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.
GRT 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.
GRT is a Fair Work Employer.
Each spring the GFT organises an afternoon of presentations covering our work over the previous year. The attendees are usually various funders, supporting organisations, key stakeholders and interested parties.
During the summer this year, we undertook a project (commissioned by Scottish Power) examining why in some years at Tongland fish pass there are a larger number of returning adult Atlantic salmon which are heavily infected with Saprolegnia fungus, in comparison to other years.
A summary of the 2018 timed electrofishing surveys for the Urr are provided. These surveys target salmon fry and provide information on annual fluctuations and distribution across 12 sites spread over the catchment.