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Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust |
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| The Findhorn, Nairn & Lossie Fisheries Trust is an independent charity whose objectives are: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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To conserve and restore all species of freshwater fish and improve their
habitats. |
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| The Trust thus has a broad remit and works in close coordination with the District Salmon Fisheries Boards for the Rivers Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie. The Trust also works closely with the angling associations, local councils, SEPA and SNH. The Trust and the Boards have agreed a joint action plan covering administrative and scientific activities. A joint Fisheries Office at Logie Steading now serves the Boards and the Trust. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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February 2010 Newsletter |
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| February marks the Opening Day of the fishing season on the rivers. Opening day on the River Nairn is 7th February, followed by the Findhorn on 11th February. Opening day on some beats of the River Lossie is 25 February, with other beats following on various dates to 1st April. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fishing Guidelines |
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| There is ongoing concern that salmon and sea trout populations have declined worryingly. In an effort to ensure that enough breeding fish reach their home waters, the Fishery Boards and Angling Associations have created guidelines or conservation codes on the number and types of fish that can be retained. Each river has different guidelines, but in general, they recommend releasing all spring run fish and a large proportion of hen fish. Details can be obtained with fishing tickets. All anglers are encouraged to consider the overall health of fish stocks when taking fish. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Catchment Management |
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A key role for the Trust is to co-ordinate the production of Fishery Management Plans
(FMPs) for all three rivers. These plans describe the current state of the river and the strengths and challenges facing the river, identify next steps in research to understanding the rivers better, and recommend management strategies to optimise the health of the river and the fish. At their spring meetings, the Fishery Boards and Trust will use the FMPs to prioritise projects for the coming year and allocate responsibility for undertaking each project. Areas of work will include further research and monitoring, work with government agencies, comments on planning applications that may affect water quality, predator control, and work to remove obstacles and to reduce non-native invasive species. |
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Predator Control |
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The Fisheries Trust is playing a leading role in an emerging Moray Firth integrated predator management group. It makes sense to manage predators on a regional basis, as many of them travel long distances and affect fish populations on a number of rivers and lochs.
The Fisheries Trust is now co-operating with two mink control projects in neighbouring river catchments. Mink are particularly voracious and unselective predators which have been introduced from North America and which thrive in Scotland. A water vole conservation project in the Cairngorms area has been very successful at managing mink populations. Project research has revealed that mink, which prey on water voles, salmon, sea trout, birds and many other native species, can travel as far as 100 km. This makes it important to widen the area of mink control to include neighbouring river catchments such as the Findhorn and the Lossie. A similar project in the North West Highlands is maintaining a cordon sanitaire south of Caithness and Sutherland, and will be expanding mink control activities to the River Nairn catchment. |
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Poaching |
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| Poaching affects our three rivers in different ways. All poaching affects the overall, longterm well-being of the fish stocks. The Trust and Fishery Boards have had discussions with the Grampian Police Wildlife Crime Officer and bailiffs from neighbouring rivers to create a more co-ordinated and effective deterrent and response to illegal fishing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Board of the Trust: |
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| Research | Restore | Educate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Company Registered in Scotland No 350687 Registered Charity No SC 040152 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| River Findhorn . org . uk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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