Lochaber F - RAFTS

Lochaber Fisheries Trust Ltd
Lochaber Fisheries Trust Ltd
Annual Annual Report Report 2010/11 2010/11

The Lochaber Fisheries Trust
Contents
Chairman’s Report 1
Understanding Sea Lice 2
The Lochaber Fisheries Trust is a charity dedicated to
improving and raising awareness of the fish populations and
freshwater habitats of Lochaber. Since our formation in 1996
we have worked with river owners, managers, anglers,
government agencies and others to ensure that the region’s
fresh waters are protected and managed sustainably.
Restocking the Strontian 4
Alien Invaders 5
The Shiel Catchment 7
Education and Outreach 9
Grigadale Fish Pass 11
Lundy Barrier Removal 12
Eel Survey 13
Accounts 14
Acknowledgements 16
Trust Directors: Viv de Fresnes (Chairman), Grace Henderson (Vice chairman), Sandy Grierson
(Treasurer), Barbara Collins (Company Secretary), Simon Boult, Donnie MacBeth.
Biologists: Diane Baum, Lucy Ballantyne
The Lochaber Fisheries Trust is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status.
Scottish Charity number: SC024490. Company registration number: 261988

Chairman’s Report
It has been another busy and productive year for the Lochaber Fisheries
Trust.
Understanding the impact of sea lice and the interactions between farm
salmon and wild fish remains a key priority for the Trust. In 2010 we have
been assisting Marine Scotland Science with their ambitious project
combining lice dispersion modelling, plankton trawls, smolt tracking and
sentinel cages, which will make Loch Linnhe the most intensively studied area
of Scotland for this issue. This will combine with the Trust’s ongoing
monitoring of lice levels on sea trout post-smolts. Though the TWG ended in
March 2011, this monitoring will continue through the Managing Interactions
Project. This project will also produce guidance on the sensitivity of areas for
aquaculture development for use by Council planners and look at genetic
introgression of farm fish genes into wild salmon populations.
The control of non-native invasive species is becoming an increasingly
important part of the Trust’s work. A three year project to control Japanese
knotweed on the River Lochy finished in 2010 and resulted in a significant
decline in the area affected. This year the Trust has organised the training
and equipping of volunteers to spray non-native species that will allow further
work on the River Lochy and other catchments throughout Lochaber. In
future years we hope to support and enhance mink control in Lochaber to
reduce the impact of this alien species on fish populations and wider
biodiversity.
The removal of artificial barriers to migration is a very practical means of
improving river habitats for fish. Last year the Trust completed two such
projects: installing a fish pass on the Grigadale Dam and removing two
barriers on the River Lundy. Both projects will open up significant areas of
potential spawning and juvenile fish habitat upstream of the old barriers.
Education and awareness raising continues to be a central part of the Trust’s
work. Our long-running ’Salmon in the Classroom’ project with local primary
schools continues to delight and inspire children. We have also worked with
Highland Council Rangers and the National Trust Scotland to give visitors the
opportunity to experience our fish fauna. In November we held our first
seminar on the status of salmon and sea trout in Lochaber. Expert speakers
were drawn from across Scotland to stimulate discussion on issues such as
aquaculture, hydro schemes and genetics. Attendance at the event was
excellent and all seemed to enjoy their day. Thanks to all involved.
Thanks to all the Directors who give of their time for the Trust, but mostly to
Dr Diane Baum and Lucy Ballantyne without whose hard work and
enthusiasm none of this work would be possible.
Viv de Fresnes
Chairman
Understanding Sea Lice
The LFT are involved in an ambitious project led by Marine Scotland Science to improve our
understanding of sea lice dynamics in Loch Linnhe and the impact they have on wild salmonids in the
area. The project began in 2010 and consists of two complimentary strands - lice dispersion modelling
and smolt tracking – in addition to the LFT’s ongoing lice monitoring of sea trout post smolts. Sea lice are
the greatest potential impact of fish farms on wild salmonids and through this project Loch Linnhe will
become one of the best studied areas in Scotland for the interactions between farms, lice and wild
salmonids.
Lice dispersion modelling
Each female louse can produce up to 4000 eggs,
which develop into plankton larvae. These
larvae have some ability to move through the
water column, but they are largely at the mercy
of currents and wind movement as they are
Plankton samples will be collected in 2011 to
validate the plankton dispersion model
spread through the water in search of a
salmonid host. Given their high concentration
of contained salmon, fish farms in Loch Linnhe
are predicted to be by far the greatest source of
lice in the loch. With sufficient knowledge of
water currents and wind movements, it is
possible to predict how planktonic lice would
disperse from fish farms and distribute
themselves around the loch. Similar work has
been carried out in Loch Shieldaig in Wester
Ross and suggested that certain areas of the
loch can become lice ‘hotspots’ where the
infection risk for salmonids would be particularly
high.
Using existing water current data collected by
SAMS, Marine Scotland Science have produced
the first version of a lice dispersion model for
Loch Linnhe. In 2011 the model will be validated
to ensure it accurately predicts lice distribution in
the loch. Plankton samples and sentinel cage work
will be used to validate the model. Lochaber
Fisheries Trust will be able to help in this process
by collecting the plankton samples. A robust lice
dispersion model will allow us to predict the
impact of existing farm sites and any future
aquaculture restructuring on lice densities and
distribution in Loch Linnhe.
Smolt tracking
The lice dispersion model will enable us to predict
where the highest planktonic lice densities are
found in Loch Linnhe, but without knowledge of
the route and speed of salmon and sea trout
smolt migration, it is impossible to predict their
risk of exposure to infective lice. Sadly smolts are
very difficult to track after they leave the river.
Their small size limits the tags that can be used
and consequently the distance over which they
can be detected. This study uses hydroacoustic
tags that are inserted into smolts and detected by
fixed receivers placed in Loch Eil and upper Loch
Linnhe as far south as the Corran Narrows.
Seine netting for smolts
1 2

Understanding Sea Lice
Restocking the Strontian
Screw traps were one method used to catch smolts for
tagging, the fish get channelled through the “drum into
a storage chamber at the back
In 2010 a total of 20 hatchery-reared salmon
smolts from the Lochy, ten wild salmon from the
Gionn Lighe and 40 wild sea trout from the Fionn
Lighe and Camas na Gaul were tagged. Their
movements in Loch Eil and upper Loch Linnhe
were tracked for the first couple of months at
sea. Sea trout showed a much greater tendency
to remain close to their natal river and there was
little movement between Loch Eil or Linnhe
during the tracking period. After a few days near
the river mouth, salmon smolts generally moved
quickly down the loch and through the Corran
Narrows. In spring 2011 50 wild salmon smolts
and 50 wild sea trout smolts will be tagged to
increase the sample size.
Sea trout lice monitoring
The LFT have been monitoring lice levels on sea
trout post-smolts since 1999. The results from
the 2010 sampling were in line with the biennial
pattern of lice abundance and prevalence seen
since the sampling began. A higher percentage of
fish carry lice and lice burdens are greater when
neighbouring farms are in their second year of their
production cycle. There has been a general
reduction in lice levels over the years we have been
sampling, but we still catch fish with lice burdens
that are above those known to cause stress and
mortality.
We hope the smolt tracking work will give us more
information about the movements of sea trout in
the Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe area so we can see
how far they range in their first few months at sea.
This coupled with the lice dispersion model will
allow us to assess where they are most likely to be
exposed to lice.
Until 2010 our post-smolt netting was funded by
the Tripartite Working Group. This has now been
Ovigerous louse clearly visible on a sea trout post-smolt. Earlier
life-stages were also found on the fins of this fish. This fish
had relatively few lice compared to some caught later in the
season.
disbanded and in 2011 lice monitoring will form
part of the Aquaculture Project set up by Marine
Scotland, RAFTS and six fisheries trusts on the west
coast. The LFT will continue to attend Area
Management Group meetings involving local
aquaculture and wild fish interests.
The salmon population on the Strontian River is virtually extinct. No salmon has been caught on
the river in five years and our electrofishing surveys have shown that juvenile densities are
perilously low. The LFT has been assisting the Strontian Community Company and Strontian
Angling Club as they work hard to restore their salmon population.
A review of the river published in 2007
suggested the freshwater habitat was in good
condition and able to sustain a salmon
population. Poor marine survival has depressed
many salmon populations on the west coast of
Scotland, but while some have shown signs of
improvement in recent years, it appeared that
the Strontian population had dropped so low
that total extinction was highly probable
without intervention. Stocking was felt to be
the only option, and rearing on parr from the
river the only means of obtaining native
broodstock.
Diane taking genetic samples and inserting PIT
tags into the future brood stock.
In August 2010 the LFT electrofished the river
and 32 parr were taken into the Strontian
hatchery. Parr were also taken from the
neighbouring Carnoch river to provide a wider
gene pool if necessary.
All the parr are individually marked using PIT tags
and adipose fin clips have been taken from them
for genetic analysis. Escaped farm fish have been
caught in the Strontian and we need to ensure no
farm-origin fish are used in the stocking
programme. Previous genetic analysis carried out
on Strontian parr suggested that they are very
different from other salmon in Lochaber, but it was
not possible to say for sure whether this was due to
farm fish influence or intense inbreeding. A new
genetic technique has recently been developed in
Norway specifically to distinguish between wild and
farm salmon. In 2011 the Strontian parr will be
tested using this technique.
Electrofishing for parr
For now the parr are thriving at the Strontian
hatchery thanks to the dedication of Pete Madden
and other members of the angling club. In the
future the information provided by the genetic
analysis will allow us to weed out any farm-origin
fish and plan a breeding strategy that maximises
genetic diversity in the next generation to be
stocked back into the river.
3 4

Alien Invaders
Alien Invaders
Non-native, invasive species are one of the greatest threats to wildlife across the globe and the rivers and
lochs of Lochaber are not immune to the damage they can cause. Alien plants are already established and
spreading in many of our catchments and if other potential invaders got a foothold, the results could be
devastating. The LFT have been working to both contain established non-natives and raise awareness
about the enemies at the gates.
Japanese and giant knotweed will be familiar to
anyone who has fished the Lochy or driven along
the A82 south of Fort William. Like so many nonnative
plants, it was first brought to Britain by
Victorian gardeners and soon hopped over the
garden fence and along river banks, railways and
road verges. This pernicious weed grows
incredibly quickly and can sprout from any small
fragments broken and washed downstream or
moved with soil. The most extensive stands in
Lochaber are around Fort William, but it is found
as far afield as Mallaig, Lochaline, Strontian,
Duror, Kinlochleven and even Loch Teacuis.
In 2010 the LFT organised a training course for
volunteers interested in controlling knotweed on
their rivers funded by a grant from the SEPA
Restoration Fund. Because knotweed spreads so
readily from fragments, cutting is liable to
exacerbate the problem. Treatment with
glyphosate (also known as roundup) is the only
effective means of control and all our volunteers
as well as Lucy and Diane now hold a City and
Guilds qualification for spraying herbicides close
to watercourses. These qualifications have
already been put to good use, though it may take
a number of years of dedicated effort to get on
top of the problem.
The effort and commitment required to eradicate
knotweed is illustrated by the work we have been
doing on the Lochy with the River Lochy
Association and funding from The Esmée Fairbairn
Foundation. Knotweed along the river has been
sprayed with herbicide repeatedly over three
years and we are finally starting to see the fruits
of this labour. The priority has been to rid the
upper river of knotweed to prevent it recolonising
areas downstream following floods. Monitoring
carried out by the LFT has shown that most stands
of knotweed in the upper catchment have been
Japanese knotweed before and after treatment. The knotweed
took three years of spraying to get to the “after”
stage. Treatment is most effective in July by which time the
plants are up to 3m high
drastically reduced in size or eliminated
completely. There are a few last remnants, but
these have been mapped and will be targeted in
the coming year. The ambitious aim for the future
is to replicate this success in the lower reaches of
the river where there are still large areas of
knotweed that need tackling.
It will take many years to eradicate knotweed on
the Lochy and clearly it would be much simpler if
the problem could be nipped in the bud and
treatment applied before the species can become
established and spread through a catchment. This
requires good information and the LFT is trying to
put together a comprehensive database of nonnative
invasive species in Lochaber. Early
detection is crucial, so if you know of any
knotweed, Himalayan balsam or giant knotweed
in the region, please let us know. We can also
provide more information about identifying nonnative
species and the best methods of controlling
them.
Himalayan Balsam growing along a watercourse
Lochaber is thankfully free of many species that
pose a serious threat to our freshwater habitats
and fish populations. However, we can’t afford to
be complacent since there is the risk of them
spreading and the impact of some invaders could
be catastrophic. Anglers may have seen signs
produced by the Association of Salmon Fishery
Boards warning of the danger of Gyrodactylus
salaris. This tiny parasite spread from the Balkans
to Norwegian rivers and caused the collapse of
many fish stocks and necessitated the poisoning
of entire rivers to eradicate it. Gyrodactylus is not
present in Scotland, but the risk is there and
government contingency plans are in place to
contain any invasion.
There is also intense interest in American signal
crayfish, which eat salmon eggs, compete with
parr and destabilise river banks. These are
present in Scotland and the closest populations to
us are in Argyll and Inverness-shire. For both
species the options for control are so drastic that
prevention is by far the best option. All water
users can play their part by ensuring their clothing
and equipment is disinfected or dried for many
days as they move between river catchments. The
LFT spray their equipment with the widelyavailable
disinfectant Virkon to ensure we don’t
spread anything in the course of our work.
NEWS FLASH!
Signal Crayfish have been found in
Ballachullish Quarry, the most northerly
recorded occurrence of this species on the west
coast. Initial findings suggest they are an
isolated population and so have almost
certainly been introduced to the site by humans.
The quarry has not been closed to the public but
signs have been erected reminding visitors of
the precautions to prevent the spread of
crayfish. It is important to remember that it is
illegal to catch or remove crayfish in Scotland
without a license.
We would be interested to hear from anyone
who thinks they have spotted crayfish
anywhere else in Lochaber. We are hoping they
will stay contained in Ballachullish Quarry
until an appropriate solution has been agreed
upon.
5 6

The Shiel Catchment
The Shiel is one of the largest river catchments in Lochaber. It is dominated by Loch Shiel, a deep,
nutrient-poor loch that supports excellent brown trout as well as sea trout and salmon fishing. The
main River Shiel is the focus for the salmon and sea trout fishery, but fish are also taken on the Polloch
River and Loch Doilet. In 2010 the LFT undertook a number of studies to improve our understanding
and help improve the Shiel catchment.
Electrofishing is a means of monitoring the health of salmon and trout
populations by recording the density of juveniles in rivers and burns. In 2010
we undertook a comprehensive survey of the major tributaries of Loch Shiel,
recording juvenile densities at 30 sites on 17 watercourses. Tributaries lower
down the catchment had the highest densities of fry and appeared to be the
most important for spawning, but overall juvenile salmon and trout densities
were only poor to fair across the catchment.
Salmon fry densities have been mapped, the larger the dot the higher the
density
1. Farmed salmon smolts are reared in open net cages at two
sites in Loch Shiel. We have been investigating the impact of
the cages near Glenfinnan on the wild trout population. Food
pellets and fish faeces are able to fall through the cages and
into the loch, potentially affecting the local food-web and
nutrient levels. Our work shows that wild trout are feeding
directly on pellets and appear to have faster growth rates than
trout in other parts of the loch. 1
2
2. Large trout have been seen
ascending the River Finnan at spawning
time for a number of years. We
snorkelled the river in October and
November to provide accurate counts of
the brown trout, sea trout and salmon.
The presence of large trout on what have
traditionally been salmon spawning
grounds could lead to problems of
competition, overcutting and hybrids. In
2010 we electrofished fry form the river
and these will be genetically analysed to
identify the proportion of trout-salmon
hybrids. In 2011 we hope to radiotrack
large trout up the river to get more
detailed information about when and
where they are spawning.
4. Though small, the numerous burns entering Loch
Shiel can provide valuable spawning habitat
particularly for sea trout.
In 2011 we carried out
habitat surveys on the lower reaches of burns entering
the southeast corner of Loch Shiel. Some of these
burns have been affected by forestry operations and we
are looking at possible measures to improve them with
Forestry Commission.
4
As part of our biosecurity work we
are trying to eradicate Japanese
Knotweed from the Shiel catchment.
It is currently only present in the
southeast corner of the Shiel.
3
4
3
3. The Rivers Hurich and Polloch form the most
important salmon nursery area in the Shiel
catchment. The area is heavily forested and past
studies have shown the water is more acidic than
most other rivers in Lochaber. Over many years the
LFT has been working with Forestry Commission
who own Glen Hurich to restructure the forestry for
the benefit of fish and the freshwater habitat.
Conifers close to the bank have been removed from
many sections of the river to reduce shading and
create a buffer zone of native, broadleaf trees. In
spring 2011 we revisited the river and updated the
habitat survey to allow new priorities for action to
be identified. This work will be written up in the
coming year and will guide future FC operations.
7 8

Education and Outreach
Education and Outreach
A major part of the LFT‟s remit is to educate the public about fish, freshwater environments and the
threats they face. This ranges from our structured schools project – “Salmon in the Classroom” - to informal
chats with interested members of the public on the riverbank. Providing information to river owners,
managers and anglers on current fisheries research and best-practice management techniques is an
important part of our work.
Salmon in the Classroom
Well, for many of the schools involved this year it
was actually Trout in the Classroom as Drimsallie
hatchery couldn’t provide us with salmon eggs this
year. Many thanks to both Delfour Hatchery who
very kindly provided us with trout eggs for 7 local
schools, and Torlundy Trout Fishery who let us
stock the young trout into one of their lochs.
Thanks also to Gordon at Loch Shiel Estate
hatchery and also Ardtornish estate for their
salmon eggs.
This project has
been running for
several years now,
and is very popular
with both pupils and
teachers alike! Each
year ten local
primary schools are
given a minihatchery
in which to
raise 100 salmonid
e g g s . T h e
responsibility for
keeping the eggs cool, dark and oxygenated, and
for removing any dead eggs is left with the
children. To generate some healthy competition, a
trophy is awarded to the school with the highest
survival rate. Most schools in Lochaber have been
involved in the project more than once and the
pupils are obviously becoming expert hatchery
operators! Each year the survival rate is going up
and this year our trophy winners, Acharacle
Primary School, managed to keep ALL their eggs
alive, closely followed by Caol and Upper
Achintore schools who managed 99% survival of
trout eggs! That is a much better survival rate
than most professional hatcheries achieve so the
pupils should all be proud of themselves.
Salmon are speckled
Awesome, active.
Leaping,
Mighty and massive,
Over obstacles to return to
Native streams
As well as the hatchery the project also consists of
educational talks, games and field trip visits for
each school. Fieldwork consists of a release day
when schools release their hatched fish and a day
in June when pupils get to take part in
invertebrate and fish sampling. This year the
trout were released into a loch at Torlundy Trout
Fishery and pupils found a massive variety of
wildlife in the pond, including frogs, newts and
dragonfly larvae.
Collecting and identifying inverts
We encourage pupils to express what they have
learnt about salmon/trout by running poetry and
art competitions. This year the poetry was to be
based on the salmons lifecycle and the art
competition about the salmon/trout’s
environment. We received some amazing poems
and artwork, a selection of which can be seen on
our website. The winners were Claire Ford,
Acharacle Primary (Art, above left) and Jean
Campbell, Strontian Primary (Poetry, above).
Family fun days
Electrofishing never fails to excite interest in
children and adults alike. The mere idea of two
people standing in water they are pumping 400
volts through is interesting enough. But it is the
best way to let people see the young salmon and
trout, eels and stickleback that often go unnoticed
in our rivers. Each summer we take part in a
family days run by the Nevis Rangers, Forestry
Commission and the National Trust Scotland. As
well as electrofishing we will kick sample and
examine invertebrates in the river and play games
based on the salmon life cycle and fresh-water
food webs. All of it is designed to show people
that fish are fascinating, fragile and fun.
Family fun day Glen Nevis
Fisheries Management Workshop
We held our first Fisheries Management workshop
in November 2010, and it was a great success. The
focus of the event was “The Plight of our Salmon”
and looked at local issues affecting salmon and
sea trout survival in Lochaber. Over 60 people
attended the event, which consisted of 6 formal
talks from speakers eminent in their field. The day
kicked off with an overview of the health of
salmon and sea trout stocks in Scotland, and
changes in their populations over the last 50 years
given by Andrew Wallace (chairman of RAFTS/
ASFB).
Next up was Brian Dornan, from Scottish
Government to discuss government’s policy and
regulation of aquaculture. Lucy Webster,
Seminar poster
geneticist from RAFTS gave a fascinating insight
into the work being done on salmonid genetics in
Lochaber. Jon Gibb, LDSFB talked about his
stocking program on the River Lochy. Lunch gave
everyone a chance for informal discussion and the
speakers were kept busy with questions! After
lunch Stewart Middlemas (Marine Scotland
Science) gave a talk on salmonid predators and
how these could be monitored and controlled.
Next up an open discussion session on hydro’s
which should have been delivered by Bob Morgan
who sadly couldn’t make it. We used his
presentation to guide our discussions and with the
help of attendees who had experience in hydro
schemes and a very interesting discussion
developed. Last up was Diane Baum (LFT) who
gave a short talk on what the Trust was doing to
try and minimise the impact of all the threats to
salmonids, and how people could get involved in
this work by becoming members/volunteers. The
day was rounded off by a big thanks to all the
speakers and to the attendees for supporting the
event.
Many thanks to the Rod & Gun for acting as an
outlet for ticket sales.
9 10

Grigadale Fish Pass
Lundy Barriers
Artificial barriers to migration are a serious threat to our fish populations, restricting their distribution and
denying them access to important areas of spawning and juvenile habitat. In 2010 the LFT completed two
projects to restore fish access to the Allt Grigadale and River Lundy.
The Allt Grigadale is a small river at the very westernmost point of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. The river
was dammed in the 1920s creating Loch Grigadale and preventing salmon and sea trout ascending to the
upper catchment. The dam is only 1.8m high, but its vertical face and lack of pool below it make it
impossible to jump.
Though small, the Allt Grigadale is an
internationally important site because of the
freshwater pearl mussels it supports. These longlived,
endangered invertebrates rely on juvenile
salmonids as a host for their parasitic larval phase,
providing both a safe early environment and
means of dispersion. Unfortunately the density of
juvenile salmon and trout on the Grigadale are
below the level thought to be required for the
perpetuation of the mussel population, and there
is evidence that young mussels are scarce in the
catchment. Measures were needed to improve
the salmonid population on the river, and opening
up access to migratory fish was a key part of this.
In 2006 Scottish Natural Heritage commissioned a
report to look at the options and feasibility of
restoring fish access to the upper Allt Grigadale.
Removing the dam would have destroyed Loch
Grigadale, which had become an important
landmark and habitat for aquatic plants and
animals in the decades since it was created.
Installing a Denil fish pass on the dam was seen as
the best option and a project was set up led by
the LFT with funding from SNH and the SEPA
Restoration Fund to achieve this.
Freshwater pearl mussels
Surveys of the fish and mussel populations of the
river were conducted in 2009 and 2010 to provide
baseline data and ensure the engineering work
Denil fish pass giving migratory salmonids access to the
upper grigadale catchment, important for pearl mussels.
would not damage either. Once it was established
no mussels or important habitats were present
below the dam, installation could begin. The
metal chute and baffles that slow the water flow
were fabricated off-site, then slotted into place on
the dam and encased in concrete. All the work
was carried out extremely carefully with stringent
measures put in place to prevent any sediment or
concrete being washed downstream.
On the 30 th August the fish pass was completed
allowing salmon and sea trout to access the upper
catchment for the first time in over 80 years.
Electrofishing surveys of the upper Grigadale in
2011 will tell us whether any salmon took
advantage of this opportunity. It is hoped that
future monitoring will find improved salmonid
densities in the catchment with a consequent
increase in juvenile pearl mussel numbers.
Two old barriers were present in the middle
reaches of the River Lundy, an important
spawning tributary of the River Lochy. One dated
from the 1930s and was part of a now defunct
hydroelectric scheme for Inverlochy Castle. The
upper dam was built in the 1950s to provide
domestic water supply to neighbouring houses,
but this had also fallen into disuse. Both dams
were owned by Forestry Commission who were
keen to remove them.
Before and after removal of upper barrier
Habitat surveys undertaken in 2009 showed that
4km of river with significant areas of juvenile and
spawning habitat could be opened up if the
barriers were removed. This helped us to secure
money from the SEPA Restoration Fund and
Forestry Commission to engage an engineer to
consider the various options for barrier easement.
The scoping study suggested removal was the best
solution for both barriers. It also highlighted
complications caused by the large amount of
sediment that had built up behind both dams and
the difficulty of site access for the required
machinery.
In July 2010 work began to remove the dams.
Forestry Commission cleared conifers from the
banks of the Lundy to allow machinery to access
both dam sites. Sediment that had built up
behind the upper dam was dug out before the
dam itself was broken up and the concrete
removed from the site. It is now almost
impossible to tell there was ever a dam present.
Removal of the lower dam material was not
possible due to the restricted access at this site.
Instead a large section at the centre of the dam
was broken up and the material moved to the side
of the river. This created a wide channel through
which fish can easily pass.
Before and after the lower dam was removed
LFT will conduct Redd surveys and electrofishing
in future years to allow us to assess whether
salmon have managed to successfully recolonise
the upper River Lundy.
11 12

Eel Survey Accounts 2010/11
In 2010 the LFT completed its three year study of eel populations in Lochaber’s rivers funded by SNH. Eels
have been in serious decline across Europe, but there is little reliable information on their numbers in Scotland.
Our study addresses this knowledge gap and provides baseline data against which future trends can
be measured.
Of the eleven river catchments included in this
survey, eels were recorded in all but one of them.
No eels were caught in tributaries of Loch Morar
we surveyed, but eels are known to be present in
the loch. Densities of eels varied greatly between
the rivers and survey sites we looked at, with the
Rivers Moidart and Strontian having particularly
healthy populations. It was also encouraging to
find so many young eels in the survey. Large
numbers of small eels that had recently entered
freshwater following their migration across the
Atlantic were found in the Rivers Lochy and Shiel
and eels estimated to be less than 4 years old
were found in nine of the 11 catchments
surveyed. Clearly eel recruitment is still occurring
in Lochaber. The oldest eel recorded in this
survey was estimated to be at least 28 years old
based on its length.
There is no commercial fishery for eels in
Lochaber, one of the main reasons for the eel’s
decline in many European rivers. However, our
eels will be vulnerable to any changes in ocean
currents affecting elver migration and could suffer
high mortality due to hydroelectric schemes.
Anecdotal reports suggest that the spectacular
elver migrations witnessed in the past no longer
occur in Lochaber. It would be complacent to
think that Lochaber’s eels are healthy and we
intend to use this survey to identify future trends
in numbers. The survey method we used –
electrofishing in rivers and burns – excludes
important still water eel habitats, but it has the
advantage that it will be repeated in future years
for juvenile salmonid surveys and so allow
ongoing monitoring of the eel population.
The full eel survey report can be downloaded from
our website.
Density of eel populations in Lochaber, 2010. The larger the dot the greater the density of
eels. Red dots indicate no eels were found during the survey.
LOCHABER FISHERIES TRUST LTD
(A company limited by guarantee)
Detailed statement of financial activities
For the year ended 31 March 2010/11
2011 2010
Incoming resources £ £
Incoming resources from generating funds
Voluntary income
Donations-Lisbet Rausing 1 000 1 000
Donations-Whitley Animal Trust (via RAFTS) 744 845
Donations-other 1 750 30
Total 3 494 1 875
Bank interest payable 41 35
Total incoming resources from generating funds 3 535 1 910
Incoming resources from charitable activities
Subscriptions/Angling Clubs 520 85
Riparian Owners 5 775 6 539
Invoiced projects 9 248 5 160
HIE-AMA 34 615 26 884
Special projects-Scottish Government block grant 9 486 12 206
Special projects-SNH (Eel survey) 4 109 4 109
Special projects-(SNH Freshwater Mussels) 0 5 000
Special projects-Mackintosh Foundation (Morar) 1 000 1 000
Special projects-SNH (Salmon in the Classroom) 4 563 4 251
Special projects-Scottish Water (Lochy catchment) 0 30
Special projects-SNH (invertebrate) 0 2 000
Special projects-TSL Hydro 0 2 866
Special projects-Dubh Lighe 0 3 745
Special projects-Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust 0 2 986
Special projects– Atlantic Salmon Trust 0 712
Special projects-Electrofishing survey 0 10 866
Special projects - Biosecurity Plan 5 204 5 294
Special projects-Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 0 2 828
Special projects—Shiel project 14 543 0
Special projects—Grigadale dam 42 735 0
Special projects—River Lundy Barrier Removal 8 135 0
Special projects—Tag program 15 392 0
D/O repayments
0 3 224
Total incoming resources 156 820 83 207
13 14

Accounts 2009/10
Acknowledgements
LOCHABER FISHERIES TRUST LTD
(A company limited by guarantee)
Detailed statement of financial activities
For the year ended 31 March 2011
2011 2010
Resources expended £ £
Charitable activities
Activities undertaken directly
The Lochaber Fisheries Trust is very grateful for the support of the following organisations and individuals
over the past year:
Ardtornish Estate
The Crown Estate
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Forestry Commission Scotland
Alasdair Boulton
Stuart Brabbs
Ewen Cameron
Gerald Collins
Wages & Salaries 45 980 43 416
Employers NIC 4 423 4 260
Pension costs 1 140 1 140
Contract Staff 1 255 910
Rent 2 000 1 916
Repairs & Renewal (Sc) 779 1 203
Insurance 1 761 2 033
Repairs & Renewal (Off) 410 300
Motor & travel 9 442 2 586
Vehicle lease 3 159 6 160
Advertising 766 1 558
Postage & telephone 1 368 1 196
Printing & stationary 81 119
Depreciation 123 928
Clothing allowance
61 170
Training and education 2 030 635
Subscriptions 2 650 2 227
Special Project Expenses 36 537 4 677
Hydroplan
Inverlochy Angling Club
The Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund
Lochaber District Salmon Fishery Board
Lochshiel Estate
The Mackintosh Foundation
Marine Scotland Science
The Morar Association
RAFTS
The River Lochy Association
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Scottish Government
Scottish Natural Heritage
Brian Dornan
Jon Gibb
Jason Henry
Ian Horne
John and May MacFadzean
Pete Madden
Stuart Middlemas
Bob Morgan
Jim Raffel
Davy Stewart
Stuart Symmers
John Veitch
Andrew Wallace
Special Project Expenses—Grigadale
35 961 0
The Whitley Animal Protection Trust
Lucy Webster
Sundry expenses 462 50
Total expenditure
150 388 75 484
Charitable activity expenditure 150 388 75 484
Matt Wilson
Diane and Lucy would also like to thank the Trust Directors for their hard work and support over the past
Accountancy
Fees 1 622 718
Net incoming/outgoing resources for the
year 13 390 8 915
Photo credits: Many thanks to Alasdair Boulton for supplying front cover image, and other images in this
report
15 16

Lochaber Fisheries Trust
Torlundy Training Centre
Torlundy
Fort William
PH33 6SW
01397 703728
lochaberfisheriestrust@gmail.com
www.lochaberfish.org.uk