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Future Newsletter topics
Salmon genetics
Obstructions to migration
Alien species
Water Framework Directive
2009 Conservation policy
Future Newsletter topics.
This Newsletter is intended to keep
anglers and other stakeholders up to date
with the activities of the Cromarty Firth
Fishery Board and Fishery Trust as they
work together to support the freshwater
environment and fisheries of the
Cromarty Firth region.
We would welcome requests for future
Newsletter items and topics, so if you
would like to know more about any
aspect of fishery research and
management in the region please email
requests to cromartyfish@aol.com .
rivers were so unlike in the character of
their courses and their waters’. These
enlightened proprietors recognised that
the diversity of both our rivers and the
fish that live in them is one of the
greatest strengths of Scottish fisheries.
The preservation of this diversity is
essential to the future of our fishing.
Recent advances in genetic analysis have
shown salmon populations to be
structured on a fine scale within rivers,
not only are there genetic differences
between salmon from neighbouring
catchments but also between salmon
populations within a single river –
factors such as waterfalls and the
confluence of tributaries can act as
genetic watersheds. Work is now
underway to map the distribution of
salmon populations in Scotland. We are
working with the Rivers and Fisheries
Trusts Scotland and Scottish
Government to map salmon populations
within the Cromarty Firth Rivers.
It has long been recognised by anglers
that salmon differ, both in terms of
appearance and behaviour, between
various rivers and geographical regions.
The first tissue samples were taken from
seven juvenile salmon populations in the
Conon and Alness systems this summer.
Over the next few years more than
twenty populations will be sampled and
analysed at the Fisheries Research
Services Laboratory.
Even as far back as 1913 the Conon
proprietors objected to the proposed
stocking of the river with eggs from the
Tweed on the grounds that ‘the two
The primary benefit offered by a clearer
understanding of the way in which
salmon populations are structured and
interact with their environment, is that it
Salmon Genetics Research
should ensure better informed
management practices and the
development of more effective
conservation policies. For example, it
should allow an assessment of which
populations within a mixed stock fishery
are being most heavily exploited and
thus establish what level of exploitation
– if any - can be deemed sustainable.
Genetic information will also help to
assess the effectiveness of existing
hatchery operations and refine the use of
stocking. Knowledge of the geographical
location of nursery habitats will allow
expensive habitat restoration projects to
be targeted at the precise areas where
they should give the greatest benefit.
This work will not provide fisheries
managers with all the information they
need overnight, but it will be an
important step in developing an
understanding of how salmon
populations are distributed and how they
interact with a rapidly changing
environment.
Obstructions to migration
Ensuring access to and from spawning
and nursery habitat is the most effective
means of maintaining healthy
populations of migratory fish.
Several projects are underway in the
Cromarty Firth region at present to
improve fish passage at obstructions.
The Cromarty Firth Fishery Trust
commissioned an engineering survey to
design improvements to a fish pass on
the Upper Meig. These improvements
would ensure access to large areas of
excellent nursery habitat. The design
work has been completed and the Trust
is raising funds to carry out the fish pass
improvements.
Funding has been granted from the
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
to support the production of engineering
designs to ease passage at three
obstructions on the Balnagown and an
obstruction on a tributary of the Alness.
Weir on the Balnagown
Obstructions caused by the build up of
forestry debris were mapped this
summer during the Alien Plant Survey.
Fishery Board staff and volunteers from
the British Trust for Conservation
Volunteers cleared the most significant
of these from a sea trout spawning
tributary of the Lower Conon.
Alien Species
The health of our river systems is under
threat from a number of alien species.
This year with funding from the Esme
Fairbairn Trust, Scottish Natural
Heritage and Fisheries Research
Services work has started to map and
control alien invaders.
Working with neighbouring Fishery
Trusts, Scottish Natural Heritage and
Oxford University the distribution of
American mink has been established in
the North of Scotland. Fishery managers
and ghillies collected records of mink
sightings and set mink rafts and traps to
map mink distribution.
A coordinated trapping campaign
involving Fishery Boards, Trusts and
ghillies is planned for 2009.
It is intended to stop the expansion of
mink to the north of the Cromarty Firth
and to control mink in the area south of
the current edge of distribution.
This summer the distribution of species
such as Himalayan balsam,
Rhododendron, Japanese knotweed and
giant hogweed was mapped along the
banks of the Regions Rivers. The
upstream extent of each species is now
known and this information is being
used to coordinate riverbank restoration.
Volunteers from the British Trust for
Conservation Volunteers worked for
more than 200 man days this summer
clearing Himalayan balsam from its
source on a ditch running into the Orrin
down to Conon Bridge. Over the winter
bailiffs, volunteers and estate staff will
begin the clearance of rhododendron
from the Orrin.
More work will be carried out this year
to inform anglers and other water users
of the risk of Gyrodactylus introduction.
New laminated signs have been
produced to be posted at key access
points to rivers.
Water Framework Directive
Himalayan balsam
Several invasive alien plant species out
compete native species along our
riverbanks, leading to overshading, a
loss of productivity and increased
erosion of banks.
The Water Framework Directive process
in Scotland has now reached an
important phase with the production of
draft Plans for Scotland and North
Highland Region. This legislation will
influence and regulate activities which
impact on fisheries much more
rigorously than has been the case in the
past. The draft Plans are available for a
six month consultation period and can be
downloaded from;
http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_pl
anning.aspx
The Cromarty Firth Board has been
actively involved in this process for the
last two years and will continue to
represent fishery interests at the North
Highland Area Advisory Group.
MULTI-SEA WINTER SALMON
UP TO 30TH JUNE
As in previous years anglers are requested to release, if possible, the FIRST spring salmon they catch.
They may, if they wish, kill the second, but thereafter all salmon caught should be released.
AFTER 30TH JUNE
All salmon over 30” / 75cm long (about 10 lbs) should be released.
GRILSE
The Board is recommending that only two grilse per angler per week may be killed. All other fish should
be returned to the river.
SEA TROUT
Sea Trout of over 1 1/2lbs are particularly valuable and no more than two / angler / week should be
retained.
GENERAL

All coloured fish should be released

Please use barbless hooks

When releasing fish, try to keep the fish in the water at all times and use knotless mesh landing nets
FIN CLIPPED FISH
If an angler catches a fish that has had the adipose fin removed, please retain it and inform Simon
McKelvey (01997 433405 or 07887 845648). These fish will have been either micro-tagged or PIT tagged
and the information contained in these tags is important to the operation of our stocking programme. The
angler keeps the fish, will be given a £5 reward and, in due course, the life history of the fish.
GYRODACTYLUS
Proprietors or their appointed nominees are being urged to ensure that anglers fishing their waters have
completed and signed a declaration regarding sterilizing fishing equipment.
Equipment can be sterilized by using one of the following precautions:

Dry equipment at a minimum of 20 degrees C for at least 2 days.

Heat for at least 1 hour at a temperature of over 60 degrees C.

Deep freeze for at least 1 day.

Immerse in a solution suitable for killing Gs for a minimum of 10 minutes. Suitable solutions
include; Virkon(1%), Wescodyne (1%), sodium chloride (3%) and sodium hydroxide (0.2%).