Likely Suspects Framework and the Missing Salmon Alliance – https://atlanticsalmontrust.org/
Our work is continuing in designing and populating the AST’s Likely Suspects Framework. In this regard the AST has recently employed a Principal Investigator (Dr Colin Bull) to take charge of this seminal project. In addition the AST has played a key role in the formation of the Missing Salmon Alliance in the UK. The establishment of the Alliance, which includes the four major NGO groups dealing with the conservation and protection of wild Atlantic Salmon stocks in Britain, marks a step change in the role of these organisations in implementing a range of ambitious research programmes. It has been agreed that the Atlantic Salmon Trust will be the lead research organisation for the Alliance. We have plans to expand the research team over the coming months and hope to have some four AST Fellows, at post-doc or MSc level, in place for early spring 2020.
Moray Firth Missing Salmon Project – https://atlanticsalmontrust.org/themissingsalmonproject/
The Moray Firth Missing Salmon tracking project was a great success. Some 800 salmon smolts, from seven major river systems, were successful tracked through freshwater and past a series of marine arrays in the Moray Firth. The vast majority of the bottom mounted receivers in the Firth were successfully recovered. An alert system, which was put in place to notify local fishermen regarding the purpose and location of the equipment, was very effective in ensuring that any receivers accidently encountered from commercial bottom trawls etc. were speedily reported, collected from the fishermen and repositioned on the ocean bed. Analysis of the data is ongoing in the University of Glasgow, as is planning for year 2 of the Moray Firth Programme in partnership with AST.
River Restoration Projects – Rivers Bandon and Dodder
I’m continuing to advise on river rehabilitation and connectivity projects connected with flood relief schemes on the rivers Bandon (Cork) and Dodder (Dublin). Recently I advised on the installation of a number of fish passes on tributaries of the River Bandon.
SSCS and River Craft Programmes
Over recent months I’ve delivered SSCS courses for community groups on the Rivers Dodder and Liffey. I’ve also worked with the Catchment Care Programme (http://www.catchmentcare.eu/) and the Inishowen Trust (http://www.inishowenriverstrust.com) and the Ballinderry Trust (http://ballinderryriver.org/) to deliver courses in their areas.
Water Resources Management Training in Co. Louth – http://louthwatersproject.com/
Funded by Louth LEADER Partnership (https://louthleaderpartnership.ie/), my colleague Martin McGarrigle and I are currently providing Water Resources Management Training to groups of enthusiastic volunteers in the Louth area. Building on the Community Vision for Dundalk Bay Rivers and Coastline (2017) the course is providing training in the conservation, management and protection of local waterways – freshwater and coastal marine. It will provide an introduction to the many sources of water in the county, and an introduction to the concept of water-based Catchment Management. We are also working with the volunteers to develop local biodiversity and water management projects for their towns and villages.
Angling
Jason O’ Riordan and I again ran a very successful series of angling courses over the past year: trout, salmon and bass. We have further courses planned for 2020, including pike on the fly and bass on the fly courses. Full details will be available at the forthcoming Irish Fly Fair in Galway.
Hosted Trips to Montana
(https://www.hwlodge.com/)
Based on my recent visits to Montana, where I enjoyed some of the best river trout, dry fishing I’ve ever experienced, my good friends Mike and Laura Geary and I are planning a hosted trip for a group of 8 to 10 keen trout anglers in August of 2020. Again full details will be available from our stand at the Irish Fly Fair.
Presentations
Over recent months I’ve delivered the following talks and presentations to groups in Europe and North America:
NASCO, Tromso, Norway – June 2019
International Symposium on Atlantic Salmon
Managing Atlantic Salmon in a Changing Environment- Management Challenges and Possible Responses – Discussion & Scene –setter
54th European Marine Biology Symposium, UCD, – August 2019
(https://embs54.ucd.ie/front-page/keynote-speakers/)
Atlantic Salmon Lost at Sea
World Salmon Forum Seattle, Washington – August 2019
(https://www.worldsalmonforum.org/)
Key Factors Influencing Salmon Mortality – Identifying & Quantifying the Likely Suspects
Loughs Agency Salmon Conference – Omagh, County Tyrone – September 2019
( https://atlanticsalmontrust.org/loughs-agencys-salmon-conference/)
Our Foyle Salmon – The Upstream Battle
Atlantic Salmon in Decline – Possible Mitigation Approaches
Maigue River Trust – October 2019
Atlantic Salmon in Decline – Possible Mitigation Approaches – “FIT FOR A KING “
New Publications
Based on my research work in Chile two new scientific papers on Chinook or King salmon and on the pest Didymo, have been published this year in the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research – see the Media section of my website for full details.
Atlantic Salmon Trust Projects: Working on various aspects of the Likely Suspects Framework and Moray Firth Tracking Projects. Also working with colleagues in Europe and North America preparing for the International Year of the salmon (2019)
http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/suspects-framework/
http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/the-atlantic-salmon-trust-publishes-important-blue-book-on-likely-suspect-framework/
http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/themissingsalmonproject/
https://yearofthesalmon.org/about_us/
http://www.nasco.int/iys.html
IYS Conferences: Currently preparing presentations for meetings of the European Marine Biological Association (August 2019) and NASCO (June 2019) – Managing the Atlantic salmon in a rapidly changing environment – management challenges and possible responses – 3rd & 4th June 2019, Scandic Ishavshotel, Tromsø, Norway
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Published November 2017 and now available in Hardback (585 pages)
Price €70.00 / £59.80 (plus postage & packing)
Order direct from Inland Fisheries Ireland: either
online at http://seatroutsymposium.org/
or by telephone (+353 01 884 2600)
SEA TROUT: SCIENCE & MANAGEMENT
Proceedings of the 2nd International Sea Trout Symposium held
in Dundalk, Republic of Ireland, on 20 – 22 October 2015.
The brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) is a ‘plastic’ species that exists in many different forms in response to its evolutionary history and the variable conditions in its local environment. Widely distributed and generally abundant throughout its natural range in Western Europe, some forms remain in freshwater to complete their entire life-cycle as ‘resident trout’ while others adopt an anadromous habit to become ‘sea trout’ that migrate to sea to feed and grow before returning to freshwater to spawn. Thus, the brown trout, with its ability to occupy small streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries and the sea, demonstrates a flexible continuum in its complex life history that presents major challenges for its conservation, regulation and management.
Often overlooked and taken-for-granted by management agencies in the past, the continuing decline in stocks of co-dwelling Atlantic salmon has increased the importance of the sea trout in sustaining socially and economically valuable recreational and commercial fisheries and as a biological indicator of the health of the aquatic environment in both fresh water and the sea. It is also the custodian of a remarkable range of genetic biodiversity within a single species.
This important new volume updates developments in the science and management of the enigmatic sea trout in the Northwest Atlantic since the 1st International Symposium on ‘Sea Trout: Biology, Conservation & Management’ in Cardiff, Wales in July 2004. It includes 30 peer-reviewed papers by acknowledged experts under the broad themes of:
Understanding Anadromy Monitoring & Surveillance
Populations & Management
Movement & Migration Ecology & Behaviour
Threat Assessment
Although useful progress has been made in addressing the principal recommendations for management action identified at the 1st Symposium, notably in the key topic areas of marine migrations, stock assessment, population modelling, genetic stock identification and in understanding the links between genetics, environmental conditions and life history variation, progress on other key topics has been less fruitful. The final chapter identifies 13 management priorities of strategic importance that are common to most sea trout producing nations where further work is required to fill the major gaps in our knowledge that limit our ability to manage the resource in ways that are sustainable: both now and in the future.
This significant publication represents an important new source of future reference material for Government Departments and their respective management agencies, universities and other research institutions, and the many voluntary bodies representing fisheries and wildlife stakeholder interests throughout Europe.
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Copies of the companion ‘Book of Proceedings’ of the 1st International Sea trout Symposium on ‘Sea Trout: Biology Conservation & Management’ published in 2006 are still available (in either hardback or as an E-book) from http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405129913.html
Published November 2017 and now available in Hardback (585 pages)
Price €70.00 / £59.80 (plus postage & packing)
Order direct from Inland Fisheries Ireland: either
online at http://seatroutsymposium.org/
or by telephone (+353 01 884 2600)