and Dr Lorna Brown. May 2010 Cover photos (all photos © WRFT unless stated otherwise) : (clockwise from top left) Dougie, Mark and Kirsty Williams inspecting the catch (July, 2010); Exceptionally well conditioned sea trout taken in the sweep net from Kerry Bay, Loch Gairloch in July 2009; (left-right) Peter Macdonald, Jamie Kugelmann, Anna Macdonald, Colin Macdonald and Billy Kugelmann heading home after a particularly successful expedition to the headwaters of the Glenmore (Glenelg) River: wild juvenile salmon (inset) were found for the first time by the WRFT electro-fishing team; Greater (and ?lesser) sandeels from Loch Gairloch, July 2009 (photo: Steve Kett); Roger McLachlan by Abhainn Gleann na Muice in the headwaters of the Gruinard River (October 2009). ©Wester Ross Fisheries Trust 2010 www.wrft.org.uk Registered Charity Number SCO24787 The WRFT has the right to use information it has collected and analysed in order to meet its aims and objectives. Since the WRFT is funded in part by income from the public sector, this information may be passed on to other public or charitable bodies involved in fisheries management. It is not the WRFT’s right or intention to use this information for commercial gain Contacts WRFT Board of Trustees (at 30 March 2010) Mr John Mackenzie , Chairman Conan House, Conon Bridge, Dingwall, Ross-shire, IV7 8AL Prof Barry Blake , Vice Chairman , Gairloch Mr Nigel Pearson , Nonach Estate, Kyle Dr Ian Fergusson , Nonach Estate, Kyle Mr Angus Morrison , Inveran, Poolewe Mr Bob Kindness , Seafield Centre, Kishorn Cllr Richard Greene , Gairloch Mr Graeme Wilson , Little Gruinard Mr Ben Hadfield , Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd Mr Richard Wilson , Os Lair, Strathcarron Capt Mark Williams, Cove Prof David Barclay, Laide WRFT Fisheries Biologist and Administration Peter Cunningham (Biologist) [email protected] Peter Jarosz (Administrator) [email protected] Wester Ross Fisheries Trust, The Harbour Centre, Gairloch, Ross-shire, IV21 2BQ Tel: 01445 712 899 Web site: www.wrft.org.uk David Mullaney returning juvenile trout to a spawning burn by Loch Maree, August 2009. 3 Contents Page Contacts Supporters 6 Preface 7 Part 1 Introduction 8 Part 2 Salmon and sea trout stocks Juvenile fish survey Rod catches 2009 Tournaig trap project 20 Part 3 The Marine Environment: Sea trout and the seas around Wester Ross Sea lice monitoring Northwest Regional Project Report Herring rediscovery Project 26 Part 4 RAFTS funded Research Projects: FASMOP Salmon Genetics Carrying Capacity Project 29 Part 5 Ecosystems and Habitat Management Rhododendron ponticum control workshop Mink project River Ewe system sea trout habitat restoration 32 Part 6 Monitoring smolt output in the River Carron Report by Bob Kindness 35 Part 7 Education Projects Salmon in the Classroom Life in Lochs 36 Part 8 Financial statements 38 Acknowledgements 4 Supporters The Wester Ross Fisheries Trust has been generously supported by: Charitable Trusts Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Whitley Charitable Trust The Crown Estate The Royal Society www.rafts.org.uk Life members Lady Jane Rice The Hon Philip R Smith Dr Michael & Kerry-Jane Aitchinson Dr Mary-Ann Smyth & Mr Richard Cunningham Mr K.G. Allison Miss M Stanford Sir Nicholas Bacon Bernard J. Stebbing Prof Andrew (Dave) Barclay Lt. Col. C.F.B. Stephens Mr Stephen Bate The Hon Mr & Mrs H Tollemache Mr Nick Benge Mrs H. Turcan Mr Henry Birbeck Capt Mark & Mr Douglas Williams Mr Christopher R. S. Birrell Mr and Mrs F.J. Wilson Sir James Cleminson KBE MC Mr W. Woodrow Mr and Mrs J.E.H. Collins Dr Barry Dumughn Members Mr Tony Fenwick Dr Gibson Fleming Stephen Bate Carl W. Forbes Leslie Bates Jim Fraser Colin Blyth Mr Michael Hogan Mr and Mrs Kevin Brook Mr Robert & Mr John Hurst Me & Mrs M. Conniff Dr Mark Jackson Dr Ian Fergusson Mr and Mrs Kenneth Kelly (CBE) Mr Tim Fison Dr Stephen Kett David Foreman Mr and Mrs G. H. K. Lawson David Huntington Thomas Mark Lea Greg Jeffreys Gerard Lucas Mr C.D.A. Jones Mr David C.M. Macdonald James Lord Colin Macduff-Duncan John MacColl Mr Roddy MacLennan Fergus Mackenzie Mr Stewart Meikle Jon Penny R. Douglas Miller, Esq. Margaret and Muir Russell Richard Munday Karen Starr Mr K. Murphy Janet Whittington Dr John Ogle John Wills 5 Preface The year under review has seen changes in both the activities of the Trust, and the external environment in which it operates. In the immediately preceding years WRFT was able to accumulate a small safety net amidst a generally benevolent financial environment. The work programme was focused largely on the bread and butter issues of wild fish and fisheries. By 2009 the financial climate had worsened, while the Trust’s activities began to increase in scope as the need for an ecosystem approach took root amongst like- minded institutions. The combination of these changes, internal and external, resulted in recognition that, despite continuing financial security, we need to take a highly inclusive and collaborative approach to addressing our long-term objectives. A good example of this approach was the development of the Wester Ross and Lochalsh Biodiversity Action Plan. Under the guidance of RAFTS, the Trust worked with SNH, NTS and WREN to produce and promote a plan that aims to head off, or mitigate, the impact of invasive non-native species in Wester Ross. A further example is the marine seminar held in May 2009, and the follow-up Herring Rediscovery Project. Both initiatives were aimed at better understanding the marine issues that may constrain salmonid fisheries. The writing is writ large on the wall - monitoring fish in freshwater is not enough, and the Trust has had to give considerable thought to where it could, and should go, in the wider ecosystem context. Our cooperation with the River Restoration Centre, SEPA and SNH in assessing the feasibility of improving the Tollie Burn is one product of this line of thought. Interesting times, but the bread and butter work of the Trust has in no way been neglected. Surveys and catch data analysis suggest that 2009 was, in general, a reasonably encouraging year. The Carron had a record year for sea trout; juvenile salmon were discovered at some new sites and numbers of juvenile salmon in other areas appeared in densities close to the likely optimum. The exciting new study of carrying capacity being carried out in cooperation with Marine Scotland Science and the Cromarty Firth Fisheries Trust, will hopefully provide some answers as to how our survey results relate to the actual fishery potential of particular systems. Again, strategic partnership for shared objectives. Sea lice continue to be a source of concern. Although there were no epizootics in 2009, we were still sweep netting some fish with substantial lice burdens, and the potential for flare-ups is always with us, subject to the vagaries of marine conditions and to the effectiveness of fish farm husbandry. There are still many unknowns and perhaps more “unprovens”. As ever, enthusiastic field workers have been the backbone of the work programmes whether electro- fishing, sweep netting or supporting events such as the biodiversity awareness day. Financial support from individuals is also of great help to the Trust and the generosity of donors is much appreciated. In fact, enormous thanks are due to all of the Trust’s supporters, and their contributions are better acknowledged on pages 5 & 38. The Board of Trustees reached full complement with the appointment of Professor Dave Barclay in October 2009. Dave is both a scientist and a keen trout fisherman with a good local knowledge, and he offers much to the effective operation of the Trust. Peter Cunningham remains as energetic, enthusiastic and committed as previously reported and he has been ably supported by the considerable efforts of our administrator Peter Jarosz and accountancy whiz Ronnie Mullaney. Ronnie has, with great fortitude, revamped the Trust financial system and Peter Jarosz’s role has expanded to focus more on identification and pursuit of project funding opportunities. A task that Peter addresses with much relish! Just as well, since 2010 is likely to see us working hard for the resources to match our ambitions. Prof Barry Blake (WRFT Vice chair), May 2010 6 Part 1 Introduction The purpose of Wester Ross Fisheries Trust is ‘to maximise and sustain the productivity of wild salmonid fisheries in the rivers and lochs of Wester Ross’. Over the past 14 years, the Trust has investigated problems affecting fisheries within both the freshwater and marine environment, and developed guidance and recommendations to solve problems and improve fisheries management. The WRFT Fisheries Management Plan 2009+ (see website www.wrft.org.uk ) describes the river systems of the area and the fish populations they support, and presents a framework for the management activities that are being taken to address fisheries problems within the Trust’s area. The past year (2009 – 2010) has been a particularly interesting and generally encouraging year. For the first time juvenile salmon were recorded by the WRFT electro-fishing team in the headwaters of the Glenmore and Glenbeag Rivers [see Part 2]. Rod catches were mixed: grilse numbers in 2009 held up well in some rivers in contrast to reports from some other West coast systems. The River Carron experienced a record sea trout catch. The number of salmon and sea trout entering the upstream trap at Tournaig was lower than in other recent years, though this may have been partly due to unusually high water in September, giving fish the opportunity to ascend the normally impassable falls and by-pass the trap.