SFCC Biologists' Meeting - Deveron Update 2024.pptx

Presentation at the annual SFCC biologist's conference in 2024.

1. Sarah Roebuck, Administrator Marcus Walters, River Operations Manager Richard Miller, Director Lewis Barr, Deveron, SISI Officer Lewis Paylor , Ugie & Ythan, SISI Officer

2. Bailiffing X2 Warranted Bailiffs Work closely with Police Scotland Trail cameras with data link Coastal Patrol – Spey DSFB

3. 30 NEPs sites (Deveron) 30 NEPs sites Ugie & Ythan (Contract) 17 Contract monitoring sites PIT tagging – BW & Allt Deveron Mainstem fry sites 2023 Electrofishing

4. Monthly C ounts October – May Captured Nov - Dec peak Also extended spatially Upper catchment / tributaries Summer – Autumn Nature Scot Licence Shoot as an aid to scaring Issued to designated agents Fish eating bird counts and scaring

5. Water quality: cold, clean water Diffuse pollution Despite Deveron designated a Priority Catchment for diffuse pollution since 2011 there has been no significant improvement Work closely with SEPA Rural Land Use unit who are bringing some new projects online Big part of Project Deveron Phase 2

6. Project Deveron – Phase 1 Electronic fish detecting systems to monitor juvenile and adult salmon PIT Arrays – tag 2000 parr each Autumn and monitor leaving as smolts and returning from sea. Counter – see tomorrows talk Partnership: DBIRT, AST & Marine Directorate The project is an extension to the Scottish Salmon Counter Network, part of a package of measures to support salmon conservation using funding announced by the Cabinet Secretary in October 2021.  

7. Project Deveron – Phase 2 Cold, Clean Water Catchment Scale Restoration R emoval of instream barriers, R iparian woodland replanting, S tructured buffer strips Habitat restoration Partnership with AST Funded by corporate partnerships AST Currently recruiting Project Manager

8. All the other stuff… DSFB Work Fundraising Education Angling engagement and promotion Fishery Management Planning Invasives - SISI Consultations Windfarms – offshore and onshore New cable routes Bridge works Forestry Other research – kelts , isotopes, genetics