ART Strategic Plan 2005-2009

1. Introduction

The Ayrshire Rivers Trust (ART) is a charitable organisation, based within the Auchincruive Campus of the Scottish Agricultural College in Ayr. ART was formed in the year 2000, and aims to reverse the significant decline in local freshwater fish stocks through improved scientific management and long-term restoration of our local rivers. The immediate goal of the Trust was to raise sufficient funds to employ a full time biologist to begin the work. This was duly carried out, and the Trust's first biologist began work in February 2002. Since then, it has become clear to the Trust that there are many opportunities to enhance the environment in and around our rivers, both to improve fish stocks, and also to bring wider biodiversity benefits.

Given the wide range of problems which affect the local freshwater environment, and the long-term nature of many solutions, the Trust realises that long-term strategic planning is needed to maximise the benefits of its work, and to ensure that projects remains focused and successful. This document presents the conclusions of the Trust's first strategic review, and covers the period 2005-2009. The strategic plan described here will be used to set priorities and detailed action plans for the Trust over this period.

The purpose of the document is to:

• Describe the local freshwater environment in context
• Describe the work carried out by ART to date
• Set out the Trust's aims and objectives
• Identify key priority areas and provide a programme for action
• Describe the working principles and partnership approach to be taken
• Provide a framework for monitoring output and maximising benefit from
  limited resources

2. Ayrshire Rivers in Context

The geographical area of ART activity covers the catchments of those rivers in Ayrshire which flow to the Clyde coast. These include the Stinchar, Girvan, Doon, Ayr, Irvine and Garnock rivers, along with several smaller watercourses. Our area is bounded to the north and west by the Clyde catchment, and to the south by the Solway rivers of the Luce, Bladnoch, Cree, Dee and Nith. The Trust has also been asked to consider possible expansion in the future to carry out work on the islands off the Clyde coast, particularly Arran. However, at present this is not part of the Trust's core area and any expansion will be dependent on increasing the Trust's resources. The Trust's remit is to be concerned with all naturally occurring species of freshwater fish in these catchments. The Trust therefore has distinctly different but complementary aims to the district salmon fishery boards which are present on most of the rivers, and the Trust maintains a close working relationship with the boards. Both standing water and rivers are included in the Trust's remit, as are riparian zones, estuary areas and any other habitats which have the potential to affect the freshwater environment.
Compared to most rivers in western Scotland, Ayrshire's rivers are of moderate size. They have a very varied character, and are subjected to a wide range of pressures. While they often drain nutrient rich soils and are therefore highly productive, the headwaters of the southern rivers running from the Galloway hills are of a more upland and nutrient poor character. Land use in Ayrshire is quite different to most other parts of the west coast of Scotland, with a relatively large human population in some of the catchments. This has resulted in the rivers being heavily affected in parts by historical and existing industry, often associated with coal mining and mill weirs. Intensive livestock farming, particularly for dairy production, is a feature in all of the catchments and forestry is also a major land use in the upper parts of most catchments.		The main rivers presently covered by ART are shown above. From North to South, the six catchments outlined are: the River Garnock the River Irvine the River Ayr the River Doon the Water of Girvan the River Stinchar. There are also several smaller watercourses, including the Gogo Water and Noddsdale Burn in North Ayrshire, the Pow Burn between the Ayr and the Irvine and the Water of Lendal in South Ayrshire.

All of the major rivers in Ayrshire support recreational fisheries for salmon, sea trout and brown trout. Most standing waters throughout Ayrshire are also used for angling, usually as stocked rainbow trout fisheries. Some coarse angling also exists, although this is generally less popular. In general, where catch records of migratory fish are kept these have shown a decline in total salmon catch since the 1960's. This is largely due to a reduction in net catches, and rod catches in the rivers have actually remained relatively constant. However, a severe and worrying reduction in sea trout catch is evident in all rivers, to the extent that sea trout are now only rarely encountered in Ayrshire. There is also a perception that brown trout angling has declined in many rivers, and supplementary stocking with farmed brown trout is now a common practice.

3. Work carried out to date

The Stinchar District Salmon Fishery Board was the first board in Ayrshire to begin detailed surveys of freshwater fish stocks, having requested the Galloway Fisheries Trust to carry out a detailed electrofishing survey in 1990. Annual monitoring of stocks in the Stinchar catchment has continued ever since. The Galloway Fisheries Trust has also carried out annual monitoring of freshwater fish in the River Doon catchment since 1994 and in the Water of Girvan since 1996. The Ayrshire Rivers Trust took over responsibility for annual monitoring on these three rivers in 2002, and surveyed some 125 sites in 2003 and 2004. ART aims to continue with this work on an annual basis, both to provide data on long-term trends in fish abundance, and also to address specific issues which arise each year, such as fish access over obstacles, the impact of new developments and the success of stocking and habitat improvement programmes. The Ayrshire Rivers Trust carried out the first detailed assessment of freshwater fish stocks in the River Ayr catchment in summer 2002. This was extended in 2003 to include some additional tributaries, and cover all of the significant watercourses in the catchment. The Trust now intends to use this data as the basis for detailed long-term monitoring in the catchment. The work carried out by ART in summer 2003 also provided the first detailed fish survey data from the Irvine and Garnock catchments. This survey will be extended in the future, to cover additional tributaries and in time will also form the basis of an annual survey programme. ART has also been involved in a national survey of lamprey species in Scotland, which provided important information on the distribution and abundance of these poorly understood and endangered species. Lamprey numbers were assessed in the Irvine, Doon and Girvan in 2003, and the survey is due to be extended to include the River Ayr in 2004.
		ART carries out annual surveys of freshwater fish populations throughout Ayrshire to investigate changes in species distribution and abundance.

Biological surveys of freshwater fish stocks have been augmented by detailed assessments of river habitat quality on several of the rivers in Ayrshire. The first surveys were carried out by the Galloway Fisheries Trust on the Doon and Stinchar catchments. This latter survey was expanded and updated by ART in summer 2003 using a more detailed method, which followed new national guidelines.

ART has also carried out a full survey of habitat quality throughout the Girvan catchment in 2002, and the main parts of the Irvine catchment in 2003 and 2004. A major project examining habitat throughout the Ayr catchment is currently underway, and is due for completion by the end of 2004. These habitat surveys are essential in understanding some of the root causes behind the decline of local fish stocks, and identifying the most effective way to address these problems at a catchment wide scale. The Trust therefore considers it a high priority to collect data on the Ayr and Garnock catchments, and complete the survey of the Irvine catchment. Surveys on the other rivers have been vital in providing a blueprint for habitat restoration programmes, which have been carried out for several years on the Stinchar, Girvan and Doon. These projects are guided by the findings in the habitat and electrofishing surveys and aim to restore areas where habitat has been altered or degraded to the detriment of fish and other wildlife. The Trust has also been active in a variety of education projects over the last three years, and has grown to be a respected local source of best-practice advice. ART will continue to help a wide range of stakeholders, such as farming groups, angling clubs and riparian owners to better protect local river habitats. ART also places great importance in educating the next generation, and has successfully run a "Salmon in the classroom" project in several local primary schools on an annual basis.
		ART staff are involved in educating the wider community in the importance of their local rivers, from primary school projects to best-practice seminars and information days.

4. The Trust's Mission, Aims and Objectives

Mission Statement

To preserve a valuable part of our natural heritage for the enjoyment of current and future generations, through the conservation, enhancement and development of our freshwater habitats and the fisheries they support.

Strategic Aims

1. To help conserve and protect the freshwater and riparian habitats used by naturally occurring fish species in Ayrshire.

2. To improve sustainable fisheries management by promoting and undertaking scientific research.

3. To raise public awareness of conservation issues.

Operational Objectives

• To raise finance and provide the expertise needed for the implementation of fishery management initiatives.
• To undertake the environmental research necessary for sustainable fisheries management and communicate this to appropriate stakeholders.
• To assess, initiate, and manage the restoration of degraded aquatic and riparian habitats.
• To promote awareness through education of the importance of our rivers and fisheries and the need to conserve and preserve this valuable local asset.
• To establish strong links with local and national organisations with interests in aquatic conservation and fisheries management, and in sharing of data, knowledge and experience, all in pursuit of the Trust's aims and objectives.
• To provide an authoritative voice in Ayrshire to champion the conservation of our rivers and fisheries.

5. Programme for Action

The key to progressing each objective is the collection and provision of high-quality data on the ecological status of the fish stocks and aquatic environment in each river catchment (Phase 1 in the diagram below). Upon achieving an adequate working knowledge of the freshwater systems, the emphasis of the Trust's work will move towards actions to alleviate pressures and protect aquatic habitats. (Prescription - Phase 2). Finally, Management (Phase 3) can only realistically proceed with an adequate knowledge of the stocks of fish and some historical context for their current status.

	Phase 1		Phase 2		Phase 3
	Data Collection Establish current status of fishery Current status: Number of stocks  Juvenile populations Adult populations Environment Exploitation: Current angling trends Historic angling trends	è	Prescription Actions guided by Phase 1 e.g. Habitat restoration Stock protection Stock enhancement Appropriate fishery development. Regulation. Education programmes	è	Management Appropriate control of fishery implementing objectives 1, 2, 3 e.g. Sustainable exploitation of environment Stakeholder satisfaction Anticipate difficulties and prompt appropriate actions Education
	é		é		é
	Establish Monitoring		Monitoring		Monitoring

At present, different levels of information exist for each river, so the appropriate work needed to fulfil these aims differs throughout the Trust area. However, the information needed to complete Phase 1 is not fully available for any river at present. Most of the Trust's work over the period 2005-2009 will therefore involve collecting the necessary information on the current status of the aquatic environments and fisheries resource in each river catchment. This data will be collected in a manner compatible with other environmental bodies to gain maximum effect, and will be collated, analysed and stored by the Ayrshire Rivers Trust.

Ongoing monitoring of change in fish stocks and their environment is crucial to guide and assess future management. Establishing an adequate monitoring network on all rivers will provide a sounder historical context for the outcome of any future actions aiming to sustain or enhance the aquatic environment and the fish stocks it supports.

The Trust will use the information collected in Phase 1 to develop fisheries management plans for each river. The Trust will liaise with other organisations during the preparation of these plans to ensure that, wherever possible, these will be designed to complement existing initiatives. These plans will set out necessary Phase 2 prescription actions which, when completed, will form the basis of the Trust's priority actions and work schedule on each river. Such actions will be prioritised on the basis of their capital costs and the likely long-term sustainable benefits. When making this judgement, the Trust will consider the needs of fish within the wider context of the freshwater environment in general. The Trust will therefore only engage in appropriate, environmentally sustainable fisheries management, and will not promote actions such as the introduction of non-native species.

While this process is the ideal model for progress on each river, it is recognised that in some cases the need for restoration is obvious and pressing, and collecting some of the necessary data may be a lengthy task, which will not be easily achieved in the short or medium term. In these cases, the Trust recognises that practical restoration work should be brought forward, and will work opportunistically to achieve this. Some of the highest priority prescriptive action will therefore inevitably take place prior to the full completion of Phase 1 surveying.

The Trust will also fulfil its aims by promoting fish conservation and the aquatic environment in general throughout all three phases of work. This will be achieved by carrying out specific educational projects and also by communicating best practice advice. In addition to this, data from ART projects may be made available to stakeholders to aid in decision making and planning, and the Trust will offer advice and input into relevant planning decisions and consultations.

6. Targets

The objectives have been used to develop a series of fisheries management targets, which will be applied to each catchment in Ayrshire. These targets have been developed from an analysis of existing data and a review of existing management systems. Each statement describes an important requirement for management of aquatic resources in each catchment. The list below sets out targets in approximate order of priority, although detailed priorities for each catchment will be set out in the Action Plan, and will be subject to review on a regular basis. This will ensure that the Trust is equipped to deal pro-actively to new situations as they arise in each area.

Progress towards each target will be made by undertaking project work, which will be designed to address specific questions within each category and will be set out in a 5-year Action Plan for the Trust. Reporting from the results of project work will provide tangible outputs for the Trust, with annual collation acting as an indicator of progress.

Catchment specific targets
Target	Description	Phase
1	Survey and monitor the spatial and temporal distribution of freshwater fish species	1
2	Evaluate the quantity and quality of in-stream and riparian habitats for fish and assess the effect of impacts at different geographic scales across each catchment.	1
3	Compile a database on fisheries data	1
4	Investigate adult salmonid stocks	1
5	Assess annual recruitment of salmon and sea trout smolts	1
6	Investigate the ecology of the marine phase of migratory fish	1
7	Initiate and manage restoration and improvement projects, particularly at the whole-catchment scale, in collaboration with other stakeholder groups where appropriate	2
8	Create fisheries management plan	2
9	Implement standard system to collect angling statistics and estimate exploitation rates	2

In addition to fisheries management targets for each river catchment, the Trust has also produced more general targets, which will be applied throughout the Trust area. Progress towards these will take place concurrently with the specific management and research actions for each catchment.

General targets
Target	Description
1	Identify long term financial strategy for ART
2	Identify long term resource management strategy for ART
3	Educational programme to raise awareness of freshwater fish and their habitats
4	Conduct progress reports and disseminate information to stakeholders and public
5	Provide advice on best practice and respond to relevant planning consultations
6	Conduct economic survey of angling in Ayrshire
7	Provide increased public access to local fisheries information

7. Operating Principles

In order to ensure that the strategy for sustainable management of fish stocks and aquatic habitats can be implemented effectively, it is essential that the governing principle of primacy of interest be recognised and wholeheartedly adopted by the Trust. The Trust will be the only organisation which has as its sole interest the collective welfare of all river catchments across Ayrshire.

In exercising this principle the Trust will need to embrace a wide range of conservation and development functions, which will include direct and indirect provision for research, advisory services, guidance, species diversification and skills development. The Trusts guiding responsibility will be to champion the cause for the environmental well-being of Ayrshire's natural watercourses.

In assuming this responsibility, the Trust will act to achieve its Strategic aspirations through the adoption of appropriate roles; some actions will be wholly initiated and delivered by direct action while others may involve delegating, facilitating, influencing and supporting others.

The following principles will guide the implementation of this Strategy and will inform the development of co-operative and collaborative programmes with private, public and voluntary partners.

(i) Partnership

The Trust has limited resources at its disposal to address the wide range of ecological and environmental issues facing the Ayrshire watercourses and associated aquatic species. It will therefore be necessary to mobilise a network of organisations with similar objectives to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Equally, the Trust recognises the important role that it has in external initiatives such as the Ayrshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan, the Water Framework Directive and Local Plans. The Trust will work to maximise this role, and ensure that its own objectives and programmes are complementary to and integrated with the roles and projects of other organisations operating in Ayrshire.

(ii) Maximisation of Resources

The Trust will endeavour to attract the maximum level of additional funding from public, private and voluntary sources.

(iii) Independence

The Trust will operate in an independent manner, and will always be guided by the aims and objectives of this strategy. These will remain the primary factors in determining the Trust's programme of research and development and in deciding when to intervene in environmental issues.

(iv) Policy Control

The Trust will champion local determination of environmental management decisions and policy formulation through the adoption of a leading and influencing role in local, national and European platforms.

8. Resources

Successful implementation of the strategy will not only be dependent upon the coordination of effort amongst Trust supporters and a high degree of co-operation with others, but will also require the allocation of adequate resources.

Such resources will be targeted to achieve maximum impact and value. The Trusts own resources will also be applied, where appropriate, to maximise funding input from others.

Funding will be sought from the widest possible range of sources including Central Government, local government, the EU, other public/quasi-public funding bodies, affiliated associations/organisations and private sector sponsors. The Trust will also make efforts to secure core funding by operating a membership scheme and carrying out in-house fundraising activities. All fundraising will be coordinated through the development of a funding strategy.

9. Monitoring and Review

The outline structure monitoring and review process will have three parts:

• Annual Strategy Monitoring Report
• Individual Action Programme Reviews
• Three Year Strategy Review

The Annual Monitoring Report will draw upon information regarding the condition of Ayrshire watercourses as held by the Trust and other pertinent agencies. This process will enable fine-tuning of the implementation of the Strategy without altering any of the Trusts basic principles.

Action Programme Reviews will compare actual achievements with the pre-set measurable targets for each programme using the performance indicators set out in the Action Plan.

The full Three Year Strategy Review will evaluate the combined impacts of the entire range of activities against the appropriate strategic objectives. At this stage, any fundamental shortfalls in achievements should provoke corrective Strategic modifications.