The aim of Galloway Fisheries Trust is to restore and maintain aquatic biodiversity, particularly native fish, in Galloway by means of practical, responsible and sustainable approaches to land, water and fishery management, based on sound science, for the benefit of the community as a whole.
Galloway Fisheries Trust is an environmental charity which was set up in 1988 by four local District Salmon Fishery Boards in the South West of Scotland with common problems and aims.
Since then the Trust has expanded and now encompasses a wide range of work which covers most of Dumfries and Galloway's rivers and still waters including the Border Esk.
The core river catchments on which we carry out the majority of our work are: the River Luce, River Bladnoch, River Cree, Water of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire Dee, River Urr, Water of App, Piltanton Burn and the Border Esk.
The aims of our remit are met by undertaking practical works, education initiatives, focussed research projects and delivering key services to member waters and the wider community. Evidence based management underpins this work program. Since 2019 GFT has been completing work on the Annan catchment and providing scientific advice to the Annan DSFB.
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.
We would like to introduce the new Saving the Sparling intern who started on Monday the 17th December. Courtney Rowland will be working for the next 5 months on delivering phase 2 of the Saving the Sparling Project.