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The Wester Ross Fisheries Trust
Contact Information :
Mr James Butler (Biologist)
Rose Cottage, Eilean Darach,
Dundonnell, Wester Ross
IV23 2QW
Tel/Fax: (01854) 633349
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Elizabeth Macdonald-Buchanan, Chairman (01445) 781337
Mr Richard Munday, Vice-Chairman (01520) 755206
The Trust
It�s a fact: stocks of wild salmon and sea trout are declining throughout the Scottish Highlands to an all-time low. Possible causes include over-fishing at sea and in freshwater, salmon farms, seal predation, the effects of acid rain on spawning burns and global climate change. Even stocks of hill loch brown trout may be suffering. The problem means more than just a few unhappy anglers. The business that visiting fishermen bring to lodges, hotels and B & Bs in the Highlands is very valuable - a recent study estimated that every rod-caught sea trout is worth �1,000 to the local economy. Clearly the vanishing salmon and sea trout should be of concern to everyone, not just fishermen.
The aim of the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust (WRFT) is to tackle this problem from the River Kanaird in the north to the River Carron in the south. By co-ordinating fisheries management and doing applied research the WRFT hopes to conserve and rehabilitate the rivers in the Wester Ross area.
The WRFT is a registered charity. It is not a pressure group, and has no legal powers. It is funded by local District Salmon Fishery Boards, landowners and salmon farms. Further funding has been acquired from other charitable trusts.
Wester Ross Maps
Maps of the Wester Ross river system, and fish farms in the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust areas are available as gif images.
Current Projects
Catch records are being analysed from rivers, lochs and netting stations to try and establish the pattern of stock declines. A major concern is the decreasing average size of sea trout and salmon, which may indicate a deterioration of marine feeding due to commercial over-fishing of their natural prey such as sandeels. Smaller fish produce fewer eggs, and therefore fewer young.
Electrofishing surveys have been carried out in all catchments to establish the densities of young salmon and trout. This survey, first conducted in 1997 will be repeated every summer so that any changes can be identified and monitored.
The Shieldaig Sea Trout Project: In several Wester Ross rivers sea trout have all but disappeared, and it will be necessary to assist their recovery. As a model for the restoration of wild sea trout throughout the West Highlands the Scottish Office Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory has set up the Shieldaig Sea Trout Project at Shieldaig on Loch Torridon. Adult sea trout from Shieldaig and other systems are trapped and stripped of their eggs, which are hatched in �captivity� with the help of Inverness Technical College�s Seafield Centre at Kishorn. In this way a reserve bank of wild sea trout is being established for experimental stocking. A permanent fish trap is to be built near the mouth of the river so that an accurate count can be made of the numbers of fish migrating to and from the sea. The results will indicate the effectiveness of the experimental work.
Education
As well as conducting research and promoting effective fisheries management, the WRFT is keen to inform the public about its work. James is very willing to make presentations to angling clubs, schools, and anyone who might be interested in fish conservation in the WRFT area. Please feel free to phone him (on 01854 633349) if you want to know more about the work we�re doing, or if you have any suggestions about work we should be doing!
Newsletter
A Wester Ross newsletter is produced on a regular basis to provide information on the progress of the Trust. These newsletters are sent directly to Trust members. In addition the latest issue is available to download as a Word Document.
Click to download latest available issue
How you can help
If anyone is interested in joining in with the work, all volunteers would be gratefully received. The electro-fishing survey, in particular, requires several pairs of hands, and is fun. It would provide a great chance to learn about the biology of Highland rivers, and James would welcome the opportunity to meet interested people, and to hear their observations and opinions. Again, please call him if you�d like to help.
Also, if you see or hear anything of interest, please let James know: in particular, dead or dying fish (e.g. intercepted poacher�s catches, kelts, sea lice-infested sea trout, diseased fish), in freshwater or the sea. If possible, please put fish individually in plastic bags and refridgerate them, and contact James a.s.a.p. so that he can examine them. If you know of escapes of fish farm salmon, it would be very useful if you could note where and when. Dead fish-eating birds are also of interest, particularly herons, cormorants, goosanders and mergansers; again, if you can face it, please freeze the carcass and get in touch!
Tagged Trout
When sampling sea trout for their sea lice burdens, they have also been tagged. After being tagged the fish are released in the hope that they will be recaptured by fishermen or at netting stations. This information will give a better idea of how far sea trout move around the coast. The project is being undertaken by all of the west coast fisheries trusts, so it is very possible that fishermen in Wester Ross will catch sea trout tagged in Sutherland, Lochaber, the Western Isles or Argyll. If you do catch a tagged sea trout, please contact James Butler.
Tagged sea trout and finnock can be recognised firstly by the fact that their adipose fin (the small fleshy fin infront of the tail) will be missing or clipped. If the adipose is clipped there will be a Visual Implant tag behind one of the eyes, which will be coloured and numbered, eg. Black D95
Membership & Donations
You can also become a member of the WRFT by making a voluntary donation. As a member you will receive copies of the WRFT�s annual review and research reports. For information, contact James
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