News - July 2008
New fish movements legislation
New legislation is about to be introduced which will make it an offence to introduce, or have the intention to introduce, live fish or spawn into Scottish waters without the appropriate written permission. The new legislation will come into force on the 1st Aug 2008 and appropriate authorities will be either:
a) the local District Salmon Fishery Board (DSFB), where there is one in place, but only for proposed introductions of salmon or sea trout.
b) the Scottish Government via Fisheries Research Services (FRS), in areas where there are no DSFB, or for applications relating to the introduction of any species other than salmon or sea trout.
For example any organisation or individual planning to stock fish such as brown or rainbow trout, or any coarse fish into any watercourse in Ayrshire would have to apply to FRS for written permission. Proposals to introduce salmon or sea trout anywhere in the Stinchar, Girvan, Doon or Ayr catchments would require the permission of the local DSFB, whilst salmon or sea trout stocking in the Irvine or Garnock would require permission from FRS.
Details of the application mechanism will be available shortly and will be advised by the Trust. We understand that the application process will be paper based initially with a web-based system under development. There will be no fee for the applicants.
The press release from the Government can be seen at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/06/30112811
News - June 2008
Water of Fail fails
In mid May Trust biologists noted a few dead stone loach in the Water of Fail, upstream of Failford. Dead fish in any stream are always cause for concern and a few days later many dead trout and a few dead salmon parr were found in the burn. No specific cause could be found and the fish kill was probably due to poor water quality and the hot weather and low water conditions prevailing at the time. It was not possible to obtain oxygen readings but the Fail is known to suffer from the effects of diffuse pollution and it is likely that low oxygen levels during darkness led to the death of the fish.
Previous surveys in the Fail by trust staff had found that populations of salmonid fish were either very poor or absent. The high water levels (which help to maintain water quality) that occurred throughout 2007 would have allowed the trout population to expand in the Water of Fail, only to be seriously hit when tough conditions arrived again. Implementing measures to reduce the impact of diffuse pollution in lowland streams in Ayrshire is one of Ayrshire Rivers Trust highest priority actions.
News - May 2008
Ayrshire Rivers Trust Country Fair
Our Annual Country Fair will take place on Sunday 1st June at Skeldon Estate, Dalrymple from 11 am until 4 pm, courtesy of Mr S.E. Brodie QC.
We are delighted to announce that the Dawn Group are sponsoring this year's Fair, and thank them most sincerely for their generosity and support.
Attractions will include Falconry, Archery, Duck race, Mini Zoo, Fly casting and Electrofishing demonstrations, Bee hives, Plant and craft stalls, Home baking and teas, Ices, Bouncy castle, Face painting and Bring and buy. There will also be quizzes for both adults and children, and a raffle draw. Disabled access to lawned area is good and assistance to the gardens and river will be provided if required.
Admission (parking included) is £4 and children (U16) free
News - April 2008
Fish kill in Glazert Burn
A fish kill in the Glazert burn, a tributary of the Annick Water, was reported to Ayrshire rivers Trust today (17th April) by SEPA. A Trust biologist visited the burn where a number of dead fish, including trout, salmon parr and many stone loach were found. The fish kill was caused by farm slurry entering the Glazert Burn via a ditch. A pipe had become dislodged during a farm slurry transfer operation and had discharged a large quantity of slurry into the ditch before the situation was brought under control.
The lower 400m of the Glazert Burn was affected. No dead fish were seen in the Annick Water where dilution would have reduced the toxicity of the pollution. In a strange way the most depressing aspect was the lack of dead fish in the burn. The Glazert Burn is a purely agricultural catchment and the low fish population is typical of fish populations in lowland streams in Ayrshire. Direct pollution incidents such as this do not help but a much more serious, and unseen, threat is posed by the long term impacts of diffuse pollution. If the burn had been healthy then hundreds of fish would have been expected to be killed in the stretch affected.
Water quality has been identified as one of the main priorities within the Ayrshire region of the Scottish Rural Development Programme. Measures designed to reduce the effects of diffuse pollution, particularly when groups of farmers work together, are likely to be well received. Ayrshire Rivers Trust are interested in working with farmers, and their advisers, to develop collaborative projects to tackle diffuse pollution and to enhance biodiversity, particularly in intensive agricultural areas such as the Glazert Burn.
News - March 2008
Fish kill leads to compensation claim by Darvel Angling Club
An Ayrshire fishing club has sent a formal letter of claim to a farming contractor near Darvel in Ayrshire following the release of slurry into the Gower Water, a tributary of the River Irvine, in November 2006. The pollution caused a major fish kill, involving many thousands of mostly juvenile salmon and trout. The Darvel Angling Club, who lease the fishing rights of some of the affected area downstream, have instructed the Anglers’ Conservation Association (ACA) to claim £16,000 in damages on their behalf, for a loss of amenity and to cover the costs of restocking the river.
According to research carried out by the Ayrshire Rivers Trusts (ART), the Gower Water has been one of the most productive salmon and trout spawning tributaries in the Irvine catchment. Detailed calculations derived from electrofishing data led to an estimated fish mortality of over 7,000 salmon and trout. SEPA successfully prosecuted the farmer concerned, who was fined £1,000 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on 13th September 2007.
Andrew Wallace, Managing Director of the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland and the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards, commented: “This first case to be taken by the newly revived ACA in Scotland is the beginning of a new chapter for Scottish fisheries managers. Fishery Boards with their statutory powers to protect Scottish fish stocks, combined with high quality information provided by Fisheries Trusts, pride themselves on seeking solutions to problems through education and dialogue. But sometimes this isn’t enough and it is vital that those who threaten our water courses and fish stocks know that we, in partnership with the ACA, will use the law, where necessary, to protect the Scottish aquatic environment”.
Mark Lloyd, Executive Director of the ACA, said: “Slurry is one of the most damaging pollutants because it decomposes very rapidly and the bacteria remove all the oxygen dissolved in the water. Fish and invertebrates are therefore suffocated to death. We hope that it will not prove necessary to go to court to get the farmer to pay for the damage caused to our members’ fishing”.
Darvel Angling Club Secretary Billy Galbraith added: “We were horrified to see so many young fish lying dead in the river. This incident will affect the whole of the River Irvine’s trout and salmon populations for many years to come and we are claiming this compensation so that we will be able to help the river recover as quickly as possible”.
Brian Shaw of the Ayrshire Rivers Trust commented: “The River Irvine has one of the highest human population densities of any salmon river in Scotland and it is also intensively farmed with much of the river habitat suffering from degradation. The Gower Water was considered to be one of its most pristine and most productive tributaries, supporting a high density of juvenile salmon and trout. It was all the more frustrating for a fish kill to occur in that part of the catchment. The Trust welcomes the involvement of the ACA in the incident as the support they provide helps its members get the compensation they require to protect the health of their waters”.
Fishing tackle discounts for Trust members
Ayrshire Rivers Trust is pleased to be able to promote a Trust members discount scheme with a number of local fishing tackle shops. Trust members will receive a 10% discount on purchases on production of a current membership card. Details of participating outlets can be found in the Membership page (see menu on left). As well as providing a wide range of fishing tackle all of these shops also provide an excellent information and advice service with details of local fisheries, permits, catches and conditions available.
Help to support your local fishing tackle shops and the Trust by becoming a member. Details of how to join the Trust can be found in our membership page.
Snowdrop Sunday 24th Feb at Blairquhan, Straiton
Special garden opening at Blairquhan Castle in aid of Ayrshire Rivers Trust and Scottish Gardens Scheme charities. Come and see the snowdrops and enjoy walks alongside the River Girvan in a spectacular setting. Teas and cakes available in the Castle. Adult £6, concession £4, child £3 (free parking). Open 12-4pm. Many thanks to Pat Hunter Blair. For more information on the Castle including directions, see www.blairquhan.co.uk
Salmon leaping at the Linn, Blairquhan 2007
Riverfly workshop 9th March 2008
Sorry to say that the Riverfly Workshop is now fully subscribed. Due to the amount of interest generated the Trust may try and arrange a further workshop later in the year.
News - Jan 2008
Riverfly workshop 9th March 2008
Can you tell the difference between a shrimp and a caddis, or a large dark olive from a yellow may dun? If you would like to find out more about the underwater life in our rivers or hone your identification skills then you may be interested in a Riverfly Workshop being held by the Trust at Dailly on the 9th March. Leading the event will be Craig Macadam (http://www.ephemeroptera.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/), Scotland's foremost expert on aquatic invertebrates. The workshop will consist of presentations on the different groups of invertebrates likely to be found in our local rivers, sampling techniques and equipment, followed by field trips to some of the local rivers and burns where identification skills can be put into practice.
Dailly, on the River Girvan is an ideal location as there are also several burns nearby with a range of water quality characteristics. The day will allow those attending the opportunity to see for themselves how sensitive invertebrate populations are to changes in water quality and why they are used as a monitoring tool to assess pollution levels. March is the ideal time of year as populations are at their most diverse prior to the main hatching period for riverflies.
The day is likely to appeal to anglers, naturalists or those just interested in what is going on under the surface. Numbers will be limited so if you would like to attend please contact the Trust on info@ayrshireriverstrust.org, or 01292 525142.
The Trust is grateful to the Scottish Community Foundation and South Ayrshire Council for funding the day as part of the Trust's enhancement project for the Girvan.
Christmas Raffle Draw Winners
