Directors Meeting
17th June 2016
LFT office Torlundy
Present
Viv de Fresnes (VdF)
Grace Henderson (GH)
Sandy Grierson (SG)
Donnie MacBeth (DmB)
Barbara Collins (BC)
Simon Boult (SB)
Diane Baum (DB)
Lucy Ballantyne (LB)
Apologies
Iain Donnelly (ID)
Previous Minutes
LB to check she sent email about FishLochaber contribution.
Minutes proposed by GH, seconded by DmB.
Chairman’s Report
This had mainly been covered in the AGM. The Wild Fish review was discussed including conservation limits and plans, it was still felt that as Scottish Government’s plans still lacked detail it was very difficult to move forwards. All agreed that a merger with Ness & Beauly still looked like the most likely option.
Treasurer’s Report
SG went through the budget. We made a loss of £14k this financial year. Projections for 2016/17 look much more healthy.
SG noted outgoings were all going up, including a 50% increase in rent which will be backdated a year, wages, pensions. An increase in daily rates had already been discussed at the AGM.
Secretary’s Report
BC hadn’t received a signed lease from FC, DB noted that FC had brought us a copy to the Trust office. DB to photocopy a version for BC.
Biologists’ Report (see below)
DB presented the biologists’ reports (see attached).
AOB
VdF suggested Kenneth Knott could be invited as an observer to future Trust meetings SG and BC seconded this suggestion.
Date of next meeting:
23rd Sept at 11:00am. Biologists to be excused if they are busy with fieldwork on this date.
Lochaber Fisheries Trust Directors Meeting
17th June 2016, Torlundy
Biologists’ Report
Slice treated smolt experiment
We completed the smolt treatment for this year in early May and caught a combined total of 1250 smolts on the Loy and Lundy. This is below the 2000 target, but above the 1000 minimum that MSS had agreed with the funders. 50 smolts were also fitted with acoustic tags that will allow their progress through lower Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull to be followed.
Sadly the adult traps planned for the Loy and Lundy have yet to be installed. These were supposed to be in by the end of May, but there have been delays in getting the trap made and it may be August before it is installed.
Seine netting
Scottish Government have confirmed funding for the seine netting this year. We have already caught the target 30 sea trout post smolts at Camas na Gaul and have over 20 at both Kinlocheil and Borrodale. The ish from Camas na Gaul and Kincloheil have all had low lice burdens and the famrs in upper loch Linnhe are in their first year of production. We have caugth some larger fish at Borrodale and some of these have had fairly high numbers of lice. Worryingly we have also tried to get a sample from Loch Sunart (where farms are in their second year of production) and the four fish we have caught to date have had high lice loads. We will keep trying to get more fish at this site.
Loch Arienas monitoring
We are working with Ardtornish Estate to monitor the effect of removing the freshwater smolt farm on trout populations, benthic invertebrates and water quality in the loch. We have provided some assistance and equipment to the Estate staff who have taken water, benthic and fish samples this year while the cages are still in place and will continue to carry out the same monitoring after the cages are removed next year.
Glochidia surveys
SNH have commissioned surveys of pearl mussel larvae (glochidia) on the gills of fish in 16 rivers across the west coast. We have completed the first round of fieldwork and found good evidence of peal mussel reproduction in some rivers, but poor numbers of glochidia in others. We are managing the project on behalf of RAFTS and will be carrying out further field work in September.
Knotweed Control
We are continuing with our knotweed control work. This will be the final year that we will be working with the Criminal Justice Service to treat the knotweed along Achintore Road South of Fort William. We will continue injecting small stands of knotweed around the region and providing chemical to train volunteers to treat it on their land. This is supported by grants from SNH and SEPA. We have also applied for funding to try to coordinate applications for rural development funding to treat knotweed on the Lochy catchment - we should know if this is successful by June.
Ardnamurchan Burns
We produced a restoration plan for the Ardnamurchan Burns SAC for SNH and are now working to implement it. We have secured some funding from the Landfill Community Fund to undertake artificial encystment of glochidia and introduce woody debris to some areas of the Burns, but are still waiting to hear if we have been successful in our bid to lottery to further extend the project. We have also applied for funding to coordinate applications for rural development grants for ditch blocking and moorland management and are hoping to find out if we have been successful this month.
Corrour Estate
We will continue working with Corrour Estate to help them monitor their fish populations and train estate staff to undertake their own surveys. This will allow them to look at the impact of changes in the management of forestry and grazing on fish.
Pollution Incident on the River Arkaig
On the afternoon of Friday 10th June we heard about a pollution incident on the River Arkaig. Lucy investigated that evening and found a large number of dead fry and parr at the edge of the river and larger fish in difficulty further out. She collected samples of the dead fish, took photos of the chemical burns on their skin and took a water sample. She reported what she had found to the owner and to the hydro developer working upstream. The developer explained that they had been pouring concrete and that this had caused a breach in their coffer dam that had allowed it to leak into the river. The developer reported the incident to SEPA, who are now investigating and using the evidence collected by Lucy.
Fish farm applications
We objected to the proposed expansion of the Loch Nevis C farm site along with the LDSFB and SNH. Sadly there were no local objections to the proposals, which do seem to have a lot of influence with the planning department. We were invited to a meeting with the planners, SNH, LDSFB and Scottish Sea Farms to discuss the objections. We felt the proposed monitoring and response protocols proposed by SSF were inadequate to protect wild salmonids and pearl mussels, but unfortunately SNH disagreed and withdrew their objection and the expansion has now been approved.
We assisted the LDSFB with a response to a screening and scoping request for the expansion of the Camas Glas farm in Loch Sunart. There are likely to be applications for new farm sites off Rum in the near future and we have heard rumours about plans to expand existing sites in Loch Linnhe.