27/11/2012 River Findhorn FNL Fisheries Trust Review 2012 • Electrofishing R. Laughton • Hatchery Review • Fish Disease • Season Extension • INNs Control • Wind Farm Monitoring • FFB Admin support River Findhorn River Findhorn Juvenile Survey Data – 1997 - 2011 Electrofishing Data • Electrofishing Surveys 1997-2011 • Contract Surveys re: Windfarm/Flood Alleviation etc • Distribution • Abundance • Temporal Change • Smolt Output Estimation • Stocking Assessment River Findhorn River Findhorn Electrofishing Data Electrofishing Data 1 27/11/2012 River Findhorn River Findhorn Electrofishing Data Electrofishing Data River Findhorn River Findhorn Electrofishing Data Electrofishing Data • Distribution • Salmon: good • Tout: Limited • Density Trends • Salmon Fry: wide variation • Salmon Parr: more consistent • Trout: consistent but wide variations River Findhorn River Findhorn Electrofishing Data Hatchery Review • Survey Structure • Findhorn Hatcheries • Maintain core sites – time consuming • Lethen - Dalmigavie • Timed Approach • 2012-13 – Dalmigavie • Stocked Burns • Target upper tributaries • Trout Burns • EF Survey 2013 • Mainstem? • Review Results • Analysis • Other Data • Rank – Quintiles • Sub Catchments 2 27/11/2012 River Findhorn River Findhorn Fish Disease Fish Disease Lower Findhorn 2012-06-06 • Training Courses (MSS Marine Lab) • Sampling Kit (Logie) • Draft Protocol • UDN Outbreak? – Spey • Call for Diseased Fish/Photos River Findhorn River Findhorn Fish Disease Fish Disease - 2013 Lethan 2012-07-12 • Further Training Course • Complete Protocol • Improve Controls • Diseased Fish/Photos • ASFB PhD Study on UDN River Findhorn River Findhorn Fish Disease - 2013 INNs Control - 2012 Basic Control • Mosset Burn • Disinfectant/Dry • Local Volunteers Equipment ALL Anglers on • Forres in Bloom Arrival/Departure • Manageable Size • Pressurised Sprayer • Virkon • Dry Equipment • Heating • Declaration 3 27/11/2012 River Findhorn River Findhorn INNs Control - 2012 INNs Control - 2012 Sourbank Rafford Orchard Rd Bridge Newtyle Deanshaugh Downstream Orchard Road River Findhorn River Nairn INNs Control - 2013 • Electrofishing Survey • Re-survey and re-treat upper Mosset • INNs Control • Begin Treatment on Mosset - A96 to Mouth • Survey Findhorn • Uisge Dubh Hydro • Devise appropriate strategy • Riverworks Advice • Contractor/volunteers • Wind farms • Additional Organisations/Funders • R851 New Culvert • Forres in Bloom • Wild Things • Forres Common Good Fund?? • Network Rail/Moray Council etc River Nairn River Nairn Electro Fishing Surveys EF Surveys – Site Locations • Historical- SEPA Data • 2010 Survey • 2012 Survey • Future Surveys 4 27/11/2012 River Nairn River Nairn EF Survey – Good Salmon EF Survey – Moderate Salmon N01: Upper Nairn N04 Inverarnie/Farr N08: River Farnack N05 River Brin N21 Cawdor Burn N06 River Brin N26 Howford Br River Nairn River Nairn EF Survey – Trout EF Survey – Surprises N27 Auldern Burn N20 Geddes Burn N03 Milton Burn N13 Mid Largs Burn N17 Craggie Burn River Nairn River Nairn EF Survey – Habitat Effects/Disasters EF Survey – Obstructions Brook N7 Flichity Burn 5 27/11/2012 River Nairn River Nairn EF Survey - Summary INNs- Summary • • 2010 Survey 27 sites - 2012 Survey 22 sites Distribution • Hogweed – Clephanton to Nairn, Geddes, Auldearn Burns • Salmon • Japanese Knotweed – Clava/Rail Viaduct to Nairn • excellent distribution/good abundance • Himalayan Balsam – Clephanton to Nairn • main stem/lower reaches of burns • Am Signal Crayfish - Geddes Burn • Trout • • good distribution Mink - ?? • lower burns/above waterfalls • Future • Surveys: timed + area based – 3 yearly • Access/Habitat: protection - improvement River Nairn River Nairn INNs- Summary INNs- Summary •Existing Control • SEPA WFD Restoration Fund Grant • Highland Council – Aultdearn Burn • INNs Plant Control – GH/JK/HB + others • Cawdor/Geddes/Kilravoch • £70k, over 5yrs, 3 rivers • Nairn AA - Crayfish Trapping (405 this year!) • Volunteers/in kind contributions • Mink Control Initiative (RAFTS) • Training, chemicals, equipment • Co-ordinating Control/Treatment River Nairn River Nairn INNs- Action this Year INNs- Summary • Training/Equipment • 16 staff/bailiffs/volunteers • 4 back pack sprayers, 50l Round up, PPE, 3 stem injectors. • Control • Equipment + Assistance Kilravoch Estate • Geddes/Cawdor Round-up supplied • Contractor – Mike Mitchell • Co-ordination 6 27/11/2012 River Nairn INNs- Summary River Lossie • Flood Alleviation Scheme – MSP Visit • Rothes WF Monitoring Plan • Black Burn Weirs West End Primary • INNs Plant Survey • Water Quality • Schools • Admin support River Lossie River Lossie Black Burn Lower Weir – Monaughty Black Burn Upper Weir - Barnhill In Memory of Ian Mackay In Memory of Ian Mackay Funded by SEPA WFD Restoration Funded by SEPA WFD Restoration Fund, and RAFTS. Fund, and RAFTS. Works completed by Alasdair Works completed by Alasdair Brewster (SEPA) and Balfour Brewster (SEPA) and Balfour Beattie Beattie River Lossie River Lossie Rothes Wind Farm Monitoring Salmon Go To School – Schools Go To Fish West End Primary Aberlour House Joint project with the Spey Foundation and Spey Fishery Board 7 27/11/2012 FNL Targets 2013 FNL Targets 2013 • Electrofishing • INNs • • Findhorn Nairn • • Complete 1997-2011 Data Analysis Co-ordinate INNs Plant treatment programme • • Conduct Findhorn Survey Provide support to crayfish trapping • • Lossie Findhorn • • Conduct survey Survey lower Findhorn • Develop control strategy • Nairn • Continue on Mosset Burn • Analysis of 2012 data • Lossie • Start control on INNs Plants FNL Targets 2013 FNL Targets 2013 • INNs • Fish Ecology • Plants/Crayfish • Basic Data • Continue to build volunteer network • Collate catch data sets for each river • Co-ordinate control with other organisations • Implement scale collections • Promote awareness/equipment/training • Redd Counts • Improve recording procedures • Loch Data • Source additional funds!! • Predators • Mink • Re-establish mink control initiative • Seal Counts • • Biosecurity Sawbills Management Review • Improve awareness of biosecurity • Habitat Improvement and promote better controls • Cawdor Fish Pass/ Flichity Burn/ Bogeney Burn etc Thanks to the following organisations and FNL Targets 2013 individuals for their support during 2012. • The Findhorn DSFB, Nairn DSFB, Lossie DSFB, Forres AA, Elgin AA, Dallas AA, Education/Liaison Nairn AA, Spey Foundation, Spey DSFB, RAFTS, ASFB, Scottish Government, MSS Marine Lab and MSS Freshwater Lab, The Conservation Trust Volunteers • Schools Projects (Scotland), SFCC, Forres in Bloom, Moray Firth Sea Trout Project. • Moray Firth Trout Initiative (x3 Schools) Albert Duffus (FDSFB), Sean Maclean (FDSFB), Erin Hunter (NDSFB), Chris • Wind farm- Community Funds Worthington, Andrew Laughton, Fraser Laughton, for their assistance in electro fishing. • Student Work placements Ian Sutherland and Charlie Gerrie (Dallas AA), Ivan Laughton (UHI), Daniel Kelly (UHI), Pauline Proudlock (MSS), Denise Sterling (MSS), Alastair McCartney • Angling Clubs –Proprietors (MSS) and Ian Malcolm (MSS) with water sample collection. Willie Barron, James Dunbar, Charlie Watts, Charlie Black, David Johnstone and other members of Nairn AA for control of crayfish. • Publicity Ian Suttie, Gordon Birnie, Alec Ross, Ian Maclennan, Alec Rose, Derek Jordon, Mike Mitchell, Richard Whyte (SFB), Jason Hysert(SFB), Lindsay Grant (SFB), Ally • Newsletters Grant (SFB), Jonathon Willet (HC), Keith Williams (NBFT), Nick Barker (NBFT) for their assistance in INNs plant control. • www.fnlft.org.uk All proprietors and anglers who have generously donated to the Trust and in particular, Ewen Brodie (Lethen), for his tireless fundraising efforts. 8 .