Minutes for the 11th meeting of the Freshwater Fisheries Forum Steering Group held in the Dewar's Centre, Perth, on 21st June at 10.00am
In attendance:
Gordon Brown - SEERAD (Chairman)
David Dunkley - SEERAD
Manson Wright - SEERAD
Valerie Lusk - SEERAD
Richard Slaski- SEERAD
David Ford - SEERAD - part meeting
Alistair Prior - SEERAD - part meeting
Rob Garner - SEERAD - part meeting
Andrew Wallace - Association of Salmon Fishery Boards
Brian Davidson - Association of Salmon Fishery Boards
Hugh Campbell Adamson - Association of Salmon Fishery Boards
Jonathan Swift - Association of Scottish Stillwater Fisheries
Sarah Bayley - Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland
Seymour Monro - Atlantic Salmon Trust
Jimmy McAloon - Consultative Committee on Protection Orders
Peter Maitland - Fish Conservation Centre
John Armstrong - Fisheries Research Services
Carey Cunningham- Fisheries Research Services
Pauline Munro- Fisheries Research Services
Alastair Stephen - Institute of Fisheries Management
Willie Shearer - Salmon Net Fishing Association of Scotland
Ronnie Picken - Scottish Anglers National Association
Ron Woods - Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling
Sarah Hutcheon - Scottish Natural Heritage
Miranda Lindsay - Scottish Rural Property and Business Association
Craig Campbell - NFU Scotland
Callum Sinclair - Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Simon McKelvey- Conon DSFB
1. Introduction
The Chairman welcomed the Steering Group (SG) members and introduced Valerie Lusk of the ERAD secretariat team, Carey Cunningham and Pauline Munro from FRS, Sarah Bayley from RAFTS and Simon McKelvey from the Conon. He also introduced Richard Slaski who was engaged by ERAD to take forward work on the Freshwater Fisheries Strategic Framework. Rob Garner from ERAD countryside team was also joining the meeting to contribute to item 7 on the agenda.
The Chairman reminded the group that they were representatives of their respective bodies but he was finding that messages from the consultation were not permeating through to their members in all cases.
The Chairman raised the issue of the Chair of the meeting and indicated that he was happy to accept the membership request that he continue, but felt that the time was now right to disband the management sub-committee and increase the number of steering group meetings for the time being.
2. Apologies
David Bassett - British Trout Association, Bob Ritchie-Salmon Net Fishing Association of Scotland, Willie Miller- Consultative Committee on Protection Orders and George Holdsworth - Salmon and Trout Association, Roger Brook- RAFTS and Mabel McDowall -SEERAD.
3. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The SG members approved the minutes.
Action - Secretary to post the approved minutes on the website and agree all future minutes electronically and post when agreed.
4. Matters Arising
None that were not included in the agenda.
5. Reports
NASCO
David Dunkley reported that: the Council Meeting of NASCO agreed a multi-year Regulatory measure for the industry at Greenland covering the period 2006-08; The Faroe Islands have not set a quota for their fishery (No fishing effectively) and have agreed that this decision will extend over 2007-09; ICES have indicated that their catch advice is unlikely to change in the next few years; and, that the NASCO next steps initiative was progressing to plan.
He also reported that Canada, E&W, Scotland, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Russia and USA all submitted draft implementation plans.
The SALSEA project investigating mortality at sea was recognised as requiring £8.5-10M funding. The project has been peer reviewed by Dr Beamish, a scientist working with Pacific salmon, who has suggested that there should be a meeting between those working on Atlantic and Pacific salmon to investigate common issues. A steering group is being set up to progress the SALSEA project. There is a possibility that there may be some EC funding. Recent Russian bycatch research shows low catches and the Scottish/Norwegian escapes experiment is underway. Early results show no returns from Scotland and 5 from Norway.
The Irish drift net fishery is also moving towards imminent closure.
The SE were urged to carry out research at sea as part of their research cruise problem and they undertook to consider this when contributing to the FRS programme.
Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill update
The Chairman informed the meeting that the SE were almost ready to hand over the bill to Parliament and was delighted with how it had shaped up. He noted that it was no longer a small Bill.
David Ford, Bill team leader, gave an update on the progress of the proposed Bill. The Bill was being considered at present and due for introduction and publication on 29 and 30 June respectively.
The Environment and Rural Development committee (ERDC) would be taking evidence in September and Stage 3 was expected to be completed by the end of February.
The Bill as introduced will contain measures for sea lice control, an Inspectorate and powers for enforcement notices.
The group were informed of the tightening timescale of Stage 2 and this may make amendments more difficult, but Minister and MSPs can be approached.
Action; Bill team to investigate measures surrounding ban on monofilament nets and report.
Fish Health Directive (FHD) and Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS)
Pauline Munro of the Fish Health Inspectorate at FRS gave a presentation updating developments with the Fish Health Directive and the recent VHS outbreak position in relation to Scotland. A copy of her presentations are attached as Annex A.
In the FHD presentation Dr Munro explained that, under the proposed directive, primary processors of cultured fish would be required to have disinfection of the effluent. Gyrodactylus salaris will not be included in the list of diseases for which Community-wide control measures apply. She asked that when the review of the additional guarantees on imports in respect of G salaris by the Commission takes place in 2007, SEERAD would like to engage the help of the FFF SG and the Aquaculture Health Group during the process.
The VHS presentation was acknowledged as being based on a CEFAS presentation relating to the recent outbreak in the North of England. However it was seen as highly relevant and explains how the UK approved zone status for VHS would be reinstated minus the affected catchments.
Action: Keep on agenda for next meeting
6. Report from Management Structures Sub Group (MSG)
The chairman introduced Richard Slaski who had been engaged to develop proposals for a freshwater fisheries framework plan. He would be contacting stakeholders in the near future. The Group welcomed the initiative and recognised the need to consider past work carried out in this area.
Alastair Stephen and Simon McKelvey then gave an overview of the SFCC management planning framework and its implementation on the Conon. Their presentation is attached as Annex B.
The framework was seen as a basis for managing and apportioning costs to the process of catchment management. The framework was seen as an important tool to enable integration of stakeholders and could equally be applied to Stillwater and put and take fisheries.
7. Conflicting access problems
Seymour Monro introduced his paper FFF SG 11/2 dealing with disturbance. Rob Garner from the Countryside team outlined the process of how anglers could engage with access fora and gave some examples of good practice. J McAloon informed the group that he was currently representing anglers on two access fora in his area and recommended a pro-active approach from local groups.
8. A.O.B.
Cypermethrin
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has issued a public notice on the use of cypermethrin sheep dip products following the suspension of their marketing authorisations. The full notice is available on the VMD website at: www.vmd.gov.uk/General/Sheepdip/PublicNotice.pdf
The VMD announced that they were to suspend the marketing authorisations for cypermethrin based sheep dips in February 2006. The VMD did not issue a recall of products already supplied to agricultural merchants before the date of suspension. It is therefore legal to purchase and use those stocks. The VMD are advising any farmer who decides to use any of the existing stocks of the cypermethrin sheep dip products that, although cypermethrin is effective against sheep ectoparasites, it is also extremely toxic to aquatic life. The dip must therefore be used and disposed of with the utmost care and in accordance with the label instructions.
In particular farmers or their contractors must: not allow any sheep dip to run off directly into a drain, ditch, stream, river or any other surface water; not allow sheep access to watercourses when the dip is still wet on the sheep; only dispose spent sheep dip to land under an Authorisation issued by SEPA.
Management of brown trout stocks
It was suggested that consideration be given at a future meeting to provisions for the management of brown trout stocks in situations where these are not distinct from sea trout populations.
9. Dates of future meetings
Forum - The next public forum will be at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow on 5 December 2006.
As the group had now disbanded the management Sub-group it was felt that 6 weekly meetings should be accommodated. Agreed dates for these were 14 August, 27 September and 14 November.
Action - SEERAD to investigate suitable venues.