Firstly, apologies for not posting before but in the absence of Chris things are getting busier.
September saw us attempting to get the rest of the electrofishing completed. We managed to complete one catchment, thanks to Iza, and undertook some electrofishing in another 2 which left 5 not touched. That wasn't too bad given the weather over the past 2 years and the number of catchments left to catch up on! Certainly there's a happy Biologist now. As well as that we managed to get some more genetic samples from the Laxford catchment. These will be tested for fish farm genes as part of the RAFTS Managing Interactions Project. More on that when the results come in.
The end of October saw the first ever SNH/RAFTS Invasive Non-native Species Conference. This was a really good meeting with thought provoking talks and some resulted in some good action points. Hopefully these will be followed through and the native Scottish environment given a helping hand. It will take some effort to ensure that the next Conference is better, so thanks to all for their time and effort in getting this going.
November was spent on Broodstock netting. The Laxford came first and the timing was perfect. It was fantastic to see the number of fish present and the size and condition. All of the broodstock and more were collected in one morning, with a large number missed by the backpacks. The fish were determined to move upstream or retain their territories despite the dropping water and us! The salmon were all in good condition and most were large. As normal the DNA was collected and this work forms part of the Reay Forest project to assess the effectiveness of the hatchery operation.
Unfortunately that was where the luck ended and while a call be the Inver team for help with their broodstock collection saw several attempts in freezing conditions, we drew a blank. All attempts were then cancelled as the fish started to spawn naturally in order to avoid walking over the redds.
Unfortunately November also saw a repeat of the pollution incident reported in August. Yet more communications with SEPA and SNH were undertaken in a bid to get the issue sorted. We live in hope that the farm will get itself sorted and that there will be no repeats next year. However it is for SEPA to enforce and we can only monitor and report.
December saw the Fishy Fayre at Kinlochbervie High School. Part of the Fish2Dish programme and involving P6 - S2 pupils, a range of people from the fishing industry attended to give talks and demonstrations on their area. The subjects covered were wide ranging, from navigation, dressing up in specialist diving and fishing gear, knots, cooking, fish identification, dissection, ageing and product design. By all accounts this was a great day and enjoyed by all. The Trust gave several talks on fish ageing - and Shona then lost her voice!! - which introduced a few potential future scale readers. There was an amazing amount of skill involved for a first attempt. The remainder of the project will involve the children operating in groups to prepare a dish, design the packaging and sell it to the audience. Good luck to them and congratulations to Steph and Katy for a successful project.
Other than that it has been a round of meetings and report writing. The eletrofishing and sweep netting reports are coming on well and will hopefully be finished at the start of the year. As in previous years the reports will be published on the Website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/) as they become available. In the meantime we have posted the reports on the Geisgeil eel project and a project describing a protocol to monitor elver recruitment. Again, these can be accessed via the Website.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have given up their time to help the Trust over 2011. Without these volunteers the Trust would not be able to operate and they are definitely the unsung but not unappreciated arm of Sutherland.
Merry Christmas to all our readers and a very Happy New Year. Tight lines for 2012!
Monday 12 December 2011
Tuesday 30 August 2011
A final fling
August has been a mixed month as we tried to get as much filed work completed as we could before saying goodbye to Chris. Unfortunately the weather wasn't particularly kind and as such only 3 catchments were completed - that still leaves a difficult 8 to try and finish before the end of September. Still, we managed to do the netting, which was good fun.
The Laxford came first and we had a good number of helpers which made for an easy pull. Oh, that we could have that situation every month!! Fish numbers weren't too good, although that wasn't too surprising following the recent rain which would have enabled the fish to move up into the river. They were, however, a bit thin, although not many lice. However, they all swam off happily after tagging and we'll hopefully meet them again in the future. As a first, however, we had a number of sandeels within the sweep, as well as a good number of other prey species.
The Polla, in contrast, had a catch of decent looking, fat fish. One had been gorging on so many cuddies that its stomach was rock hard and the prey could be felt through its sides! The differences observed between the two areas never fails to amazes us - especially as there was less prey fish within the sweep than seen in the Laxford. Maybe the fish had eaten them all.....
Otherwise time was spent at the computer trying to get to grips with the new electrofishing database. A great tool devised on behalf of the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre, there are teething problems with the database and the operator that need sorted out. Hopefully everything is now sorted and report writing will progress smoothly, or as smoothly as possible given the operator!
Unfortunately we also had to deal with a pollution incident in one of the catchments. Having communicated with SEPA, we hope that the problem has been addressed but will continue to monitor the situation now and in the future.
Chris, on the other hand, spent much of the time collecting equipment together and writing eel reports. The 29th August saw him hand everything over and prepare to leave the area. We would like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best in his new role in England. It won't be as good I'm sure - oh hang on, no midges, clegs, ceds, or other biting things, probably better! Joking aside, he brought a lot to the Trust and will be missed so all the best.
Looking forward to September we can only hope that it dries up a bit and we can get the rest of the electrofishing and netting completed. Iza is lined up to help with the electrofishing but with Irene in the mix we'll have to be very lucky. It has been better than last year, and we've already completed 350% more catchments so won't complain, but keep your fingers crossed for us.
The Laxford came first and we had a good number of helpers which made for an easy pull. Oh, that we could have that situation every month!! Fish numbers weren't too good, although that wasn't too surprising following the recent rain which would have enabled the fish to move up into the river. They were, however, a bit thin, although not many lice. However, they all swam off happily after tagging and we'll hopefully meet them again in the future. As a first, however, we had a number of sandeels within the sweep, as well as a good number of other prey species.
The Polla, in contrast, had a catch of decent looking, fat fish. One had been gorging on so many cuddies that its stomach was rock hard and the prey could be felt through its sides! The differences observed between the two areas never fails to amazes us - especially as there was less prey fish within the sweep than seen in the Laxford. Maybe the fish had eaten them all.....
Otherwise time was spent at the computer trying to get to grips with the new electrofishing database. A great tool devised on behalf of the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre, there are teething problems with the database and the operator that need sorted out. Hopefully everything is now sorted and report writing will progress smoothly, or as smoothly as possible given the operator!
Unfortunately we also had to deal with a pollution incident in one of the catchments. Having communicated with SEPA, we hope that the problem has been addressed but will continue to monitor the situation now and in the future.
Chris, on the other hand, spent much of the time collecting equipment together and writing eel reports. The 29th August saw him hand everything over and prepare to leave the area. We would like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best in his new role in England. It won't be as good I'm sure - oh hang on, no midges, clegs, ceds, or other biting things, probably better! Joking aside, he brought a lot to the Trust and will be missed so all the best.
Looking forward to September we can only hope that it dries up a bit and we can get the rest of the electrofishing and netting completed. Iza is lined up to help with the electrofishing but with Irene in the mix we'll have to be very lucky. It has been better than last year, and we've already completed 350% more catchments so won't complain, but keep your fingers crossed for us.
Monday 8 August 2011
Sampling continues
The last few weeks have been mixed, with a bit of rain at the beginning calling a halt to the electrofishing for a few days. Still, we've managed to get another couple of catchments finished which is great. The Rhiconich was definitely an effort, but thanks to Reay Forest for the lift out to the top sites we only had to walk down rather than both ways - for which we were both extremely grateful! An otter bolting out from the bank gave Chris a bit of a fright - not expected - but great to see and a bit of excitement as we stumbled around the hills. The Inver was slightly easier walking, although only a little, but gave us good fish densities and fun with the netting. No otters seen there, but a few salmon moved as we headed towards the sites.
We also had a few days gardening - pulling Himalayan Balsam from a croft in Nedd. Himalayan Balsam is an annual, non-native plant brought in as an ornamental. It's a lovely looking plant and a favourite with bee keepers but can have devastating effects on the riverbanks, where it spreads and forms a dense monoculture. This blocks light to other plants and then when it dies back in the winter leaves bare ground susceptible to erosion.
Thanks to the volunteers who turned up with gloves, scythe and boundless enthusiasm. We managed to clear a fair bit before getting Howard in with the strimmer to help with some of the thicker stands. Looking at the areas pulled last year, there was a big difference in the amount of plants present and hopefully we'll be able to eradicate it from the area in the next few years. We also looked at the stands in Clashnessie, which were pulled by others this year. Again, there is a reduction in the amount present compared to previous years, although eradication here is unlikely unless it can be removed from the resident garden. Heavy negotiation required there....
The end of last week saw us at the Highland Sporting Fair, or Moy games. We were sharing a stall with the Ness & Beauly Fisheries Trust and managed to get in some serious networking. It was good to get out and about, talking about the Trusts and introducing people to what we do. As well as the posters and leaflets we also showed the electrofishing gear as well as a mink raft and crayfish trap. The mink raft came complete with 'Dave' the latest NBFT employee - a cuddly 'mink'. He was a great draw, especially with the children, and it was encouraging to see that a good number of the keepers realised that he was really a pine marten (although there was some debate about otter cubs, still neither are for eradication).
Unfortunately this period also saw Chris handing in his notice as he plans to head for pastures new and fewer midges! He will be missed within the Trust but hopefully we'll get this sampling season cracked before he has to leave.
We also had a few days gardening - pulling Himalayan Balsam from a croft in Nedd. Himalayan Balsam is an annual, non-native plant brought in as an ornamental. It's a lovely looking plant and a favourite with bee keepers but can have devastating effects on the riverbanks, where it spreads and forms a dense monoculture. This blocks light to other plants and then when it dies back in the winter leaves bare ground susceptible to erosion.
Thanks to the volunteers who turned up with gloves, scythe and boundless enthusiasm. We managed to clear a fair bit before getting Howard in with the strimmer to help with some of the thicker stands. Looking at the areas pulled last year, there was a big difference in the amount of plants present and hopefully we'll be able to eradicate it from the area in the next few years. We also looked at the stands in Clashnessie, which were pulled by others this year. Again, there is a reduction in the amount present compared to previous years, although eradication here is unlikely unless it can be removed from the resident garden. Heavy negotiation required there....
The end of last week saw us at the Highland Sporting Fair, or Moy games. We were sharing a stall with the Ness & Beauly Fisheries Trust and managed to get in some serious networking. It was good to get out and about, talking about the Trusts and introducing people to what we do. As well as the posters and leaflets we also showed the electrofishing gear as well as a mink raft and crayfish trap. The mink raft came complete with 'Dave' the latest NBFT employee - a cuddly 'mink'. He was a great draw, especially with the children, and it was encouraging to see that a good number of the keepers realised that he was really a pine marten (although there was some debate about otter cubs, still neither are for eradication).
Unfortunately this period also saw Chris handing in his notice as he plans to head for pastures new and fewer midges! He will be missed within the Trust but hopefully we'll get this sampling season cracked before he has to leave.
Friday 15 July 2011
Sampling season starts
It's been an interesting start to the 2011 sampling season and we're already ahead of last year! The weather for the last two weeks has been kind and the rivers low so we've managed to get out electrofishing, as well as continuing with the sweep netting.
Electrofishing-wise we've completed 5 catchments - 3 of which involved quite large walks to and from the sites. Sandwood probably took the prize for that, with the 2 Biologists + 2 intrepid volunteers heading out into the moor for a 6 mile-ish round trip. The company was good and the midges and clegs relatively kind but we were all glad to see the van on our way home! Gleann Leireag and the Polly were similar, without the volunteers, but these were interspersed with the more biologist friendly Laxford and na Thull. Saying that, the clegs were far from friendly on either of these 2 and we ended up with 2 rather lumpy biologists from all the bites! The results from the electrofishing will be worked up at the end of the season and the reports produced, but there was at least one happy chappy from all of the eels seen, while fry populations also looked good.
Our sweep netting for the Aquaculture Project is now finished. We managed to get all of the fish required from the Laxford, Kyle of Durness and Polla, with the results passed on to the project officers who will coordinate for the whole of the west coast and report back. Unfortunately we didn't manage to get sampling on the Kinloch following a misunderstanding on the part of the keeper, but keep our fingers crossed for future occasions should the project continue. There certainly seemed to be a reasonable number of post smolts in the pool we would have sampled and it is a lovely little river. Always nice to go somewhere different as well.... Next week is the Aquaculture Project Steering Group meeting, where we will get a preliminary idea of the results and other news from the project.
We will be continuing with the WSFT monthly sweeps of the Polla and Laxford until October. There have been a few recaptures to date and these are always nice to see. From this we can work out growth rates and compare differences between years and systems often with interesting results. While most of the recaptures were from 2010, there have been 3 from 2009 so far. Not quite beating our record of 5 years since original tagging (taken in 2010) but providing interesting results.
Looking forward to the next few weeks, we hope to continue with the electrofishing programme, building up a picture of the juvenile densities within the area. We also have scale reading to get on with, should the weather change and preparations for the Moy Games where we will be sharing a stall this year with the Ness & Beauly Fisheries Trust. Plenty to be getting on with and nice to get out and about. Hopefully the weather, and the midges, will remain kind and this will be a successful year.
Electrofishing-wise we've completed 5 catchments - 3 of which involved quite large walks to and from the sites. Sandwood probably took the prize for that, with the 2 Biologists + 2 intrepid volunteers heading out into the moor for a 6 mile-ish round trip. The company was good and the midges and clegs relatively kind but we were all glad to see the van on our way home! Gleann Leireag and the Polly were similar, without the volunteers, but these were interspersed with the more biologist friendly Laxford and na Thull. Saying that, the clegs were far from friendly on either of these 2 and we ended up with 2 rather lumpy biologists from all the bites! The results from the electrofishing will be worked up at the end of the season and the reports produced, but there was at least one happy chappy from all of the eels seen, while fry populations also looked good.
Our sweep netting for the Aquaculture Project is now finished. We managed to get all of the fish required from the Laxford, Kyle of Durness and Polla, with the results passed on to the project officers who will coordinate for the whole of the west coast and report back. Unfortunately we didn't manage to get sampling on the Kinloch following a misunderstanding on the part of the keeper, but keep our fingers crossed for future occasions should the project continue. There certainly seemed to be a reasonable number of post smolts in the pool we would have sampled and it is a lovely little river. Always nice to go somewhere different as well.... Next week is the Aquaculture Project Steering Group meeting, where we will get a preliminary idea of the results and other news from the project.
We will be continuing with the WSFT monthly sweeps of the Polla and Laxford until October. There have been a few recaptures to date and these are always nice to see. From this we can work out growth rates and compare differences between years and systems often with interesting results. While most of the recaptures were from 2010, there have been 3 from 2009 so far. Not quite beating our record of 5 years since original tagging (taken in 2010) but providing interesting results.
Looking forward to the next few weeks, we hope to continue with the electrofishing programme, building up a picture of the juvenile densities within the area. We also have scale reading to get on with, should the weather change and preparations for the Moy Games where we will be sharing a stall this year with the Ness & Beauly Fisheries Trust. Plenty to be getting on with and nice to get out and about. Hopefully the weather, and the midges, will remain kind and this will be a successful year.
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Into summer
June was an interesting month for the Trust. We managed to get out sweep netting which was great. Unfortunately there was a bit of a snag with the Kinloch, but things are now smoothed out so we'll give it a try next week, weather permitting. In the meantime we managed to complete the Kyle of Durness nettings and also the Laxford. We still have a few fish to get from the Polla and that will complete the RAFTS project from our end. Its then back to our regular nettings on the Polla and Laxford. There should be a report coming out of RAFTS in the next month detailing all of the findings from the west coast sweep netting.
Crabs Claws was also completed. The P4 and P5 classes from Achfary, Durness, Kinlochbervie and Scourie were out on 2 separate occasions looking in the rock pools, completing a seaweed safari, crab fishing and shell collecting, ogether with a lot of games and art projects. Hopefully the children have learnt a lot - they certainly seemed to while on the beach, naming a large number of different species over the 2 days. The seaweed total also increased to 12, bettering the score for the P6 and P7.
June also saw the start of organising for the Wet and Wild Weekend in Kinlochbervie. Plans are still in the early stages but are likely to showcase KLB and the Sutherland environment. There are a range of activities being explored and it looks likely to be an excellent, fun weekend. The provisional date is the 27th August, sharing a venue with the annual KLB Raft Race.
Mink continue to be an issue in the area. More and more sightings are being reported and the Trust is helping to coordinate the provision of rafts and traps to the various estates. There is a mink officer employed within the area, but the Trust is the local contact for any issues and reported sightings. There are few non-native species present within the area but we are surrounded by a large number. It is therefore only a matter of time before they appear, as with the mink, and vigilance is required at all times. Thanks to all those helping with the monitoring.
In between this, the Trust have been helping to prepare grant applications for a couple of large projects. Fingers crossed that they are successful - with the potential for a large scale sea lice project within the area and the development of 'Pearl in the Classroom' within the next few years.
The electrofishing season has now started - and we're already ahead of last year!! Unfortunately today's fishing was undertaken in between the showers so everything is crossed that the rain doesn't get heavier. It has to be said, however, that the weather change, which has also brought winds, helped by keeping the midges and clegs away. So - dry but windy please, then we can continue with a successful fishing year and build on the findings from the Polly and Gleann Leireag!
Crabs Claws was also completed. The P4 and P5 classes from Achfary, Durness, Kinlochbervie and Scourie were out on 2 separate occasions looking in the rock pools, completing a seaweed safari, crab fishing and shell collecting, ogether with a lot of games and art projects. Hopefully the children have learnt a lot - they certainly seemed to while on the beach, naming a large number of different species over the 2 days. The seaweed total also increased to 12, bettering the score for the P6 and P7.
June also saw the start of organising for the Wet and Wild Weekend in Kinlochbervie. Plans are still in the early stages but are likely to showcase KLB and the Sutherland environment. There are a range of activities being explored and it looks likely to be an excellent, fun weekend. The provisional date is the 27th August, sharing a venue with the annual KLB Raft Race.
Mink continue to be an issue in the area. More and more sightings are being reported and the Trust is helping to coordinate the provision of rafts and traps to the various estates. There is a mink officer employed within the area, but the Trust is the local contact for any issues and reported sightings. There are few non-native species present within the area but we are surrounded by a large number. It is therefore only a matter of time before they appear, as with the mink, and vigilance is required at all times. Thanks to all those helping with the monitoring.
In between this, the Trust have been helping to prepare grant applications for a couple of large projects. Fingers crossed that they are successful - with the potential for a large scale sea lice project within the area and the development of 'Pearl in the Classroom' within the next few years.
The electrofishing season has now started - and we're already ahead of last year!! Unfortunately today's fishing was undertaken in between the showers so everything is crossed that the rain doesn't get heavier. It has to be said, however, that the weather change, which has also brought winds, helped by keeping the midges and clegs away. So - dry but windy please, then we can continue with a successful fishing year and build on the findings from the Polly and Gleann Leireag!
Tuesday 31 May 2011
May overview
Well, what can we say. May acted as a reverse to the traditional April and came in like a lamb and definitely left like a lion. The month started dry and we were worried that the smolts wouldn't get out at their traditional time.No need to worry about that - a massive spate on the 15th took out the smolt trap and gave plenty of water to get the smolts out to sea. Unfortunately we were supposed to be netting on the week of the 15th.... Needless to say, that was cancelled and continuing high flows have meant that we weren't able to reschedule. Fingers crossed for June as these nettings are part of the West Coast Aquaculture Programme and include additional nettings in the Kyle of Durness and the Kinloch River, with everyone looking forward to the Kinloch which is new to the Trust.
While the weather caused a bit of a slow down within the Trust - smolt trap washed out, elver traps washed out and no netting - this unfortunately changed on the 27th with a report of mink on the north coast. This has since been confirmed and has meant phone calls and visits to assist with eradication. Mink are not native to Scotland and as such can have a catastrophic effect on the biodiversity of the area. Bird populations, such as Black Throated Divers, already hit by a cold May, are particularly vulnerable although mink are not particularly selective.
We did manage to complete part one of 'Crabby Claws' however, despite the high winds and rain causing a re-assessment of the event. Day one was cancelled, as was the camping, kayaking and snorkelling. However the P6 and P7 turned up for Day 2 and seemed to have a great time despite the weather. Nine species of seaweed were identified, together with a large number of shells, crabs and shrimps. Hopefully the P4 and P5 days will be as successful. Courtesy of the aborted camping trip we were also well supplied with food and thanks have to go to the teachers for their efforts to pile the pounds on all involved! Thanks also to The Robertson Trust for funding this activity.
The Annual Review was also completed and is ready for posting. This can be downloaded from the Website (www.wsft.co.uk/publications) or copies obtained from the Biologist. The review details the results of work undertaken during 2010, with further details of the different projects also available on the Website or from the Biologist.
Looking forward to June, we will hopefully be able to undertake the sweep nettings with results going to RAFTS for analysis with those from arond the West Coast of Scotland. Then it is the build up to the electrofishing season and hopefully a good summer.We'll be blogging a bit more regularly during the main sampling season, giving an update of our activities. We'll also be giving a midge update, which could be useful...
While the weather caused a bit of a slow down within the Trust - smolt trap washed out, elver traps washed out and no netting - this unfortunately changed on the 27th with a report of mink on the north coast. This has since been confirmed and has meant phone calls and visits to assist with eradication. Mink are not native to Scotland and as such can have a catastrophic effect on the biodiversity of the area. Bird populations, such as Black Throated Divers, already hit by a cold May, are particularly vulnerable although mink are not particularly selective.
We did manage to complete part one of 'Crabby Claws' however, despite the high winds and rain causing a re-assessment of the event. Day one was cancelled, as was the camping, kayaking and snorkelling. However the P6 and P7 turned up for Day 2 and seemed to have a great time despite the weather. Nine species of seaweed were identified, together with a large number of shells, crabs and shrimps. Hopefully the P4 and P5 days will be as successful. Courtesy of the aborted camping trip we were also well supplied with food and thanks have to go to the teachers for their efforts to pile the pounds on all involved! Thanks also to The Robertson Trust for funding this activity.
The Annual Review was also completed and is ready for posting. This can be downloaded from the Website (www.wsft.co.uk/publications) or copies obtained from the Biologist. The review details the results of work undertaken during 2010, with further details of the different projects also available on the Website or from the Biologist.
Looking forward to June, we will hopefully be able to undertake the sweep nettings with results going to RAFTS for analysis with those from arond the West Coast of Scotland. Then it is the build up to the electrofishing season and hopefully a good summer.We'll be blogging a bit more regularly during the main sampling season, giving an update of our activities. We'll also be giving a midge update, which could be useful...
Monday 9 May 2011
Elvers
A total of 7 streams are now being monitored for elvers. Numerous traps are now in situ along with temperature loggers.
First real capture occurred today with 125 captured on one small stream....hopefully just the start. 90 elvers were caught in the first trap with fewer being caught upstream. Interestingly this stream is the warmest of all the streams chosen. It is not the most southerly either and is situated in a bay/inlet as opposed to the open sea. All apart from one were glass eels, the other was a very small yellow eel, possibly one of last years migrants.
First real capture occurred today with 125 captured on one small stream....hopefully just the start. 90 elvers were caught in the first trap with fewer being caught upstream. Interestingly this stream is the warmest of all the streams chosen. It is not the most southerly either and is situated in a bay/inlet as opposed to the open sea. All apart from one were glass eels, the other was a very small yellow eel, possibly one of last years migrants.
Monday 2 May 2011
Field season starting
The two smolt traps and inumerable elver traps are now in place and waiting for the appropriate runs. As well as the fish traps the flow rate is being taken beside each elver trap as its checked and constant water temperature recorders are in each burn. This will give some interesting data and answer questions about the smolt runs as well as the elver runs. its nice to get out and start seeing fish again after the winter.
The notes from the recent Ghillies Seminar are now online at http://www.wsft.co.uk/ if anyone is interested. It was a really interesting Seminar and hopefully the notes do it justice. If you have any questions on the different talks then please drop us an e-mail at wsft@btconnect.com.
Watch this space for updates on the traps, or follow us on Twitter @wsftrust.
The notes from the recent Ghillies Seminar are now online at http://www.wsft.co.uk/ if anyone is interested. It was a really interesting Seminar and hopefully the notes do it justice. If you have any questions on the different talks then please drop us an e-mail at wsft@btconnect.com.
Watch this space for updates on the traps, or follow us on Twitter @wsftrust.
Thursday 21 April 2011
Laxford Netting...16/04/2011
Netting went well, a very good sweep resulting in the capture of 283 Sea Trout of varying sizes. Kelts seemed to be mending well compared to last year, lots of Smolts and Post Smolts. Very few lice found with most fish being clean.
One fish in paricular was interesting, it appears it had no evidence of ever possessing an adipose fin. We have'nt seen this before and makes you wonder what purpose the adipose fin actually serves.
Smolt trappin has started on one of our small streams, although this has been slow, it is hoped things will pick up over the coming weeks. All fish will be measured, scale and genetic samples taken also.
Preparations are underway for elver and eel monitoring. Six catchments will be monitored over the coming weeks and it is hoped to get an idea of elver recruitment within the area. This also adds to the current project ( in its final year) looking at all stages within a particular catchment. Details can be found on our website...www.wsft.co.uk
Chris
One fish in paricular was interesting, it appears it had no evidence of ever possessing an adipose fin. We have'nt seen this before and makes you wonder what purpose the adipose fin actually serves.
Smolt trappin has started on one of our small streams, although this has been slow, it is hoped things will pick up over the coming weeks. All fish will be measured, scale and genetic samples taken also.
Preparations are underway for elver and eel monitoring. Six catchments will be monitored over the coming weeks and it is hoped to get an idea of elver recruitment within the area. This also adds to the current project ( in its final year) looking at all stages within a particular catchment. Details can be found on our website...www.wsft.co.uk
Chris
Friday 8 April 2011
Barrier/Obstacle Assessment Course completed.
WFD111(2a) Coarse resolution rapid assessment methodology to assess obstacles to migration. I attended this course on April 5/6/7 th 2011. Held at the SEPA offices in Perth. A really interesting and informative course which will prove extremely useful in assessing the various obstacles within our area. It certainly made me look at these issues in a completely different light, their complexities when looked at closely illustrate the often extreme difficulties fish have to endure to reach their goal. Although some may be time consuming to assess, once broken down and the order of assessment followed, a detailed idea of the obstacle and an idea of possible pathways for fish to pass the obstacle can be ascertained. This does not only cover salmonid species but all species/guilds and so may have further implications with regard to biosecurity where undesirable species need to be stopped. The course started with a brief introduction and a run through of issues and the protocol. This was followed in the afternoon by a field visit and a short practical session involving techniques and equipment use...a taster. The second day was spent in the office, with an in depth look at the actual protocol, and why we do it. The Third day was spent out in the field where we were split into two groups and assessed a number of man made structures of varying complexity and under different conditions. At the end of the assessment each obstacle is then given a passability score and it is often possible to ascertain which factor may impede fish migration, this could be depth, velocity, height etc. So a lot of data/information can be gathered from each structure. All in all a very good course and thoroughly recommended........Chris
Friday 25 March 2011
Heading into spring
The last few weeks have been quite busy for the Trust. Firstly we received an award from the Highland Council in recognition of our support of the Highland Schools. This work is always good fun to do as we continue to help with the Primary Schools and are developing ever deeper links with Kinlochbervie High School. Being able to get into the schools and introduce the children and young adults to the natural environment and its needs will hopefully be building a good base for the future management and protection of our rivers and therefore fish.
Then sweep netting started, with a sweep of the Laxford estuary resulting in 3 kelts. Unfortunately the weather was pretty bad - hail storms and strongish winds - so maybe the fish were just being a lot more sensible than us! Still, it was great to see the start of the field season as that shows summer is coming, for good or bad. Unfortunately the Polla netting had to be cancelled as snow melt brought the river up to spate conditions. Still, the snow was melting....
The RAFTS AGM and General Committee meeting was followed the next day by the Conference. Ably managed by the old (morning) and new (afternoon) chairmen, this was a really interesting and informative event. Given the catchy (!?!) title 'The devloping role of he third sector: what can fisheries trust bring to the party?', it started with a number of speakers detailing past and future partnership opportunities before moving on to illustrate some of the activities currently undertaken. This centred on the use of genetics - which was very thought provoking - and the tackling of Invasive Non-Native Species. The latter is of particular relevance when you consider the damage that can be done by very simple but thoughtless acts. It asks once again that anglers and other river users think before acting and disinfect or dry all of their equipment before moving between areas and not to introduce species not native to that area. For this we are particularly concerned about the potential spread of the freshwater louse and Gyrodactylus salaris as the movement of fish is against the law (although still an issue). However, gardeners (and pond owners), council workers and contractors are probably a prime source of the spread of vegetative non-natives and need to also think about the potential impact of their actions.
Preparations for the Ghillies Seminar are well underway and all of the speakers identified. This year will have a mixed theme - covering freshwater pearly mussels, fish catches, predators and mink - but is relevant to all attending. Notes from the Seminar will be published on the Trust website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/), probably at the start of May. Hopefully we'll be able to get the Annual Review out at about this time as well. Covering the work undertaken in 2010 this gives a good overview of the varied interests of the Trust and can be purchased from the Biologist (wsft@btconnect.com).
In the next few weeks, as well as the Ghillies Seminar, Donna-Claire will be heading on to pastures new, working with RAFTS on the Aquaculture project, and Chris will be attending a SEPA course on Barrier Assessment. This will help in the identification of barriers throughout the area and allow access to funding in order to help with their removal. This has the potential to open up additional areas for fish and improve their lot. We will also be attending meetings on the development of future projects involving INNS and freshwater pearl mussels. Things continue to move....
Chris and Lynne continue to gear up for their marathon in aid of Bliss (a charity for premature babies) and the WSFT. Taking place in May, remember that you can make it more worth their while by donating money. This can be done via the website - either using Paypal or by sending a donation to the Trust office.
Then sweep netting started, with a sweep of the Laxford estuary resulting in 3 kelts. Unfortunately the weather was pretty bad - hail storms and strongish winds - so maybe the fish were just being a lot more sensible than us! Still, it was great to see the start of the field season as that shows summer is coming, for good or bad. Unfortunately the Polla netting had to be cancelled as snow melt brought the river up to spate conditions. Still, the snow was melting....
The RAFTS AGM and General Committee meeting was followed the next day by the Conference. Ably managed by the old (morning) and new (afternoon) chairmen, this was a really interesting and informative event. Given the catchy (!?!) title 'The devloping role of he third sector: what can fisheries trust bring to the party?', it started with a number of speakers detailing past and future partnership opportunities before moving on to illustrate some of the activities currently undertaken. This centred on the use of genetics - which was very thought provoking - and the tackling of Invasive Non-Native Species. The latter is of particular relevance when you consider the damage that can be done by very simple but thoughtless acts. It asks once again that anglers and other river users think before acting and disinfect or dry all of their equipment before moving between areas and not to introduce species not native to that area. For this we are particularly concerned about the potential spread of the freshwater louse and Gyrodactylus salaris as the movement of fish is against the law (although still an issue). However, gardeners (and pond owners), council workers and contractors are probably a prime source of the spread of vegetative non-natives and need to also think about the potential impact of their actions.
Preparations for the Ghillies Seminar are well underway and all of the speakers identified. This year will have a mixed theme - covering freshwater pearly mussels, fish catches, predators and mink - but is relevant to all attending. Notes from the Seminar will be published on the Trust website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/), probably at the start of May. Hopefully we'll be able to get the Annual Review out at about this time as well. Covering the work undertaken in 2010 this gives a good overview of the varied interests of the Trust and can be purchased from the Biologist (wsft@btconnect.com).
In the next few weeks, as well as the Ghillies Seminar, Donna-Claire will be heading on to pastures new, working with RAFTS on the Aquaculture project, and Chris will be attending a SEPA course on Barrier Assessment. This will help in the identification of barriers throughout the area and allow access to funding in order to help with their removal. This has the potential to open up additional areas for fish and improve their lot. We will also be attending meetings on the development of future projects involving INNS and freshwater pearl mussels. Things continue to move....
Chris and Lynne continue to gear up for their marathon in aid of Bliss (a charity for premature babies) and the WSFT. Taking place in May, remember that you can make it more worth their while by donating money. This can be done via the website - either using Paypal or by sending a donation to the Trust office.
Monday 7 March 2011
Build up to sampling
As I write, the weather is forecast to turn increasingly wintery and we are planning the first post-smolt netting of the year! Next week, Friday 18th, will hopefully see us and our brave band of idiots, I mean volunteers!, pulling a net around the Laxford estuary in the search for sea trout. Here's hoping that 2011 will be as interesting as 2010. To this end, we've just heard that the project to look at sea lice numbers on wild sea trout in relation to distance from fish farms will go ahead again this year, with funding from Marine Scotland. Our sweep netting data from May and June will form part of this work.
Additional work within the Aquaculture project will include the development of a GIS model to look at the sensitivity of the coastal areas to development. This will help all on the west coast be more understanding about areas where further development is definitely not wanted and those where development could be acceptable. This is obviously being developed with aquaculture in mind but will also be useful for other activities, including marine renewables. We will also be helping to develop further information on the genetics of the area as well as being involved in liaison between wild and farmed fish interests.
Two members of staff will be employed by RAFTS to undertake the project management and development of the GIS system. Donna-Claire and Diane will be taken on for 1 year in the first instance, although obviously we hope that this will be extended in order to give us the best possible model. Both were previously employed as Regional Development Officers - Diane in the Outer Hebrides and Donna-Claire jointly with the WSFT and Wester Ross - so have a great deal of experience within the field. Their new position starts in April.
On the domestic front, our website has once again been upgraded and it is now possible to donate to the Trust by Paypal or credit card. You can now join the Trust (£25, leave your name and address) or support Chris and Lynne on their marathon run at the click of a button. Go to http://www.wsft.co.uk/. We'd also appreciate any feedback on the site as we would like to make this as user friendly and informative as possible. You can also follow us on Twitter, @WSFTrust, for short updates.
Additional work within the Aquaculture project will include the development of a GIS model to look at the sensitivity of the coastal areas to development. This will help all on the west coast be more understanding about areas where further development is definitely not wanted and those where development could be acceptable. This is obviously being developed with aquaculture in mind but will also be useful for other activities, including marine renewables. We will also be helping to develop further information on the genetics of the area as well as being involved in liaison between wild and farmed fish interests.
Two members of staff will be employed by RAFTS to undertake the project management and development of the GIS system. Donna-Claire and Diane will be taken on for 1 year in the first instance, although obviously we hope that this will be extended in order to give us the best possible model. Both were previously employed as Regional Development Officers - Diane in the Outer Hebrides and Donna-Claire jointly with the WSFT and Wester Ross - so have a great deal of experience within the field. Their new position starts in April.
On the domestic front, our website has once again been upgraded and it is now possible to donate to the Trust by Paypal or credit card. You can now join the Trust (£25, leave your name and address) or support Chris and Lynne on their marathon run at the click of a button. Go to http://www.wsft.co.uk/. We'd also appreciate any feedback on the site as we would like to make this as user friendly and informative as possible. You can also follow us on Twitter, @WSFTrust, for short updates.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Sea trout are go!
The reports from the eel project and the post smolt netting for 2010 are now available on the Trust Website at http://www.wsft.co.uk/, They are hopefully a good read and certainly throw up some interesting points. We hope to get all of the post-smolt data analysed shortly to see if any patterns have emerged over the past 14 years and that project is now nearing the top of the list. To this extent, we have been talking to the Atlantic Salmon Trust and Marine Scotland for pointers and statistical help.
Last week Shona attended the AST Sea Trout Workshop in Bangor. It was a very useful meeting and the room held an incredible number of intelligent people (plus Shona!). A number of projects and work streams were identified as important and a steering group has been formed to take these suggestions forward. Hopefully we will gain a better understanding of sea trout ecology and general trout interactions from this work, much of which will be processed by the different agencies. However the Trust remains open to collaboration and are happy to help where it can. Trout have been viewed in the past as the poor relation of salmon but are equally important and in many ways (whisper it) more interesting, so it is encouraging to see the calibre of individuals and organisations interested in this species and its management.
Within our education work, we are pleased to announce that we have managed to get funding towards the school project this year, to help with our involvement. The Roberston Trust has kindly supported this work to introduce the P4 - P7 pupils to the natural environment and science. All involved enjoy this work and it is great to see the enthusiasm displayed by the children and their knowledge of the environment and its need for conservation and protection is fantastic.
Planning of this years Ghillies Seminar is now underway. This event provides the ghillies an opportunity to get together, share knowledge and question the experts on issues that matter to them. We are thankful that we continue to attract high calibre speakers to this event and notes are published on the website afterwards.
Last week Shona attended the AST Sea Trout Workshop in Bangor. It was a very useful meeting and the room held an incredible number of intelligent people (plus Shona!). A number of projects and work streams were identified as important and a steering group has been formed to take these suggestions forward. Hopefully we will gain a better understanding of sea trout ecology and general trout interactions from this work, much of which will be processed by the different agencies. However the Trust remains open to collaboration and are happy to help where it can. Trout have been viewed in the past as the poor relation of salmon but are equally important and in many ways (whisper it) more interesting, so it is encouraging to see the calibre of individuals and organisations interested in this species and its management.
Within our education work, we are pleased to announce that we have managed to get funding towards the school project this year, to help with our involvement. The Roberston Trust has kindly supported this work to introduce the P4 - P7 pupils to the natural environment and science. All involved enjoy this work and it is great to see the enthusiasm displayed by the children and their knowledge of the environment and its need for conservation and protection is fantastic.
Planning of this years Ghillies Seminar is now underway. This event provides the ghillies an opportunity to get together, share knowledge and question the experts on issues that matter to them. We are thankful that we continue to attract high calibre speakers to this event and notes are published on the website afterwards.
Friday 21 January 2011
Into the New Year
2011 has started with a round of meetings and report writing. We're getting there with the reports - most will be on the website in the next month and the Annual Review will be out in May, book your copy if you don't already get one!
The Inland Fisheries Group meeting was a bit of an eye openner. While not really our subject in the main (sorry, I don't know much about prawn fishing) some really good pointers came out of it. Ailsa (the Development Officer) is producing a really comprehensive management plan which will hopefully help to safeguard our inshore waters. The coastal waters are really important to all of our migratory species, but particularly sea trout and eels, and its good to see that the other users are just as interested in its protection.
The SFCC/RAFTS Biologist meeting at Pitlochry was really interesting. It concentrated on sea trout and it was great to see the amount of work that's being done on that species. I managed to pick up a few ideas for our own projects which was great. Good networking in the pub that night as well, and a few handy hints to think about re. projects and funding. It's always worth a get together occasionally and in our busy lives this is one of the only chances all the Biologists have to meet and swap ideas. E-mail is great, but sometimes a chat over a meal or a couple of drinks can throw up the whole heap of new and different ideas - as well as simple things you never thought of!
Next week will see Shona helping with the Lab Skills Course at the local High School. Should be good, and education is so important. If we can interest the children in Science then they will take an interest in the things around them and hopefully be more enquiring about the impacts of their actions. On that point, congratulations to the Primary Schools on their successful grant application for more field based work. We'll be out with the children in the spring disturbing animals and hopefully getting them interested in the local environment and Science in general.
Then its the Sea Trout Workshop in Bangor. Organised by the Atlantic Salmon Trust and involving a representative number of individuals from Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland this will look at the work currently underway and what's needed in the future. Hopefully we'll come out of that with some good ideas and partnership projects for sea trout management in Britain.
In with all that - Chris and Lynne should be upping their training programme in the run up to their marathon in May. They are running the Cape Wrath Challenge in aid of the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust and Bliss, a charity for premature babies. Good luck to them as this is the hardest Marathon in Britain. You can follow their progress here and on Twitter (@WSFTrust) - if Chris can be persuaded to update! However, we are trying to make it worth their while so please make a donation and persuade your friends to do the same. A form can be downloaded from the website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/), making sure to tick Gift Aid if eligible to do so.
The Inland Fisheries Group meeting was a bit of an eye openner. While not really our subject in the main (sorry, I don't know much about prawn fishing) some really good pointers came out of it. Ailsa (the Development Officer) is producing a really comprehensive management plan which will hopefully help to safeguard our inshore waters. The coastal waters are really important to all of our migratory species, but particularly sea trout and eels, and its good to see that the other users are just as interested in its protection.
The SFCC/RAFTS Biologist meeting at Pitlochry was really interesting. It concentrated on sea trout and it was great to see the amount of work that's being done on that species. I managed to pick up a few ideas for our own projects which was great. Good networking in the pub that night as well, and a few handy hints to think about re. projects and funding. It's always worth a get together occasionally and in our busy lives this is one of the only chances all the Biologists have to meet and swap ideas. E-mail is great, but sometimes a chat over a meal or a couple of drinks can throw up the whole heap of new and different ideas - as well as simple things you never thought of!
Next week will see Shona helping with the Lab Skills Course at the local High School. Should be good, and education is so important. If we can interest the children in Science then they will take an interest in the things around them and hopefully be more enquiring about the impacts of their actions. On that point, congratulations to the Primary Schools on their successful grant application for more field based work. We'll be out with the children in the spring disturbing animals and hopefully getting them interested in the local environment and Science in general.
Then its the Sea Trout Workshop in Bangor. Organised by the Atlantic Salmon Trust and involving a representative number of individuals from Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland this will look at the work currently underway and what's needed in the future. Hopefully we'll come out of that with some good ideas and partnership projects for sea trout management in Britain.
In with all that - Chris and Lynne should be upping their training programme in the run up to their marathon in May. They are running the Cape Wrath Challenge in aid of the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust and Bliss, a charity for premature babies. Good luck to them as this is the hardest Marathon in Britain. You can follow their progress here and on Twitter (@WSFTrust) - if Chris can be persuaded to update! However, we are trying to make it worth their while so please make a donation and persuade your friends to do the same. A form can be downloaded from the website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/), making sure to tick Gift Aid if eligible to do so.
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