Partners
Forth District Salmon Fishery Board
The Forth District Salmon Fishery Board was established under the 1862 and 1868 Salmon Fisheries Legislation, then subsequently amended in the Salmon Act 1986 and the Salmon Conservation (Scotland) Act 2001. This legislation has been recently amalgamated under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003. The Board is empowered under legislation to take such acts as it considers expedient for the protection, enhancement and conservation of stocks of Salmon and Sea Trout. It also has a duty to ensure the general protection and enhancements of the fishery.
River Forth Fisheries Trust
The River Forth Fisheries Trust are charged to advance for public benefit environmental protection and improvement by conserving and enhancing all species of freshwater fish and their environments primarily but not limited to the inland and coastal waters of the River Forth catchment including all waters which enter the Forth Estuary and Firth of Forth.
To advance the education of the public and any association, company, local authority, administrative or governmental agency or public body or representative body in: -
1. The understanding of aquatic ecosystems, including their fauna, flora and economic or social activity, and river catchment management.
2. The need for, and benefits of, protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of aquatic environments.
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.
