THE FORTH DISTRICT SALMON FISHERY BOARD Annual Report 2011 The Forth District Salmon Fishery Board MEMBERS ELECTED BY UPPER PROPRIETORS (Chairman) J. M. B. Baillie-Hamilton – Cambusmore (Vice-Chairman) D. A. J. Dickson – Lanrick Mrs. F. Simpson – Mandatory for the Crown Estates G. A. Cameron – Leny MEMBERS ELECTED BY LOWER PROPRIETORS D. Jones – Mandatory for Stirling Council J. McGarvie – Airth CO-OPTED MEMBERS H. Shaw – Salmon Anglers’ Representative F. Howieson – Salmon Anglers’ Representative DIRECTOR & CLERK Patrick Fothringham: The Lagg Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2EE Tel: 07788 416788 SUPERINTENDENT Bill Cunningham Tel: 01786 842122 or Mob: 07887 835549 www.fishforth.co.uk 2 Chairman’s Report www.fishforth.co.uk Mike Baillie-Hamilton – Chairman FDSFB & Vice-Chairman RFFT Once again the bulk of news to report comes under the River Forth Fisheries Trust umbrella with its full-time biologist and part-time invasive species planner doing much good work. I refer you to the Trust Chairman’s and Director’s reports for more news on these topics. The benefits of these moves may take time to feed back into fish catches but your Board are convinced that our core funding support for the Trust is already paying substantial dividends. We are delighted to see many sub-catchments developing their Fisheries Management Plans and getting involved with works on their rivers. This report contains encouraging news from several rivers. Sadly, illegal activity remains a persistent, if only moderate, threat to our fish stocks. Bill Cunningham and his assistants have had another busy year with several arrests. What has been encouraging is the ever improving rapport with most police forces. In the good old days we used to prepare our own court cases but with electronic filing of cases and the European Human Rights rules, it is now more practical for cases to be prepared by the Police. Perhaps because of this, we appear to have seen a slight improvement in Procurators Fiscal taking cases forward; their previous reluctance has long been a bone of contention. Once again, I would like to highlight the Board’s and my own thanks to our unpaid volunteer Bailiffs who give us freely of their time and enthusiasm. Boring but important issues such as Health and Safety have taken up much administrative time. Your Board believes these are all in order and will keep them up to date as time progresses. During 2011, we decided to alter our recommendations for catch and release to a policy of returning all spring salmon. It is gratifying that all the major proprietors committed to this and we hope this will go some way to allowing the spring running populations to recover further. We have also tightened up our recommendations regarding sea trout. Proprietors will have been pleased that we maintained our assessment poundage unchanged in 2011. This was only possible by budgeting for a slight deficit which came out lower than expected at £7,000 on a turnover of £138,000. Unfortunately, this is not a sustainable situation and proprietors will have noted a small increase in their assessments for 2012 and should expect further modest rises in the future. Overall your Board consider both the annual financial result and the reserves to be satisfactory. 3 The River Forth Fisheries Trust Chairman’s Report www.fishforth.co.uk Dennis Toon – Chairman RFFT The Trust has been active across the Forth catchment throughout the year; its relationship with the Forth District Salmon Fisheries Board remains positive and constructive. Our productive and co-operative relationship with the Stirling Council Fisheries Team continues to be good and we are grateful for the accommodation and facilities they make available to us. Ben Tyser left us late in the year and has moved south of the border; we have been pleased with the contribution made in developing the Forth Catchment Biosecurity Plan. Patrick Fothringham and Joanna Girvan working in conjunction with our colleagues at RAFTS have, of necessity committed a considerable amount of time detailing and completing the various applications for funding with our funding partners. We will know how successful this has been early in 2012, but are optimistic that the outcome will be positive. The pilot programme to control INNS on the Avon was successful and Giant Hogweed addressed on the Allan. The provision of equipment for the wider programme, together with training of the volunteers from many of the angling clubs and associations in the District is progressing. We have agreed that the three-year Ochils Landscape Partnership INNS control project, starting on part of the River Devon in 2012, will be continued when complete as part of the district Biosecurity Plan. Patrick and Joanna have been working to integrate the Trust’s Management Plan with the individual Management Plans of some of the District’s angling clubs and associations. This is an important activity and is helping to develop good relationships with river management groups. Electro-fishing has been carried out on a number of the rivers with particular concentration in known problem areas. Joanna has received a lot of help in this task from volunteers. The data collected is valuable in determining the corrective action that may be required to eliminate problems and improve habitat. Work with SEPA in accessing grants from the River Restoration Fund has been successful. The removal of barriers to fish passage gains spawning area and subsequently enhances the fish numbers. Joanna again led a very successful Fish in the Classroom programme this year concentrating on Falkirk and Stirling Primary Schools. She received much praise and acclaim for her work from the youngsters and school staff. This programme will continue in 2012. 4 Director’s Report www.fishforth.co.uk Patrick Fothringham – Director FDSFB & RFFT The year to 31st Jan 2012 was a busy and productive one across all facets of both the Board’s and the Trust’s operations. I reported last year that the Board and Trust were operating closely together in order to deliver integrated, all-species fresh-water fisheries management across the District. Our Board &Trust partnership is greatly aided by the support it derives from working with Stirling Council who provide it with a base from which to operate and who enable many aspects of our work through their generous support. We are very grateful to the Council for its generous help and look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future. As you read these pages, you will find that significant progress has been made on a number of fronts; the two most important areas of which, in terms of significant long-term objectives, having been the building of large scale projects to address barrier easing/removal and invasive species control. For much of the year Ben Tyser, our invasive species officer, did an excellent job in constructing the Forth Invasive Non-Native Species Programme which is due to be launched in 2012. For the first time this will put invasive species control on a strategic District-wide basis and will be one of the largest projects of its kind anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Ben left us in December to move on to pastures new, and we wish him every success in his new role with the Wild Trout Trust. On the barriers front, progress has been steady if frustrating. We have been working with RAFTS and SEPA to build a project to address barriers on the rivers Tyne, Almond and Biel. Given the long history of these thorny, high-tariff projects, it is over- optimistic to suppose that these barriers will be sorted in 2012. However, I remain hopeful that 2013 will see substantial physical works carried out on a number of barriers on these rivers. 2011 was also the first full year in which Dr. Joanna Girvan has been employed as the Trust’s biologist. This has allowed the Trust to underpin and drive forward all its work from a scientifically-informed, evidence-based platform; this is one of the founding principles on which the Trust is based. She has worked to build strong and productive relationships with all the District’s volunteer fisheries management groups and I would like to thank her, and all of the volunteers who have helped us, for all their enthusiastic support and hard work. Another key area in which we have made progress is that of fisheries protection. I refer you to the Superintendent’s report below, but would like to thank Bill Cunningham and his team of able volunteers for all that they have done for us. Poaching in certain parts of the District has again been a problem. We are now working more closely with the police and we believe that this partnership is now bearing dividends. Sadly, I have to report that pollution incidents have once more been a thorn in our flesh with significant problems on the Devon, Avon and Bannockburn. We have been working with both Fishlegal and SEPA in order to maintain pressure on those who offend in this area. So what of the future? 2012 will see the launch of the Forth Invasive Non-Native Species Programme (FINNSP) and will see further work on the slow job of constructing and funding a 5 project to address barriers to fish migration. Catchment based fisheries management plans will start to deliver their objectives and a full programme of monitoring and electro-fishing will be launched. I believe these are exciting and optimistic times in which to be involved with fisheries management on the Forth’s rivers and I look forward to a busy year ahead. Biologist’s Report www.fishforth.co.uk Dr. Joanna Girvan – Biologist RFFT Forth Invasive Non Native Species (FINNS) Programme Upon the departure of the Invasive Species Officer (Ben Tyser) from the Trust at Christmas 2011, the Trust’s biologist was required to step in and become heavily involved with the major funding applications required to carry out the FINNS Programme.