Fish Legal – Angling Trust

The Committee are very pleased to advise that the club have joined Fish Legal, please look at the above mentioned link for more information regarding this organisation.

An extract from the Angling Trust Website.

“Welcome to the Angling Trust’s web site. We are a unique, non-profit making organisation that fights pollution and other damage to the water environment throughout the UK. Water pollution kills hundreds of thousands of fish each year, leaving a huge impact on aquatic wildlife and local economies, not to mention the enjoyment of all kinds of anglers. In addition, rivers and stillwaters face other threats such as water abstraction, escaped farmed fish, weirs and flood defence works. The Angling Trust aims to stop this damage happening and fights for compensation for our members when it does.

We are usually fighting around 60 legal cases on behalf of our members at any one time. We make polluters pay hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation every year and secure injunctions to stop further damage.”

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

At the beginning of June 2008 there was a diesel spillage into the Brox burn. At the time the Club Chairman was involved liaising with the SEPA officer responsible for investigating the spill. The Club awaits details from SEPA as to the exact cause of the incident and news on whether any further action will be taken.

As for the river, there appears to be no long term damage to either the fish or the invertebrates in the main river. Some of the diesel was trapped within the sediments in the river but with all the high water in July and August it is likely much of this has now been washed out.

On the 16th September 2009 the Club Secretary and Treasurer attended an Electro-fishing Day with SEPA at 3 sites on the River Almond between The Cramond Brig and Kirkliston. This was the first time that SEPA have found salmon in the Almond and the first time since 1985 that salmon have appeared in Electro-fishing results. The sampling included many bullheads, one Stone Loach, eight Salmon parr and several juvenile trout, scale samples were taken and hopefully we’ll be sent the results.

The Club continues to work closely with SEPA and in February 2010 SEPA have kindly agreed to host a Kick Sampling awareness session on the River.  Take up has been excellent and hopefully out the back of this we will be able to extend our monthly kick sample sites.  SEPA have also provided some excellent feedback with regards to the River Almond Management Plan.

If you do see signs of pollution then please report it to SEPA on 0800 807060 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.