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The Trust - (The West Galloway Fisheries Trust, 02/06/98)
The West Galloway Fisheries Trust (WGFT) was established in 1989 by four small District Salmon Fishery Boards in South West Scotland, administering the rivers Luce, Bladnoch, Cree and Fleet.
Since then, thanks to the co-operation between the Trust and the fishery interests in the rivers it serves and the enthusiasm among all involved, the Trust has gone from strength to strength. Its sphere of influence in the South West has spread beyond the original four rivers with all the rivers on the Scottish side of the Solway Firth and the rivers Stinchar, Girvan and Doon now benefiting from the WGFT's expertise.
OBJECTIVES
The WGFT is a registered Scottish Charity (SC020751) interested in the freshwater resource. Its aims are as follows:
To gather relevant data on the freshwater environment to facilitate sensible discussion and informed decision making in future management.
To establish whole catchment management plans for each river in the area, co-ordinating with the DSFBs and all relevant land users.
To disseminate information to relevant parties.
To educate all sectors of the community about caring for freshwaters and encourage a high level of personal commitment and responsibility towards the local environment.
To advise on the management and advancement of fisheries in Galloway for all those who legitimately use them.
CURRENT PROJECTS
WGFT's work programme is wide and varied. Some examples of its present areas of work are outlined below:
WGFT undertakes the constant monitoring of water quality the results of which have significantly contributed to the ongoing debates on surface water acidification.
Practical habitat enhancement programmes are now underway on many of the rivers of South West Scotland.
An organised and monitored hatchery and stocking programme is implemented annually. Such schemes can play an important role as part of the overall management of a fishery. Stocking is a management tool which, however, must be used logically and with realistic goals.
Education plays an important role in WGFT's rationale. The fostering of an appreciation of the salmon and its freshwater environment is encouraged through work in local primary schools, high schools and extending to the supervision of students from Universities in Scotland, England and Germany. The widely admired and used "Salmon in the Classroom" primary school project was developed by WGFT and the local education department.
A mark recapture study is used on the River Bladnoch to estimate the total smolt production from this river annually. This work has used coloured elastomer injections to mark groups of fish for experimental identification purposes.
Fund Raising Activities are vital to ensure the continued viability of WGFT. Grant funding must be identified, and where possible, secured to augment monies raised from other initiatives such as dinner auctions, angling competitions and other events.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:
Membership of the West Galloway Fisheries Trust is available at the following rates:
Annual:
Personal �10
Joint Husband/Wife �15
OAP/Junior �5
Corporate �35
Life:
Personal �150
Joint Husband/Wife �200
Corporate �300
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