West Sutherland Fisheries Trust - More Information
The Trust
The West Sutherland Fisheries Trust was set up in late 1995 as a result of the decline of sea trout and salmon in the rivers and lochs over recent years. The Trust extends from the Coigach in the south to Loch Hope in the north. The main rivers include: the Hope, Polla, Dionard, Laxford, Inver, Kirkaig and Garvie.
Objectives
The Trust aims to monitor fish populations in the area and provide advice on practical management in order to improve fish stocks. Specifically the objectives are to:
Analyse the catch records for different rivers to determine the status of the populations and differences between rivers.
Determine the current status of the fish through surveys of parr and spawning stock.
Assess the habitat and environmental factors affecting the fish.
Provide information and advice to enable management and conservation issues to be assessed.
In this way the health of rivers and lochs can be addressed in a logical and scientific manner.
Current Projects
Examination of catch records to show the extent of the decline in catches and provide an estimate of changes in spawning stock through changes in catch and weight.
The assessment of juvenile populations within the rivers and burns, undertaken by electrofishing in the summer.
The assessment of habitat availability to determine the sites for the electrofishing survey and the productivity of the system. This also provides information on any barriers to migration which may exist
Invertebrate Survey used to determine food availability
Post-smolt tagging of sea trout carried out in estuaries - it is hoped that the capture of returning fish will give information on the marine migrations and growth rates of sea trout. In addition, the fish are examined for sea lice while being tagged.
Monitoring of fish populations within a loch containing fish farm cages to examine their impact on fish populations.
Monitoring of acidity within rivers and burns - this is a perceived problem within the area due to the underlying geology which does not provide any buffering of acidity within the soils. This project is being carried out in conjunction with the other fisheries trusts throughout the west coast of Scotland.
Newsletter
A West Sutherland newsletter is produced on a quarterly basis to provide information on the progress of the Trust. These newsletters are sent directly to Trust members.
How You Can Help
Membership to the Trust is available for �25 per annum (�10 junior).
Sponsor a sea trout: For �2 you will receive a certificate giving information on 'your' trout. Each trout is tagged with a unique number behind the eye and you will be updated if your trout is recaptured.
If you have a fishing log from trips to this area we would be delighted to see it. Anything which may provide information on the changes within the area are sought - relating to fishing or habitat.
If you catch a fish without an adipose fin, the small fleshy fin between the tail and the dorsal, then there is a good chance it has been tagged. The tags have been placed in the clear area just behind the eye and each has a number. Please record the colour and number, the length from the snout to the fork of the tail and the location caught.
What about helping with the surveys? Electrofishing and invertebrate surveys can be fun and provide an opportunity to learn more about the biology of the rivers and fisheries management.
If you have further queries, wish to make a comment, become a member or would like to know more then contact Shona at the address above.
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