A CAPSULE HISTORY OF THE WEST COAST FISHERIES TRUSTS

Rivers of West Coast Scotland have long been regarded for offering some of the most exciting sea trout and salmon fishing anywhere in the world. During the 1980s however, dramatic declines in returning Atlantic salmon suggested that, despite a steady decline over the whole of their range, the steepness of the downward curve in West Coast stocks pointed to additional limiting factors.

In the 1980s, acidification of the streams and lochs of Galloway, in conjunction with widespread coniferous afforestation, was identified as the major problem for West Coast fisheries. As a result, the first fisheries trust, West Galloway (now the Galloway Fisheries Trust), formed in 1989 to take up and research these issues, publicise problems encountered and, most importantly, come up with workable practical solutions.

By the early 1990s, dwindling numbers of salmon and sea trout elsewhere in the Western Highlands had become so serious that the West Highland Sea Trout and Salmon Group recommended establishment of five more fishery trusts. These trusts were tasked with a remit to examine all possible factors involved with the decline of migratory fish, building on the success of the West Galloway Fisheries Trust. With new trusts extending from Argyll to Sutherland and west to the Outer Hebrides, wild fisheries entered an exciting new era, prior to which the hard facts necessary for innovative fisheries management were patchy at best.

Robust Research & Common Sense
Some areas have specific and overriding threats to fish health. Certain threats—greater in one quarter than another—are common to all fish species. Consequently the need for locally derived information, underpinned by scientifically robust research and common sense, led to formation of fisheries trusts on the Clyde and Ayrshire rivers. Finally, in 2001 the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust was created to safeguard the status of fish stocks within the new Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Parks. Now a web of fisheries trusts encompasses the whole of the West Coast of Scotland.

To gain a true picture of the health of the fisheries across the West Coast, the work of the trusts looks at all species of fish, their habitats and interactions with one another. This holistic approach to fisheries management, along with the restoration and educational roles of the trusts, helps to safeguard and support both fish and the rural economies that depend upon them.

The Association of West Coast Fisheries Trusts was established in 1999 to assist its members with fundraising, training, and to provide a forum for discussion and information flow. The AWCFT also represents the collective views of its members to government, its agencies and other groups. This auction is the first public appeal posed by the AWCFT, with the aim to support the core work of its nine member trusts:

Argyll Fisheries Trust
Ayrshire Rivers Trust
Galloway Fisheries Trust
Lochaber & District Fisheries Trust
Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust
River Clyde Foundation
Western Isles Fisheries Trust
Wester Ross Fisheries Trust
West Sutherland Fisheries Trust

WHY WE NEED FISHERIES TRUSTS

There is no single cure for the problems affecting fish stocks across the West Coast of Scotland, as problems and solutions differ from area to area. Even as there will always be factors beyond the scope of the local fishery manager—such as global warming or changing ocean currents—other aspects that can be managed require informed answers to such questions as what currently limits fish numbers on a catchment by catchment basis.

Each of the fisheries trusts is locally accountable, with memberships including fishery managers / owners, anglers, volunteers, government bodies, industry and local councils. Each employs a biologist who is tasked with identifying underlying problems within distinct catchments, and working with relevant partners to devise sustainable and practical solutions.

Of course not all problems can be fixed quickly; a long-term view and real perseverance is required. The trusts provide focus and unity during the often delicate negotiations between wild fishery interests and industry–whether discussing a plan to set up area management agreements with fish farmers or the re-structuring of conifer plantations.

This work draws other land and water users together; provides information to the local community and informs government and its agencies. Fisheries trusts are unique in their ability to deliver the sound, impartial advice essential to securing the sustainability of fish stocks and the rural communities that depend on them, allowing future generations to enjoy the great legacy of wild fish in Scotland.