Consultancy

The staff at GFT provide an important service to other organisations due to our specialised expertise and experience. We regularly provide expert advice on silt control measures, culvert design, complete specialised surveys and perform fish rescues.

Whether it is wind farms, hydroelectric schemes or solar power initiatives, renewable energy developments are becoming more prevalent.

GFT staff are experienced in delivering a range of surveys and monitoring programmes to assess potential impacts and to design suitable mitigation measures associated with constructing and running of renewable energy schemes. GFT undertakes surveys for many fish species to inform and monitor these schemes. GFT staff are considered expert on the possible impacts of wind farm developments on surrounding fish and aquatic invertebrate populations and are regularly approached for advice on these issues. There are numerous ways in which fish can be impacted by renewable energy developments and as such there is a requirement to assess these impacts by performing surveys pre-construction, during construction and post construction.

GFT has provided input and/or completed relevant surveys on a number of wind farm developments, including over 50 in Dumfries and Galloway.

GFT are able to offer a wide range of consultancy services including:

• Freshwater pearl mussel surveys
• Electrofishing surveys
• Fish rescues       
• Fish barrier assessments (to SEPA methodology WFD111 (2a))
• Juvenile lamprey surveys
• Instream and riparian habitat surveys
• Silt impact assessments
• Water quality monitoring (including pH)
• Aquatic invertebrate surveys
• Netting surveys (seine, fyke and gill nets)
• Invasive non-native plant surveys and control
• Crayfish surveys
• Project design and management

GFT staff are qualified to deliver the surveys listed above, are CSCS card qualified, possess suitable PPE and are experienced in working on construction sites to strict risk assessment procedures.

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