Welcome to The West Sutherland Fisheries Trust Blog.

Keep up to date on our activities throughout West Sutherland. Conserving, protecting and restoring native fish populations.

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!

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