The Trust is governed by a Board of 12 Directors and a Company Secretary representing a wide range of interests and professions, including anglers, land managers, legal professionals, business, conservation and tourism.
GFT Directors (updated June 2026):
Mr R J Bellamy (Vice-chair)
Mr M O Davies (Chair)
Mr J M Haley
Mr M G R Hannay
Mr J P H Ingall
Mr M Emkes
Dr Mary Ann Smyth
Mrs M A H Nicholson
Mr C Morton
Earl of Stair
Lord Vaux of Harrowden
Mr W G Marshall
G Moore (Company Secretary)
The Trust employees have a wide range of skills and expertise to ensure we can effectively deliver our objectives. Additional field surveyors are employed to help during most summers. Trust staff and Directors sit on various boards and steering groups to assist in delivering our aims and objectives including the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre, Loch Ken Trust, Fisheries Management Scotland, Local Advisory Group, South Scotland Conservancy Regional Stakeholder Group and the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Delivery Group.
The Galloway Fisheries Trust changed its name to Galloway Rivers Trust in June 2026 to reflect the organisation's broader role in protecting and improving local rivers and freshwater environments. While fisheries remains an important part of our activities, the Trust works across river catchments, including habitat restoration, water quality, education, invasive species control and community engagement.
GFT is a Fair Work Employer.
Each spring a fyke net is secured over the inflow to Torhouse Trout Farm which catches any smolts entering from the main stem.
3-spined sticklebacks have been introduced to Buittle Reservoir following the eradication of signal crayfish using poison
A paper just published in the leading peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology looks at the current numbers and genetic diversity of Brown trout populations in Southwest Scotland.