Don Fishery Management Plan - RAFTS

Survey MethodFin clips can be removed from live juvenile salmon during the course of routine electricfishing surveys or from adult salmon captured as broodstock, following the guidelinesproduced co-operatively between RAFTS and FRS.Data from the habitat survey will help to determine where the spawning grounds arepresent as discrete stretches on the mainstem and therefore likely to be used by distinctpopulations of salmon. Distinct populations may also occur on tributaries where there isaccess to more than a few kilometres of available habitat; branching in a river systemoften leads to distinct salmon populations. Assuming that this is the case, there may be inthe region of twenty five or more separate spawning populations on the Don. Figure4.2.1 shows a preliminary map of the electric fishing locations for sampling the geneticsof juvenile Don salmon. This is likely to need refining following the habitat survey andfurther developed each year as information from the genetic analysis becomes available.Sample analysis is to be provided centrally to RAFTS members, including the RDT andis supported with funding from the Scottish Government. However analysis is costlytherefore the earliest sites for analysis should include a broad coverage of the catchmentand target areas thought to contribute greatest to the overall stock of salmon, i.e. wheresalmon are abundant. The sampling programme will be ongoing over a number of yearsand samples can be stored for analysis when funds allow.Figure 4.2.1 Preliminary Genetic Sampling Locations40Mainstem sampling pointsTributary sampling points302010Includes material based on spatial digital data from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Copyrigh t CEH.8 Includes material based on Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps with the permission of the controller of H er Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown copyright.00310 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 9024