Annual Report 2018 Forth District Salmon Fishery Board The Clubhouse 106 Biggar Road Edinburgh EH10 7DU Website: http://www.fishforth.co.uk/fdsfb Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ForthDistrictSalmonFisheryBoard/ Twitter - @ForthDSFB Forth District Salmon Fishery Board MEMBERS 2018 Fen Howieson (Chair) (Mandated: Cambusmore) (stepped Tony Cameron (Leny) down March 2018) Aly Dickson (Lanrick) Peter Yates (Mandated: Cambusmore) (from March 2018) Fiona Simpson (Mandated: Crown Estate Scotland) John McKenzie (Mandated: Allan Water Angling & Scott Mason (Mandated: Stirling Council) Improvement Association) (Chair from April 2018) Chris Thomas (Anglers’ Rep) Jason Walls (Anglers Rep) Robert Baird (Anglers’ Rep) Craig Somerville (Anglers Rep) (From May 2018) Clerk to the Board: Alison Baker Finance: William Anderson, Managed Estates, Superintendent: Lee Fisher 1 Sprinkerse Road, Stirling, FK7 7SN Operations Manager: Jonathan Louis Accountants: Douglas Home & Co 47-49 The Square, Kelso Roxburghshire, TD5 7HW 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS MEMBERS 2018 ....................................................................................................................2 Chairman's Foreword ..............................................................................................................4 Collection of data ....................................................................................................................5 Adult Stock Monitoring ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Catch Returns ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Counters ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Juvenile fish stock assessments .......................................................................................................................... 7 Genetics .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Redd Counting .................................................................................................................................................... 8 Habitat assessments ........................................................................................................................................... 8 Protecting fish stocks and the aquatic environment .................................................................9 Enforcement ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 Conservation Policies ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Predation .......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Consultations .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Projects run by the forth rivers trust ........................................................................................ 14 Generally .......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Catchment-wide projects .................................................................................................................................. 14 Education .......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Consultancy activity .......................................................................................................................................... 16 Specific topic ......................................................................................................................... 16 Fish Migration .................................................................................................................................................. 16 Governance ........................................................................................................................... 17 Meetings ........................................................................................................................................................... 17 Complaints ........................................................................................................................................................ 18 Declaration of Interests .................................................................................................................................... 18 Equal Opportunities and Disclosure .................................................................................................................. 18 Reporting to Scottish Government.................................................................................................................... 18 Financial statements ............................................................................................................. 19 Annual Accounts ................................................................................................................... 20 Looking forward .................................................................................................................... 22 3 CHAIRMAN'S FOREWORD With the long dry summer of 2018 behind us now it is time to reflect on the challenges and the triumphs of the year. Many thanks must go to the Forth Fisheries Trust for their continuing support providing time and expertise on often complex regulatory issues. I would also like to thank Managed Estates for ensuring our finances are in order and the tireless work they do to ensure all proprietors are known and aware of their financial burdens. With the Wild Fisheries Reforms and the potential changes an all but distant memory it is business as usual, however I am pleased that with the relatively recent creation of Fisheries Management Scotland there is still a driving force pushing for positive change in the world of fishery management. I would like to thank our Board members for all the support in the last year and to Fen Howieson who stepped down as chairman due to other commitments. The Board nominated me to take over the role and I welcome the challenge to maintain the high standards already adopted over the last few years. It is vitally important that the Board stays focussed on providing clear guidance and support to all proprietors in all fishery matters. Regarding the daily operations of the Board, Alison Baker is providing much needed enthusiasm to push for changes at all levels to ensure the protection of not only salmon and sea trout but the ongoing interests of all parties on and around the Forth area. With regulatory enforcement always at the fore it is good to see these issues being dealt with promptly and efficiently. Lee fisher has been working hard over the last year to establish a network of bailiffs and informants who provide invaluable data in the fight against poaching. This not only takes Lee and his voluntary team over the whole Forth District but to meetings with proprietors, farmers, netsmen and wildlife crime officers to name but a few. This means that Lee is in a particularly well-informed position relating to activities in the Forth area. Working with Alison and Jonathan Louis, Lee has been creating a new bailiff training platform to ensure everyone operating under the Board’s guidance is well trained. I look forward to seeing this rolling out over the next year. Catches were down considerably for 2018 due largely to the distinct lack of water for almost the entire season. The last few weeks of the season having seen rain and an increase in fish catches. I am very encouraged that most, if not all, proprietors have adopted the Fishery Board Code of Practice and a very high percentage of all fish across the area are returned to continue their journey. I look back on 2018 with a sense that things are progressing in the right direction and that 2019 will be a year of stability and positive change. Thanks John McKenzie Chairman February 2019 4 COLLECTION OF DATA ADULT STOCK MONITORING CATCH RETURNS The catches reported for 2018 are at the lowest levels recorded since the 1980s. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 5 Year 10 Year Average Average Salmon Caught & Retained 910 1034 791 613 391 138 253 111 100 45 199 546 Salmon Caught & Released 1170 2399 1783 1601 1166 652 893 1205 831 419 949 1279 Salmon Caught Total 2080 3433 2574 2214 1557 790 1146 1316 931 464 1148 1825 Sea Trout Caught & Retained 234 227 236 836 571 467 51 13 26 3 226 297 Sea Trout Caught & Released 860 773 816 146 92 71 449 222 311 204 229 409 Sea Trout Caught Total 1094 1000 1052 982 663 538 500 235 337 207 455 706 This is disappointing but there are problems with the data shown. The District continues to have difficulties in reporting catches accurately due to the number of clubs and association and areas of the fishery which are under-managed. Until these are resolved accurate data for fish caught will