Skip to content

Workshop: Trout and Salmon Stocking in Wester Ross: is this the solution to our problems?

Posted: Wednesday 28 April, 2010 @ 14:13:24

One year old salmon parr stocked as fry into the Bruachaig River

In Wester Ross, stocking remains a complex and sometimes controversial issue. Following the very useful ASFB-RAFTS stocking seminar at Birnam on 5th May, we would like to review initiatives which are aimed at supporting sea trout and salmon fisheries and populations in Wester Ross including estate stocking programmes, the Bruachaig Restoration Project, the River Carron Restoration Project and other stocking programmes. In light of recent information about juvenile fish distributions, the survival of wild and stocked fish & recapture rates and from genetic studies (e.g. FASMOP, SALSEA), the workshop aims to update local guidance on the following:

  • When to stock or when not to stock?
  • What are the costs vs. benefits?
  • Best times to stock (and with what & how)?
  • Smolt ranching to supplement natural production?
  • What happens if you don’t stock?

The workshop will be held on Friday 28th May 2010 at Poolewe Village hall. The provisional programme is as follows:

 

10:00  Registration, tea and coffee

 

10:20  Welcome and Introduction 

10:30 Are rivers in Wester Ross producing as many juvenile fish as they should be? Peter Cunningham, WRFT

 

11:00   Stocking; taking account of genetic considerations in Wester Ross Mark Coulson, RAFTS FASMOP Programme

 

11:20  What do we know about brown trout genetics in Scotland? Dr Alastair Duguid, SEPA

 

11:40  The TWG Restoration Report / latest 'Official' Guidance  Speaker from Marine Scotland Science (to be confirmed)

 

Lunch

 

13:00   The River Conon Simon McKelvie, Cromarty Firth WRFT

 

13:30  The River Lochy Fisheries Support Programme Jon Gibb

 

14:00  The River Carron Fishery Restoration Programme Bob Kindness

 

14:30 Tea break

 

14:45 Stocking programmes in Wester Ross: workshop session

 

Donations of ~£5 are invited to cover cost of lunch.

 

Please contact Peter Cunningham or Peter Jarosz  info@wrft.org.uk if you would like to attend.