Fish 128 winter 2017 final

Edition 128 / Winter 2017

The Quarterly Magazine of Fisheries Management

The

BIG FISH

48th IFM Annual Conference Belfast

Genetics an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management The Marine Migration of Atlantic Salmon - Observing the Unseen Long-term Fish and Fisheries Monitoring in Cumbria, UK Biogeography of Irish Freshwater Fish Fauna Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa

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Remembering Keith Easton “The fish” Book Review: An Eel’s Tale by Roger Castle

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Inside this edition 4

View from the Chair

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48th IFM Annual Conference Belfast

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Postcards from the Annual Conference

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Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management

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The Marine Migration of Atlantic Salmon - Observing the Unseen

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Long-term Fish and Fisheries Monitoring in Cumbria, UK

30

Biogeography of Irish Freshwater Fish Fauna

34

Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa

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The Conservation Column

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The Paul Coulson BLOG

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Remembering Keith Easton “The fish”

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IFM News

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Breaking News

50

Book Review

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Members and their fish

Editorial Team: Lawrence Talks, Steve Axford Ian Dolben, Peter Spillett, Valerie Holt Paul Coulson, Eamon Cusack

IFM ( Institute of Fisheries Management ) PO Box 679, Hull, HU5 9AX Tel: +44(0)845 388 7012

E-mail: info@ifm.org.uk. www.ifm.org.uk Find us on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter (@IFMFish)

Fish 128

Fish 128

The theme for this edition of FISH is the 48th IFM Annual Conference, which was held in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was one of the most successful IFM Annual Conferences in recent years. In fact it was a record breaker for the number of delegates.

Its title was ‘The Big Fish’, which is an iconic salmon sculpture that was built to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan. It is also known as ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’, which is a fitting emblem for an IFM Annual Conference that is all about sharing knowledge and experiences on fisheries issues and management.

As always with an IFM Annual Conference, it was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, to make new friends and on occasion to let your hair down.

As would be expected, the Irish organising committee did everyone proud.

To give you a flavour of the Annual Conference, included in this edition is an overview of the presentations and some keynote articles.

The opening article is the John Gregory Memorial Lecture, which has been established in recognition for John’s huge contribution to the IFM. Given by Professor Paulo Prodohl, he illustrates how genetics is increasingly being used as a tool in conservation biology. Dr Matt Newton, Tracking Coordinator for the Atlantic Salmon Trust, then highlights how acoustic telemetry is being used to develop a new understanding of Atlantic salmon movements at sea.

Dr Ian Winfield of the Lake Ecosystems Group at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, gives a fascinating overview of a long-term study into two of the UK’s rarest fish species. Dennis Ensing, Senior Researcher with the Agri Food and Bioscience Institute in Northern Ireland, gives a really fascinating insight into the mysteries surrounding the origins of freshwater fish species in Ireland. Finally, Joe Larscheid, Chief of the Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and representative of the American Fisheries Society, describes their work to restore and enhance Iowa’s trout fisheries.

Within this edition we remember Keith Easton and also feature in our book review ‘An eel’s Tale’ by Roger Castle.

If you would like to contribute to FISH please get in touch.

Design: POLAR 10 www.polar10.com

Lawrence Talks - FISH editor fish@ifm.org.uk 3

View from the Chair

View from the Chair Well, this my first ‘View from the Chair’ and what a privilege and honour it is to be elected Chairman of the Institute.

I entered the world of fisheries and joined the IFM in 1985 as an undergraduate under the teaching of Roland Bailey and Peter Williams at Chelsea College. I will always be grateful to them for inspiring my choice of a fulfilling career.

For those who don’t know me, I spent 30 years in fisheries and many other varied roles in the National Rivers Authority and Environment Agency in Wales and the South West. In September 2016 I left the Environment Agency to set up my own 4

consultancy. Most of my work since then has been with the Sustainable Eel Group, which seeks to save the European eel from decline.

I live in Somerset and have the delight of the rich and varied Somerset Levels and Mendip Hills on my doorstep, to walk with my family and cycle with friends.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Eamon Cusack, our previous Chairman, on behalf of the whole IFM. Eamon was asked to step in as Chair

So, I am fortunate to take over the role of Chairman at a time when the Institute is in such an excellent place. With two full time staff in Paul and Iain and an active and focussed Executive Committee, directed by Council, the Institute is providing more services to its members and other customers than ever before. Each year we are holding several topical and very well attended conferences; we are influencing Government policy more effectively through timely and compelling position statements; we have 100 students across our range of courses; and we are one of the largest providers of fisheries training in the UK. In 2017, for the first time, we made a small ‘profit’ and we saw our membership rise slightly after a 10 year decline. This has all been down to a more forward-thinking approach by our Executive Committee and the hard work and professionalism of our staff and officers – most of them volunteers.

This edition of FISH focuses on last year’s Annual Conference in Belfast, which I was delighted to attend. It was my first ever visit to Belfast and the warmth of the Irish welcome and hospitality was fantastic. As ever, the speakers and papers were first class, the organisation was very professional and attendance was one of our highest ever for an Annual Conference. Well done and thank you Irish Branch!

But there is still plenty to do. We are developing courses for staff of the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities and lnland Fisheries Ireland, and we are seeking accreditation of our courses through Ofqual. This year, we have another exciting range of specialist conferences, the Annual Conference in Hull is shaping up really well and we are preparing for our 50th anniversary conference in Nottingham in 2019. Our website needs a re-vamp and with only about 10% of fisheries professionals in the British Isles currently

View from the Chair

by our late John Gregory ‘just for a year’. That was over five years ago and we just couldn’t let him go! Eamon’s gentle but persuasive and consensual style has prompted excellent teamwork within the Institute, which is why we are in our best position ever for providing services to members and other customers. And anyone who can bear at least six Ryanair flights from Ireland a year deserves a medal! Thank you, Eamon for your wisdom, patience, guidance and leadership.

members of the Institute, we are looking to attract and appeal to more members and to do even more for the profession.

Brexit is constantly in the news, and this remains the greatest challenge and potential opportunity for fish, fisheries and the environment in the foreseeable future. Our policy team and specialist sections have been working particularly hard to influence Government and respond to consultations, and this is likely to continue over the next 12 months. All our position statements and responses to consultations are published on the IFM website under About / Policies.

All this work needs time and enthusiasm, not just from our current officers, but also from you, our members. The Institute and its offer is only as strong as its membership and what you put in. We are always seeking more people to help in the work of our numerous teams to do more for members and to advance fisheries management.

If you would like to get more involved, please do contact Paul, Iain or myself. Also, if you have any feedback for the Institute, with what or how we can improve, do contact us. I can be contacted at david.bunt@ifm.org.uk.

Our updated aims, agreed at the January Executive meeting, which drive all of our work are: • To promote, facilitate and influence the best possible standards of fisheries management across the British Isles.

• To provide the technical and general knowledge necessary for competent fisheries management.

• To be the organisation of choice for evidencebased advice and guidance for sustainable fisheries management.

• To be the membership body of choice for fisheries managers, and to provide good value fisheries management services to members and customers of the Institute.

Finally, I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead. Between us we can continue to do more for fish, fisheries and for a richer and more diverse environment for us all to enjoy.

David Bunt IFM Chairman 5

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IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’ Held in the Hilton Hotel in Belfast, Northern Lawrence Talks Ireland between the 10th and 12th of October 2017, its title was ‘The Big Fish’, which is iconic salmon sculpture that was built to provides an overview ancelebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan.

Built by John Kindness in 1999, this 10 metre of what was one of the long sculpture is a striking and beautiful of a salmon, which is covered in a most successful IFM depiction printed ceramic mosaic that tells a story of Belfast’s rich history. It is also known as ‘The of Knowledge’, which is a fitting emblem Annual Conferences Salmon for an IFM Annual Conference that is all about knowledge and experiences on fisheries in recent years. In fact sharing issues and management. it was a record breaker As always with an IFM Annual Conference, it was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, to make new friends and on occasion to let your for delegates. hair down. As would be expected, the Irish organising committee did everyone proud with

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‘The Big Fish’ 48th IFM Annual Conference was the third Annual Conference in Ireland in IFM history and as a mark of this and in recognition of the value and importance of the conference, the Northern Ireland Fisheries Minister attended the first day as did the heads of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), the Loughs Agency and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

In writing up the Annual Conference, there are a number of keynote articles in this edition of FISH, plus below are extracts that are designed to give you a flavour of each session.

The opening presentation was the John Gregory Memorial Lecture, which has been established in recognition for John’s huge contribution to the IFM. Given by Professor Paulo Prodohl, he illustrated how genetics is increasingly being used as a tool in conservation biology. His talk features as one of our keynote articles.

IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

a superb formal dinner at Belfast’s impressive Harbour Commissioners Office and a social at The Dark Horse Pub in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast. On behalf of the IFM, I must extend huge thanks to the organising committee: Robert Rosell, Eamon Cusack, Art Niven, Paul Johnston, Gerald Crawford, Greg Forde, Karen Delanty, Paul Coulson and Iain Turner for all the months of hard work and delivering a superb and memorable Annual Conference.

from knowledge of the methods used and bias and inaccuracies likely to have been introduced.

Very often, the signals we use to indicate the presence or absence of a problem need to be carefully chosen to avoid bias. Can you believe your eyes? If we just looked immediately in front of the stage at President Obama’s and President Trump’s inaugurations, what might we have concluded about the total number of people present at each? What if we sampled salmon numbers just below a weir that is impassable except at high flows? People tend to ‘cherry pick’ the facts and studies that back up what they already believe to be true.

The overriding messages were a plea for sound science, to communicate results clearly and to acknowledge the uncertainties and bias.

Session 1. Tagging and Telemetry Richard Kennedy of Agri Food and Bioscience Institute Northern Ireland (AFBI), illustrated how acoustic telemetry has been used to better understand salmon movements in and around Lough Neagh, in Northern Ireland, which is Britain’s largest lake with an area of 392 km2.

Steve Axford, IFM Council Member, followed by using in his title a phrase that we have become used to hearing, fake news, in a discussion about fisheries data and sound science: Fisheries data, sound science and fake news.

Our acceptance or otherwise of survey data and the conclusions that might be drawn from them should always come 9

IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

Between 2011 and 2014, 326 adult salmon were tagged at the Lower Bann trap between July and August with VEMCO V-13 individually coded ultrasonic pingers (13 mm diameter, 11g, 69 kHz, minimum battery life of 196 days). The results showed that between 9% and 40% of tagged salmon by-passed the counter each year. In the light of this, a raising factor has been developed to estimate annual salmon escapement upstream of the counter site and into the lake. The tagged salmon were found to migrate into all the major spawning tributaries, with the River Main consistently taking the most tagged salmon (23%) and the Ballinderry the least (6%) and salmon tended to migrate actively through the lake, which was a transitory habitat.

Joel Rees-Jones of Natural Resources Wales, described how due to poor Water Framework Directive results in the upper tributaries of the River Dee for fish, an acoustic tagging study has been carried out over the past three years to understand the movements of salmon smolts as they migrate out of the Tryweryn and enter the main Dee, and how the operation of Bala sluice gates potentially impacts their movements and survival in the study area.

In 2015, it was found that smolts travelled at a significantly lower speed through the sluice reach compared to Control Reach One suggesting that the sluices did delay smolt migration. In 2016, however, there was no significant difference between transit speed between Control Reach One and the Sluice Reach, but there was a significant difference between Control Reach Two and the Sluice Reach. Control reach one contains two low level weirs, whereas Control Reach Two is unimpeded. The VPS results from 2016 showed that 23% of fish that approached the VPS array made multiple approaches to the sluices, indicating delayed migration.

Overall survival of smolts in the River Deveron was 40%, with a higher observed mortality in the river (0.77% km-1) than in the marine stage of migration (0% km-1), resulting in a significantly higher survival rate in the marine stage than the river. There was no observed effect of a tag influencing whether a smolt left the river or not and the smallest fish tagged was detected on the marine array.

A greater swim speed was observed in the marine environment (mean ± sd = 37.37 ± 28.20 km day-1) than in the river (mean ± sd = 5.03 ± 1.73 km day-1; W = 19, p < 0.001). The main smolt trajectory leaving the river was north-easterly.

Mortality in the river is most likely due to predation, although the exact cause cannot be determined.

The absence of mortality in marine migration is uncommon; a potential result of the river mouth morphology. High swim speed of smolts in the marine environment could be due to passive displacement by high river discharge. But the trajectory of travel indicates an active swim, along with a potential innate navigational mechanism, which should be the focus of future research. It is also planned to further investigate smolt survival in the river and what is causing it and where.

Session 2. Catchment Impacts Ben Strachan of Ulster University, describes a study of Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Lough Neagh, after they were first observed there in 2005. The lake supplies a third of Northern Ireland’s drinking water, hosts a commercial fishery, and is home to many migratory bird species and fish species.

Using plankton nets for veliger larvae, settlement plates for mussel spat and snorkeling and shoreline observations for adult mussels, average densities in Lough Neagh were very low relative to other lakes worldwide despite them being present Marcus Walters of the Deveron, Isla and Bogie for more than 10 years though, mussels were Rivers Trust provided an overview of a study of seen in the Lower Bann River. After investigating smolt migration on the Deveron and into the the chemical, biological and physical properties Moray Firth in Scotland. of Lough Neagh, possible reasons for the low numbers are suggested to include: the substrate In April 2016 fifty salmon smolts were implanted with acoustic tags and then tracked using acoustic being unsuitable for settlement as it’s too easily disturbed by the prevailing wind; that the Lough is receivers. of medium trophic status; and predation pressure by fish and diving ducks.

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IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

Gareth Davies of the Environment Agency highlighted the threat of invasive non-native species to native biota and illustrated different complementary approaches for their effective control through drawing on the case of topmouth gudgeon.

Padraic O’Malley of Inland Fisheries Ireland, described Ireland’s impressive fish counter network, which comprises 40 Logie counters and seven Vakis. Visit: www.irishfishcounters.com

Linked to the ornamental fish trade, topmouth gudgeon were first reported in the wild in the UK in 1994. Being small and prolific colonisers, an eradication programme was established in 2010, which has removed it from 22 stillwaters with seven further to go. In achieving this, a suite of management tools has been employed. This included fish movement audits, though to be effective this requires an effective audit procedure, employing expert auditors and a high search effort.

Effort was also put into better understanding the ecological impacts of topmouth gudgeon. By determining the timing and length of the topmouth gudgeon reproductive season in England, we were able to extend the operational window for rotenone-based eradications. Population control through biocontrol (predator introduction) and biomanipulation (trapping) were also trialed and they were successful in maintaining abundances at a very low level for extended periods.

To help assess the impact of abstraction on twaite and allis shad, Nicola Teague of APEM Ltd. illustrated work to develop a model to determine potential impacts on shad eggs.

Iain Russon of APEM Ltd. was asked by the Severn Rivers Trust what would deliver the ‘biggest bang for the buck’ in terms of improving fish passage and ecological status on the River Worfe.

Session 3. Environmental Change

Lynda Connor of Inland Fisheries Ireland, gave a fascinating presentation on the potential climate change impacts on Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Ireland.

Results showed that mixed fish communities are a primary risk factor for Irish charr. Climate change warming will favour mixed fish communities (higher optimal temperature) and flood events will assist in their dispersal. The illegal translocation of fish to charr lakes is another concern. Arctic charr conservation in Ireland should focus on preventing future illegal species introductions, because, unlike other stressors (eutrophication, etc.), species introductions are rarely reversible.

Rossa O’Briain of Inland Fisheries Ireland, looked at the thermal buffering capacity of two river types to support brown trout streams population in a warming climate.

He found that thermal resilience is impaired by channel modification and lack of riparian tree cover. While stream temperature dynamics

With 70 potential barriers to fish migration, a prioritised strategy was developed that included considering the Arctic charr in Ireland structure’s level of impediment to fish migration, its location in the catchment, feasibility, cost, timeframe and the presence of invasive non-native species and protected species (in particular as both invasive signal and native white -clawed crayfish are present in the catchment). Overall, five structures were improved, through the removal of a weir, a multi-species pass on a Crump weir, a partial weir removal and two eel ramps.

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IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

are complicated, the results demonstrated important roles for riparian tree cover and channel morphology (especially depth) in moderating summer thermal range and maxima.

Session 4. Catchment Management Nathy Gilligan of the Office of Public Works in Ireland, showed how a national Environmental River Enhancement Programme has been established through a joint Service Level Agreement between the Office of Public Works and Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Hamish Moir of cbec, gave a really fascinating presentation on Natural Flood Management and the secondary benefits to instream ecology and fisheries. Drawing on case studies from California and the UK, (the Eddleston Water, Scottish Border; East Tullos Burn, Aberdeen City; River Enrick, Glen Urquhart) he showed how a suite of measures had been implemented to reinstate /reproduce natural hydrological processes in a river system that reduce flood risk, improve climate change resilience and enhance river ecology. This included changes in land use both out of floodplain and within the floodplain with work including embankment removal, channel realignment and creating increased channel roughness with large tree trunks being a prime driver of change. Fish responded almost immediately, with salmon spawning in the enhanced river channel on the River Enrick.

Martin Butler of Inland Fisheries Ireland, described the major challenge of managing Lagarosiphon major (curly waterweed), a non-native invasive plant originally from South Africa, in Lough Corrib. Trials included hand removal, mechanical harvesting and light exclusion with huge rolls of biodegradable matting.

Through these efforts Lagarosiphon major has been brought under control but at a significant cost of over €240,000 per annum.

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Session 5. Lake Fishery Management Graeme Peirson of the Environment Agency described the use of eDNA for sampling fish in a pilot study on Cumbrian lakes in North-West England.

Overall an eDNA-metabarcoding approach for sampling lake fish offers much promise as it can be deployed in any lake environment, is noninvasive, needs relatively low field working resource and is unselective. However it doesn’t enable an assessment of fish age, size, health or condition and its not yet possible to assess the absolute abundance of fish.

Jon Grey of The Wild Trout Trust and Lancaster University, looked at what fuels our lake fisheries using stable isotope analysis.

Through a study of Loch Ness a bi-plot of nitrogen and carbon stable isotope values creates a map of a food web, which illustrates how fish production is fuelled from both within and outside the waterbody and that changes in land use have a knock-on effect on fisheries. However, it should be recognised that it may hide the intricacies of ontogenetic shifts in diet, which must be appreciated if fish populations are to be managed effectively.

Kevin Gallagher of Agri Food and Bioscience Institute Northern Ireland (AFBI), illustrated efforts to put in place science to underpin the sustainable management of commercial scale fisheries on Lough Neagh.

IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

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Amy Pryor of Thames Estuary Partnership called for coastal partnerships and the need for Kathryn Nelson of the Sussex Inshore Fisheries & collaboration across freshwater/marine Conservation Authority, illuistrated how a multiboundaries. parameter approach to assess ecosystem value and fishing intensity is being used to Trevor Harrison of the Marine and Fisheries inform marine spatial management.

Divison, DAERA, showed how a multiple-method approach was being used to monitor fish Priority areas in Sussex coastal waters (southern populations in Northern Ireland’s transitional England) were identified by mapping environmental waters with fish community data being analysed 2 value and fishing intensity on a grid with 1km using the Estuarine Multi-metric Fish Index. cells. Together, the multi-parameter approach strengthened the knowledge of the processes Session 7. Evidence and interactions to build a robust evidence base for management decision-making. This will help Andy Harrison of Bournemouth University, asks to protect ecosystems from harm whilst allowing the question: is Common Standards Monitoring people to benefit from the services it provides. for lampreys fit-for purpose? In his engaging presentation he set out a number of priorities to Alan Barr of RPS described the challenges improve data quality, including a workshop to bring of expanding Dublin Port within a sensitive lamprey experts together. marine environment and highlighted the

Session 6. Transitional Waters

approaches being taken to mitigate the effects of Ronan Matson of Inland Fisheries Ireland, dredging, dumping at sea, piling and reclamation, discussed moving from multiple-pass including innovative eco-engineering techniques to depletion to single-pass timed electrofishing encourage biodiversity.

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IFM 48th Annual Conference ‘The Big Fish’

for fish community assessment in wadeable streams. Rapid assessment techniques such as single-pass timed electrofishing could be more efficient and support a greater number of surveyed sites but before changing approach, it is important to understand how single-pass timed catches will relate to existing area-delimited multiple-pass catches.

Eric Gillies of cbec, illustrated the relationship between fluid mechanics and salmonid spawning habitat in gravel bed rivers and showed how river restoration can be undertaken to increase predicted spawning habitat.

to working with natural river processes to create structural and ecological diversity, benefitting not only trout and other aquatic inhabitants but people and the wider environment.

Genevieve Madgwick of Natural England, illustrated work to understand fisheries-related impacts on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lakes and the challenges that brings.

Lionel Knobbs of the Loughs Agency, highlighted how the Foyle and Carlingford areas are an angler’s paradise with world class affordable angling opportunities for both local people and visitors. In addition to attracting anglers from around the world in recent years, Loughs Agency Session 8. Action waters have hosted or will play host to the World Shaun Leonard of The Wild Trout Trust, couldn’t Youth Fly Fishing Championship, World Police and Fire Games (Sea Fishing) and the Commonwealth be there due to a cycling accident, but Jon Grey stepped in and described the odyssey of habitat Fly Fishing Championships. improvement in river fisheries with a move

Postcards from the Annual Conference

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Postcards from the Annual Conference

Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management

Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management

Professor Paulo Prodohl of Queens University Belfast opened the Annual Conference by giving the inaugural John Gregory Memorial Lecture on the application of genetics tools for fisheries management and conservation.

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Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management

Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management

The acknowledgement that most species consist of multiple, more or less independent populations or stocks, and that these populations respond differently to environmental pressures, which can be natural and/or anthropogenically mediated, has led to a greater recognition of the importance of genetic considerations in fish conservation and management.

Over the years, the questions that genetic analysis can shed light on have remained pretty consistent. We are still interested in stock identification and population structure, analysis of mixed stock harvests and measuring levels of genetic variation within populations. The last provides a measure of the evolutionary potential of populations. In other words, genetic diversity is linked to the ability of populations to respond or adapt to ever-changing environmental conditions Today, however, the number and type of genetics tools has increased significantly, which has extended the type of questions that can be addressed, and perhaps more importantly, the accuracy of the biological inferences that can be made. Alongside this, the costs have also reduced and automation has increased the speed of analysis. Fishery managers now have a very powerful resource at their disposition to address a range of key biological questions.

As Bernatchez et al. (2017) illustrate there has been a transition from genetics to genomics with investigations now able to look at gene flow, mixed stock analysis, traceability, species ID and parentage-based on genetic tagging and marker assistance selection.

In my own work, we have used parentagebased genetic tagging (both minisatellite and microsatellite) in combination with novel common garden experiments to demonstrate the negative genetic and ecological impact of interactions between farmed and wild salmon. We have also used a similar approach to demonstrate local adaptation by wild salmon populations. Utilising mitochondrial DNA data we have learnt about the phylogeographic history of brown trout in Britain and Ireland. In a study of the anadromous life history of brown trout, as part of the Celtic Sea Trout Project, we were able to examine population

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structure and measure the contribution of river populations to the mixed Celtic sea trout stock.

This work has just been published as part of the Proceedings of the 2nd International Sea Trout Symposium.

In illustrating the importance and relevance of genetics to fisheries management, here are some examples of work undertaken in partnership with Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (formally DECAL).

Lough Corrib – west Ireland

Working with Inland Fisheries Ireland, the brown trout of Lough Corrib in west Ireland provide a fascinating example of how much we can learn about species based on genetics. With an area of 2,110 km2 Lough Corrib’s catchment is renowned for its brown trout populations, which include the long-lived, late maturing, piscivorous and highly prized ‘ferox’ trout.

In this investigation, our task was to identify the population structuring through genetic stock identification and whether the contribution of trout from rivers that flow into Lough Corrib could be reliably quantified.

In our study, the baseline river samples consisted of 450 (0+ and 1+) juvenile trout, which were non-destructively sampled from 32 sites from 10 tributary rivers with all sampling including a temporal component to test for the consistency of findings over time. For the adult mixed-stock trout sample, 352 trout were caught using gillnets set at different depths throughout the lake with GPS information being recorded for each fish. All the samples were then analysed using a panel of microsatellites that we have developed for brown trout genetics research. To identify population structure we used STRUCTURE analysis, which is an algorithm that allows the user to ask how many genetic differentiated units explain the data. So rather than using an priori hypothesis of population structuring, for instance are samples from river A different from samples from river B, we basically let the algorithm identify genetic groups independent of their locations. We also used STRUCTURE in a hierarchical fashion looking for major groups in the first instance and then refined the search until no more partitions were observed. Once all the

Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management Lough Corrib trout Š Dennis Moss

groups had been identified we then looked for correlations with geography.

The first level of STRUCTURE analysis identified two clear groups, which when overlaid against the type of bedrock, showed an interesting almost perfect correlation between groups and low and neutral pH environments. This is clear evidence of adaptation.

As the analysis proceeded we identified 10 genetically distinct brown trout populations, in this case, linked to each of the tributary rivers we had examined.

Using individual assignment analysis we then identified four major individual populations (rivers Grange, Abbert, Cornamona and Oughterard) contributing to the adult trout population in Lough Corrib, while the contribution from the other rivers was less significant. From a management perspective, it would be interesting to investigate what might be causing the different levels of contribution. Finally, we looked at where the adult fish were caught in relation to their source rivers and it was interesting to observe a strong association, with the majority of adults staying close to their source river.

Lough Neagh â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Northern Ireland Lough Neagh is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe and plays an important role in the rural and economic development of the region. The lough supports an active commercial fishery and its tributaries are known as a fishing paradise for anglers. Among the fish species that occur in the lough, it is renowned for the dollaghan, which is a phenotypically distinct large trout that appears to be unique to Lough Neagh.

Working in partnership with the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, the Lough Neagh Dollaghan Trust, Ballinderry Rivers Trust, local angling clubs and the Lough Neagh Fishermenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooperative Society, between 2004 and 2014 we carried out a comprehensive sampling programme.

The river baseline genetic samples consisted of 5,424 brown trout individuals (0+ and 1+ juveniles) collected from 367 sites on 77 tributary rivers from the seven major Lough Neagh river catchments. All samples were screened against a panel of 33 microsatellite marker loci and the same type of hierarchical 21

Genetics as an Applied Tool in Fish Conservation and Management

analysis was used as in the Lough Corrib study.

In the first hierarchical level of STRUCTURE analysis, two main genetic groups/lineages stand out: the Blackwater and the Maine river catchments, whilst the remaining catchments are made up of different mixtures of these two groups. A major finding of this initial analysis is the presence of a clear geographical pattern in the way both groups are partitioned, with a south-west to north-east gradient of increasing genetic divergence. This was refined with subsequent levels of hierarchical analysis.

In the Blackwater River catchment, we observed a gradient and linear pattern of population structuring in the apparent absence of barriers to gene flow, which would have been undue stress, even the death of lobsters and is not popular among local fishermen despite the missed in the past by routine point sampling. financial reward.

Individual assignment of adult dollaghan trout Genetic tagging – the theory caught by anglers and commercial fisheries indicates that 6 Mile Water and Kells Water are, by Because microsatellite DNA profiling allows for far, the larger contributors of this trout phenotype, the unequivocal identification of individuals and which has obvious implications for management families it is possible to test whether an individual and conservation. belongs to any of the V-notched females, which makes it an ideal tool to prove the benefit of such Genetic tagging: Lobster V-notching a programme.

programmes

In Northern Ireland the North East Lobster Co-operative approached Queen’s to discuss the possibility of using genetic tagging as a tool to monitor their V-notching programme.

V-notching programmes V-notching is where female lobsters carrying eggs (berried), rather than being taken, are marked with a small triangular notch and returned to the sea to increase the spawning stock. V-notched females are legally protected and can’t be landed.

Since 2003 31,100 berried lobsters have been analysed and the results have been very encouraging. This has led to an expansion of the programme with it now including the North Coast Lobster Fishermen’s Association. It has also been developed to include scientific observer trips, the collection of landing data and the instigation of a tagging-recapture programme.

Conclusions

As has been shown, genetics/genomic information provides an invaluable insight into the unique character and life history of fish species as well as In Northern Ireland V-notching schemes are providing a key monitoring tool. Rather than being either carried out on a volunteer basis or, more specialist research it needs to be mainstreamed often, supported through grant-aid schemes and become part of routine data collection. In this to local lobster fishermen willing to participate. regards Europe is very much lagging behind North The financial compensation is conditional on America. Finally, rather than practitioners focussing having appropriate monitoring mechanisms in on new technologies, more effort should be placed place, which in Northern Ireland includes the on applying genetics tools and using this evidence transportation of berried lobsters ashore and to inform the sustainable management of applying the V-notch under supervision of a fishery fish stocks. officer. In addition to the complex logistics, this approach has been linked to substantial egg loss, 22

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23

The Marine Migration of Atlantic Salmon

The Marine Migration of Atlantic Salmon Observing the Unseen Dr Matt Newton, Tracking Coordinator for the Atlantic Salmon Trust, highlights how acoustic telemetry is being used to develop a new understanding of Atlantic salmon movements at sea.

Why is it important to know the offshore movements of salmon?

We know that salmon populations are declining and we have evidence that this mortality is occurring in the marine environment. There are many hypotheses as to the causes of this mortality e.g. seals, dolphins, cormorants, aquaculture, pelagic fisheriesâ&#x20AC;Ś the list is endless. But in reality there is very little evidence of the quantifiable effect each component has on the population.

Indeed, there is little empirical evidence on the biology of Atlantic salmon as they enter the marine environment, which is primarily due to the difficulties in locating and capturing individuals during this transitional period in their lifecycle.

From the research that has taken place on Atlantic salmon, mortality in the early marine stages of their migration is thought to be high, with mortality rates greater than 5% km-1 not being uncommon in estuaries and an average of approximately 1% km-1 in their early marine phase of migration. The mortality of smolts, however, is considered to be highly variable and the application of mortality rates derived from one site and applied to another should be done with caution.

As for smolt distribution at sea, this has been inferred from the recapture of fish in surface 24

trawls within the Atlantic Ocean as part of the SALSEA project, though it remains to be seen if the capture of a few hundred individuals accurately represents the movements of, potentially, millions of individuals leaving European rivers each spring.

Overall there is still much to learn both in estuaries and further out to sea and it is perhaps not surprising that the first priority research need listed by Marine Scotland Science in its national monitoring strategy for diadromous fish is: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What routes and depths do salmon smolts use as they leave Scotland?â&#x20AC;?

Tracking salmon at sea - telemetry and the use of acoustic tags The use of electronic acoustic transmitters is a proven and effective technology for identifying movements and migrations of various aquatic species in coastal, estuarine and freshwater ecosystems.

Acoustic telemetry requires a transmitter, attached to an individual, which transmits information wirelessly to a receiver comprising a hydrophone and usually a data logger where information is recorded and stored. Because acoustic tags are uniquely coded for an individual fish, it is possible to determine the position of the fish and the depth

The Marine Migration of Atlantic Salmon

and temperature being experienced by the fish at a specific time. By strategically deploying an array of receivers it is possible to monitor the behaviour and survival of the tagged fish through a study area. Such studies using acoustic tags though, are largely restricted to estuaries and inshore waters because of the logistical challenges of deploying such an array of receivers further offshore.

To illustrate what can be gained by an acoustic tag based study of salmon smolts, I am going to highlight some of the findings of a major study that has recently been undertaken in the Cromarty and Moray Firths by Marine Scotland Science.

Large telemetry array within the Cromarty and Moray Firths

nearer to the surface at night, whilst in freshwater the opposite was the case with smolts being The purpose of the study was to learn more about nearer the surface in the day and going deeper the migration of salmon smolts out to sea and in at night. particular to apportion mortality as they migrate downriver into the Cromarty Firth and then the Total escapement of tagged fish from the Inner Moray Firth, and to establish the route they Cromarty Firth was 65.8% (n = 71) of tagged fish take as they swim offshore. To do this a series of with 46.7% (n = 56) detected at the outer limit of acoustic receiver arrays was deployed in the river, the Moray Firth. The greatest losses occurred in estuary and at the seaward end of the Moray Firth. the river at 3.1%/km. Through the Cromarty Firth losses were at a rate of 0.2-0.4%/km and in the Fish were tagged over about a month throughout Moray Firth in the order of 0.5%/km to 1.2%/km. the smolt run and then subsequently detected at Relatively mortality rates within the study were low the receiver arrays. On average it took about 10 when compared with other studies. In a study on days for the smolts to migrate beyond the the River Dee 26% of tagged smolts died within Moray Firth. the river, which represents 0.78%/km.

The depth at which the smolts swam was When looking at where the smolts crossed the predominantly in the top metre of the water outer array on the edge of the Moray Firth they column, although one fish recorded a maximum were observed swimming against the current and depth of 25.5 metres. A further interesting passing close to the southern shore, which was observation was that the smolts exhibited a quite unexpected from models of currents and significant diurnal pattern, with smolts in the flows. This shows the benefit of actually tracking marine environment going deeper in the day and fish rather than relying only on models.

25

The Marine Migration of Atlantic Salmon

To develop our knowledge further of smolt movements within the Moray Firth, active tracking of acoustic tagged smolts was attempted, but this proved challenging. Limitations included the impact of the research boat’s noise, other marine noise, the power output of the tag and keeping in touch with the fish.

By identifying migration routes and times, fishery managers will then have more data to inform their approach to potentially harmful developments and activities, which, for example, could encourage protected corridors/areas or steer development to alternative locations where salmonids do not migrate.

If sea-lochs were highlighted as key migration bottlenecks in terms of mortality, we could then focus on what is causing that mortality and whether further evidence is required. Such information would help managers identify strategies to improve survival of salmonids through sea-lochs, and inform potentially difficult management/policy decisions.

The identification of migration timings provides evidence to inform policy to regulate marine activities, for example dredging and dumping, whilst fish are transiting through the Firth.

Understanding the shoaling and migrating behaviour of smolts would highlight areas which may require more protection and where fish maybe more susceptible to pelagic trawling.

Future aims of the Atlantic Salmon Trust A key priority of the Atlantic Salmon Trust is to utilise acoustic telemetry to track smolts further offshore into the marine environment. Our current plans are to deploy a 100km transect of receivers across the outer Moray Firth to enable knowledge gaps in the marine migration of smolts to be plugged.

• What are the roles of tide and currents in aiding smolt migration?

• Which coastal activities might be impacting upon smolt migration success?

• Do fish from all rivers behave in similar ways once they reach the sea?

• What is the importance of smolt shoaling on marine survival?

• Do smolts form single river shoals or do fish from different rivers migrate separately?

The Atlantic Salmon Trust and SCENE, University of Glasgow have come together to propose this highly ambitious multi-agency tracking project for salmon smolts leaving rivers in North East Scotland. This project will enable tracking of smolts further out to sea than has ever before been attempted in Europe. It will allow many of the above questions to be addressed directly with real data. However, to achieve such a large-scale project requires both considerable funding and the development of a consortium of collaborators comprising both local and national stakeholders.

This ambitious project is worth striving for. For a deeper understanding of the movements of smolts • Where does mortality occur in the early marine will help ensure a greater recognition of salmon in the coastal marine planning process, which is migration of smolts? currently lacking, and inform measures to protect • What migration routes are used by migrating them at a highly sensitive stage in the salmon’s smolts once they leave the river? lifecycle.

• What cues do they use to determine this For more information contact: Dr Matthew Newton migration pathway? www.atlanticsalmontrust.org

Specific questions we aim to answer are:

26

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27

Long-term Fish and Fisheries Monitoring

Long-term Fish and Fisheries Monitoring in Cumbria, UK: where carps, charr, coregonids and climate change collide Dr Ian Winfield of the Lake Ecosystems Group at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology gives a fascinating overview of a long-term study into two of the UK’s rarest fish species.

28

High national biodiversity conservation importance

Arrivals and increases of non-native species

The lake fish communities of the English Lake District in Cumbria, north-west England, are of high national biodiversity conservation importance and are naturally dominated by salmonid-percid assemblages. This has led to remarkable local histories of commercial, semi-commercial and recreational fisheries for a diverse range of freshwater species, including the percid perch (Perca fluviatilis), the coregonid whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) and the majestic salmonid Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). The latter persist to the present day in Windermere and Coniston Water, which are the UK’s only recreational fisheries for this holarctic species.

However, in recent years several of the major Cumbrian lakes have experienced the arrival of ‘carps’ in the form of cyprinid introductions, e.g. roach (Rutilus rutilus) and dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) in Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water, or population explosions, e.g. roach and to an increasing extent common bream (Abramis brama) in Windermere. These arrivals and increases of non-native species, which appear to have resulted from fisheries-associated activities such as live-baiting or the escape of stocked species under exceptional flood conditions, have now significantly and probably irretrievably changed the compositions of the recipient fish communities.

Long-term Fish and Fisheries Monitoring

Environmental shifts with eutrophication and rising temperatures At the same time, long-term environmental observations have revealed considerable eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) in a number of lakes and a significant recent increase in lake temperature. These environmental shifts act in synergy to benefit introduced cyprinids and disadvantage native coregonids and salmonids. In particular, long-term monitoring of the Arctic charr population of Windermere has documented its dramatic decline in abundance since the early 1990s, particularly in the lake’s more eutrophicated south basin. However, the Cumbrian story is not all bad and in recent years the coregonid vendace (Coregonus albula), which is the UK’s rarest freshwater fish, has made a welcome return to an improving Bassenthwaite ‘Brass, Three Down’ by Henry Iddon and Richard Lake.

Berry, which explores the cultural values of this iconic species, the environmental threats that it Watch a film about Arctic charr on faces and how scientific research and evidencebased management are protecting it. Following a Windermere: ‘Brass, Three Down’ recent premiere at the Kendal Mountain Festival, If your appetite for these fascinating rare fish this beautiful, engaging and informative film can and their environments has been whetted, now be freely viewed at: https://vimeo.com/ the recreational fishery for Arctic charr on videoplatform/b3d.

Windermere is the subject of a recent short film 29

Biogeography of Irish Freshwater Fish Fauna

Bronze Age pike transport across the Irish Sea

Biogeography of Irish Freshwater Fish Fauna Dennis Ensing, Senior Researcher with the Agri Food and Bioscience Institute in Northern Ireland, gave a really fascinating presentation on the mysteries surrounding the origins of freshwater fish species in Ireland.

30

Biogeography of Irish Freshwater Fish Fauna

The Irish freshwater fish fauna has attracted attention from researchers for hundreds of years as it is markedly different from the European and British ones. A striking difference is the lower number of stenohaline freshwater fish species present in Ireland relative to Britain and Europe.

In addition a considerable number of these species in Ireland are thought to have been introduced by man.

A number of species have been introduced by man in recent history and have fairly well documented arrival histories, some however were introduced much earlier and their moment of appearance in Ireland has been shrouded by the mists of time.

Recent advances in genetic methodologies have presented the opportunity to test some of the hypotheses on the distribution and timing of dispersal of certain elements of the Irish freshwater fish fauna. Stenohaline freshwater fish are very well suited model organisms for biogeographical studies because of their limited dispersal capacities through saline waters.

However, the testing of such biogeographical hypotheses must also include a thorough analysis, understanding, and correct interpretation of the glacial and zooarchaeological past of Ireland, Britain and continental Europe. Without this, conclusions drawn from genetic studies have limited use.

Until recently it was generally assumed that all stenohaline Irish freshwater fish were human introductions. Some recent publications have suggested pike (Esox lucius), a stenohaline freshwater fish, could have colonised Ireland naturally after the Last Glacial Maximum, followed by a later second introduction by humans. In a series of publications in 2014 and 2015 by Pedreschi et al. it was postulated that results from Bayesian analysis of colonisation scenarios suggested isolation of British and Irish pike from European pike c. 8,000 years ago, a second split between Britain and Ireland c. 4,000 years ago, with a final third split being the recent human introduction of pike from Britain to Ireland c. 1,000 years ago (Fig. 1a).

Figure 1 Colonisation scenario of Ireland by pike (Esox lucius) that was best supported using both the direct and logistic approaches as implemented in the software package diyabc 1.0.4 (Cornuet et al., 2008) (a) according to Pedreschi et al. (2014), and (b) an alternative colonization scenario proposed and tested in this paper.

Ireland 1 refers to the population that was either most likely a human introduction around 4,000 years ago, or the result of a natural colonization according to Pedreschi et al. (2014).

Ireland 2 refers to the population that was probably a human introduction from Britain to Ireland around 1,000 years ago.

After Ensing (2014).

31

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Biogeography of Irish Freshwater Fish Fauna

MESOLITHIC SITES 8,000 BC â&#x20AC;&#x201C;> 5000 BC

The zooarchaeological record too can be of assistance in interpreting results from genetic studies. The two most thoroughly investigated Irish Mesolithic sites - Mount Sandel on the River Bann and Lough Boora on the Shannon have revealed no pike material at all.

Middens from similar and later dates in Derragh (Co. Meath/Co. Cavan border) and Clowanstown (Co. Meath) have also failed to produce any pike remains. Similar sites from Sweden, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands are full of pike material. Surely if pike were present in Ireland they would have been part of the diet of local people, like anywhere else in Europe.

FISH SPECIES

Mt SANDEL

Salmon

894

Trout

568

Salmonidae

43

Common Eel

122

Flatfish

13

Sea Bass

144

LOUGH BOORA

709

1371

Table 1: Mesolithic fish remains in Mesolithic midden deposits in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

populations brought in on top of native ones.

We might have to apportion a greater role to early humans in shaping Irish faunal biogeography than previously thought.

And this could include fish too.

Here is presented a clear example of the need to have a holistic approach if we want to better understand biogeography of Irish stenohaline freshwater fish. Studies into biogeography solely relying on genetics and modelling approaches, without the help or correct interpretation of geology/glaciology and archaeology run the risk of drawing incorrect or incomplete conclusions.

A debate can be had on the native or nonnative status of pike in Ireland. But here I set out to show the power of glaciology and zooarchaeology in studies on biogeography, not only on fish, but other organisms too. Nor do I want to diminish the role genetics can play in the field on biogeography. It has, for example, already informed us on the important and sometimes curious role human introductions played in shaping the current Irish fauna.

Examples are the grove snail (Cepaea nemoralis) and bank vole (Myodes glareolus). The red deer (Cervus elaphus) and badger (Meles meles) might have been introduced several times, or non-native 33

Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa 34

Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa: A Fisheries Management Success Story

Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa

Joe G Larscheid, Chief of the Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and representative of the American Fisheries Society at the Annual Conference, gave an excellent presentation on a fisheries success story in a challenging environment.

Iowa is considered by many as the breadbasket of the world Iowa soils are very productive and currently about 85% of the land in Iowa is in some kind of farming practice. Iowa leads the Unites States in the production of pork, corn, soybeans and eggs. And we were ranked second for red meat production. This high productivity on the land is directly transferred to our waters and as a consequence Iowa has some of the most nutrient rich waters in the world. In fact, most of our lakes and streams in Iowa are classified as eutrophic or even hyper-eutrophic which means that, at times, we are plagued by nuisance algal blooms and dense stands of aquatic vegetation.

sustain these populations. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were also stocked in Iowa, which has been happening since in the late 1800s.

By 1980, only six streams in Iowa showed signs of natural reproduction and nearly all of our streams were dependent upon annual stockings from our hatcheries. Erosion from hilly northeast Iowa, over the years, had sent hundreds of tons of soil into the trout streams. Excess sediment, nutrients and bacteria from intensive farming had washed into the streams. Grazing cattle had trampled and eroded stream banks. All Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are native to the the sediment, as well as other pollutants in the streams, had made it extremely difficult for trout extreme northeast of Iowa in a unique landform called the Driftless Area, which contains extensive eggs to survive, and made Iowa trout populations areas of exposed bedrock and abundant springs dependent on stocking. that feed streams a constant supply of cold, 50 Today, the water is becoming clearer degree Fahrenheit water. There are about 105 cold water trout streams in 10 northeast and critical habitat in these streams is Iowa counties. improving in many Iowa trout streams Our challenge in Iowa is to actively manage our limited natural resources within this thriving agricultural landscape. Active and ongoing management is the key to sustain our natural resources in Iowa. Properly managed, we can provide excellent fishing opportunities and sustain healthy ecosystems within this intensively managed landscape.

As settlement and agriculture increased in Iowa, numbers of brook trout began to decline to the point that stocking became the only option to

Landowners working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and local, state, and Federal funding partners are using watershed and 35

Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa

stream habitat improvements to keep streams cleaner and make it easier for trout to reproduce on their own. Today, 45 trout streams boast naturally reproducing, and self-sustaining trout populations, up from 27 streams in 2004, and six streams in 1980. Keeping sediment out of streams is the key to creating an environment where trout can thrive.

Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trout Programme Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trout Programme coordinates and promotes stream improvement partnerships, and during the past decade this work has stabilised 11.5 miles of eroding stream banks and added 8,000 feet of trout habitat along 38 cold-water streams. Iowa also began an aggressive stream easement programme of works with landowners to protect the stream corridor and has secured permanent angler access on 10.5 miles of Iowa trout streams.

Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trout hatcheries still produce and stock over 360,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout and brook trout each year. They also produce over 150,000 fingerling brown trout that are stocked annually into our streams. These stockings are critical to maintain fishable populations in streams that are not yet showing signs of significant natural reproduction. Historically, trout streams have been stocked with offspring from domesticated, captive trout. During the 36

Larscheid with Big Brown trout

past decade, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources began using eggs from naturally reproducing wild trout. The fish are raised to two inches and when stocked survive three to four times better than fish raised from captive broodstock.

Urban Trout Programme Providing quality angling opportunities in or near urban areas is a challenge for many fishery agencies. Urban resources present their own set of challenges with complicated stakeholder networks, ordinances and liability issues that can rival the agricultural issues we encounter with our rural resources. To improve fishing opportunities

Restoring and Enhancing Trout Fisheries in Iowa brook trout hooked underwater

Tibbot river enhancement project Iowa

in urban areas the Iowa Department of Natural Resources stocks trout into 18 ponds near 24 of the 26 major cities in Iowa. The Urban Trout Programme goals focus on providing trout fishing to all potential Iowa anglers, to recruit and retain urban anglers, to promote fishing through creating excitement and positive public relations, and to provide a stepping-stone to the spring fed trout streams in northeast Iowa. Surveys indicate the programme is a cost-effective recruiting tool.

Success Anglers support our trout programme in Iowa and participation is growing every year. In 2016, nearly 50,000 anglers in Iowa spent 489,455 days trout fishing, a 48 percent increase in anglers from just fifteen years ago. Licensed trout anglers made 720,611 trips to individual trout fisheries in 2016 and spent ($46/trip) an impressive $22.5 million that fed directly into the local economies in northeast Iowa. Angler satisfaction with the overall programme was ranked an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10.

37

The Conservation Column

Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for a greener future launched The Government has published its 25 Year Environment Plan Published 11 January 2018

A pledge to eliminate avoidable waste, introduce new safeguards for wildlife and connect more children with nature are among the ambitious plans for a greener future outlined by Prime Minister Theresa May and Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

38

The Conservation Column

In a major speech, the Prime Minister has launched the government’s landmark 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out how we will improve the environment over a generation by creating richer habitats for wildlife, improving air and water quality and curbing the scourge of plastic in the world’s oceans.

“A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment” sets out how over the next quarter of a century the Government will: • Crackdown on plastics by eliminating all avoidable plastic waste through extending the 5p plastic bag charge to small retailers, removing consumer single use plastics from the government estate, supporting the water industry to significantly increase water fountains and working with retailers on introducing plastic-free supermarket aisles • Help wildlife thrive by creating 500,000 hectares of new habitat for endangered species, supporting farmers to turn fields into meadows and other habitats, replenishing depleted soils and providing £5.7 million to kick-start a new Northern Forest • Be a world leader in environmental protection by investigating the feasibility of an antipoaching taskforce to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, committing overseas aid to help developing nations combat plastic waste, and extending the UK’s network of marine protected areas • Deliver a Green Brexit by consulting on a new environmental watchdog to hold government to account for environmental standards, and setting out a new approach to agriculture and fisheries management

• Seek to embed a ‘net environmental gain’ principle so development delivers environmental improvements locally and nationally, enabling housing development without increasing overall burdens on developers • Connect people with nature by creating ‘nature friendly schools’ and reviewing National Parks to see how they can improve and whether the network should be extended.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Respecting nature’s intrinsic value and making sure we are wise stewards of our natural world is critical if we are to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it. Our Environment Plan sets out how over the next 25 years we will radically reduce the waste that is choking oceans and rivers, cleanse our air of toxic pollutants and create new habitats for our most precious wildlife to thrive. Through this plan we will build on our reputation as a global leader in environmental protection, creating an environment everyone can enjoy and helping the next generation flourish.” In a world-first, the 25 Year.

Environment Plan also sets out how we will use a natural capital approach to help us see the additional benefits – whether that is improved health and wellbeing, or national prosperity – in every part our environment, helping improve and direct decision making, and guiding new development 39

The Paul Coulson BLOG

The Paul Coulson

BLOG Belfast Bonanza What a great few days we had in Belfast for the Annual Conference; before I go any further I would just like to thank Robert, Art, Paul, Eamon, Greg and the rest of the Ireland Branch for all their hard work in putting on a first-class event.

The programme, venue and social events were brilliant and will live long in the memory.

I hope you have enjoyed reading some of the earlier articles from the conference, it was a very interesting three days of talks and the diverse programme ensured that each session had something for everyone. This was topped off with the field trips to the Lough Neagh Fisheries Co-Op and the tour of Strangford Lough.

As has become customary at our Annual Conference the social/networking events are as eagerly awaited as the main conference.

As tradition dictates, we started on the Monday evening with a curry for those who had arrived 40

in advance. I always enjoy seeing the restaurant owner’s face when 20+ of us turn up on a Monday night and ask for a table. I must admit we have never been let down yet.

The Annual Dinner this year took place on the Tuesday night and was held in the grand surroundings of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners Office. The evening started with drinks accompanied by the angelic sounds of a harpist, we were then called for dinner by the Branch Chairman Robert Rosell banging a ship’s gong, which just happened to be lying around!

Following a lovely meal full of local Irish produce, we presented the IFM Training Awards for 2017.

The awards presented on the evening were for the Best Student on both the IFM Diploma and Certificate Courses as well as the Phil Hickley Award for the Best Project on the IFM Diploma.

This year’s winners were Harriet Alvis who won both the Best Student on the IFM Diploma as well as the Phil Hickley Award, both richly deserved. The Certificate award was won by Allison Stoklosa. In true award ceremony style, Allison was unable to join us on the evening as she lives and works in the USA. Allison works for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and as much as she would have liked to have come over, it wasn’t really feasible. Thanks to our relationship with the American Fisheries Society we have arranged for the award to be presented

The Paul Coulson BLOG

The events were topped off on the Wednesday night by the Irish Branch Networking Event.

Again, the Branch had pulled out all the stops and had booked a traditional Irish pub for the evening, complete with hog roast and a local musical duo. In true Irish fashion they allowed some of us to have a go at mastering the art of pulling a pint of Guinness. I’m no expert, but I don’t think Harriet or Emma Keenan will be getting a job in the pub anytime soon. Sliced orange is not the usual garnish for a pint of Guinness.

Once again we had a vibrant and busy trade area at the conference and I would just like to say a big thank you to all of those companies who took time to travel to Belfast, both from within Ireland and the UK as well.

This year’s silent auction was also a big success with over £650 raised for the Borderlines angling charity. We had a very eclectic mix of lots ranging from hand tied fishing flies to Dorset biscuits, fishing rods and champagne. Again, a big thank you to the companies and individuals that provided prizes for the auction and to everyone who bid so generously.

With over 140 delegates in attendance it was another successful conference for the Institute and follows on from the very popular Norwich conference of 2016. We have a tough act to follow in the Yorkshire and North-East Branch in 2018; more on that later.

Workshops Galore Whilst the conference was going on we also had other events to plan for. As mentioned in my last blog we are currently delivering a series of regional workshops on behalf of the Environment Agency. The first of these was held at the Environment Agency offices in Brampton at the end of October, with over 25 people representing angling clubs and associations from across the Anglian region in attendance.

Ian Wellby, Iain Turner and I have been working on these for several months along with the to Allison at the AFS Pennsylvania Chapter support of Dave Hulse of Keele University and Annual Meeting in February. I have put in my Andy Eaves of the Environment Agency. The request to fly over to present it, but I don’t think it workshops are delivered over a weekend and will be successful. comprise both theory and practical sessions 41

The Paul Coulson BLOG

based on the main management issues that the Environment Agency respond to at fisheries each year. We also have a session on predation management that is very kindly delivered by the Angling Trust Fishery Management Advisors.

The delegates go away with a pack full of information and guidance on how to improve the management of their fisheries, which we hope allows them to manage their waters in a more sustainable way.

Our intention is to broaden this out and include wider ecosystem benefits from improvements aimed at fish and we intend to include talks on invertebrates, mammals and birds amongst the fishy ones. This event will be held in the Midlands in May, date and venue to be confirmed.

Plans are also developing for the IFM 49th Annual Conference. I am pleased to say that the conference will be in my home town of Hull on October 15th – 17th with the location being The feedback from the first event was very the rather grand Guildhall in the city centre. positive and this was followed by a second Alongside the main conference we will have successful workshop in Worthing at the end of a series of field trips to sites of interest in the November. We now move on to host events in area as well as the Annual Dinner at The Deep West Midlands, East Midlands, Southern and aquarium and a poster/networking event at the East Yorkshire regions over the next few months. Yorkshire Brewery. Interesting talks, posters, field If you are interested in attending a workshop in trips, fish and beer; I think that is all the boxes your area please keep an eye on our social media ticked. The Yorkshire and North East Branch pages and website for all the details. look forward to welcoming you all to Hull in 2018.

Following on from our attendance at the Angling Running from Wolves Trust Fishery Enforcement Workshops we have been asked once again to present the health Okay I wasn’t actually running from wolves, and safety element of the new Angling Trust though that does sound like a show Channel 5 Fishery Improvement Workshops. The first would commission with a load of Z list nobodies one of these took place in Crewe at the end from Essex Island or Made in Warrington or of October and Dan Hulme kindly attended on whatever that dross is called. our behalf. Once again there was a good mix of attendees and they all went home with the No, what I actually did was the Winter Wolf Run knowledge and information needed to help them with one of my old mates from Sparsholt. He did with future projects on their respective fisheries. actually catch me off guard when he suggested The workshops move on to Nottingham, Leeds, it as I was on the train and didn’t have the best Redditch and Maidstone next. Full details are on of signals, so just said yes and thought I could the Angling Trust’s website and social media. check out all the details later. What it turned out to be was one of these extreme obstacle races Onwards to 2018 where you have to throw yourself over and under stupid contraptions, wade through waist deep At the beginning of 2018, the calendar is already mud and swim in icy cold lakes all for fun! looking pretty full and we are planning a number of specialist events throughout the year. Our I keep myself fairly fit and was quite looking Wales Branch will be holding a one day Shad forward to it and a couple of training runs in the Workshop at Swansea University in April or May Yorkshire Dales had got me used to the off-road and this will be closely followed by our Spring conditions. However, come the day of the race Specialist Conference in May. This will have a the temperature had plummeted to 4°C and marine theme and the intention is to cover a the thought of swimming in the estate lake and number of different topics over the two days. wading through mud wasn’t that appealing. I did The Estuarine and Marine Specialist Section will consider wearing my drysuit but I didn’t think that be leading on this and we will have full details was in the spirit of the race. out soon.

Once we got going I really enjoyed it, well apart The next workshop will be a specialist one day from the open water swimming bit, and we were event looking at Aquatic Habitat Restoration. both pleased with the time we managed at just 42

The Paul Coulson BLOG

so not a bad day and we are back in contention with four rounds left. Let’s just hope the weather stays fair and we can get all the matches in.

Mike and I are now planning a winter grayling session on a new water that has form for producing the odd lump, so fingers crossed. Have I shown you the last one I caught……………

Tight lines.

Paul Coulson - Director of Operations Paul.coulson@ifm.org.uk 07960 939 836

over 1hr 27 minutes. We were slightly delayed as we had to help a damsel in distress who was stuck solid in the mud sucker obstacle (yes, that is its actual name). After a minute or so of considering our options we decided there was nothing for it but to unceremoniously haul her out by the arms and leave her on dry ground. Good deed done we carried on.

Fishing wise it has been a bit limited though I am pleased to say that we are back on the East Yorkshire ditch for the winter pairs league again.

I had to leave Mike to fend for himself on the first round as I was working. I managed to miss a grueller as 8oz won Mike’s section and only 1lb won the whole match, so it wasn’t a bad choice to work. Come the second match I was back, and though I may have been a bit rusty after a few months away, I was soon back in the pinky fishing groove and managed to come third in my section with 4lb 7oz of small roach and slightly bigger perch. Mike finished fifth in his section, 43

Remembering Keith Easton

Remembering Keith Easton (“Keith the Fish”) Keith was born on the 18th December 1948 in Coventry. When quite young he developed a love of natural history (something he, and his wife, passed on to Nick, his son who now works for the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol). This involved the habit of “adopting” animals of every description and bringing them home. On one occasion, his mother was totally shocked when on opening the airing cupboard door she found a young owl staring back at her, as well as a godawful mess! Keith had been feeding the owl bits of bacon.

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his mother, new stepfather Jack and brother Phil lived.

Keith and his brother Phil shared a passion for fishing and they quite often caught prized fish from the rivers around Coventry.

After graduating, Keith moved to Bristol to work in the same University department where Nick would later study for his degree in zoology. As the research assistant, he was proud to have restored the resident giant tortoises back to health on fresh food begged from local greengrocers. He then went to Wolverhampton to undertake research into fish populations in a lake on the Chillington Estate, which had been designed by Capability Brown. Here he kindled an interest in conservation but also his future wife, Sue, who needed to row across the lake to reach her own study site on the same estate.

After the sudden loss of his father, plans to go to the University of Aberdeen were abandoned and he went instead to Portsmouth Polytechnic to study Zoology, which was nearer to Bristol, where

In 1975 Keith joined the Severn-Trent Water Authority, which became the National Rivers Authority and then the Environment Agency. He was based in Nottingham, where he stayed until

Remembering Keith Easton

tour of fish farms in Germany, which he helped Robin Templeton organise.

Keith enjoyed nothing more than a lengthy and heated debate, preferably with a drink in hand.

He wasn’t one for arrogance, but he did often remark that he had a brain the size of a planet.

His general knowledge and understanding of current affairs, biology and geography was genuinely impressive. Paired with Sue, the two of them made a very successful quiz team, who were banned from several events because they kept winning.

Whilst he didn’t ever get his own higher degree, he encouraged and developed many PhD students including Andrew Worthington, Ian Dolben, Geoff Brighty, Tim Jacklin and Tom Worthington, who have all gone on to greater things.

his retirement in 2008. Keith’s knowledge of the River Trent and its tributaries was legendary and he repeatedly turned down promotion so that he could stay working in the field and put that knowledge to good use. He was always keen to bring on young people studying fisheries and helped many students based at Loughborough University.

Keith was the driving force behind the establishment of coarse fish rearing at Calverton, securing funding, initiating research and identifying that there was a demand for coarse fish supply that led the site becoming the National Coarse Fish Farm under the leadership of Alan Henshaw.

Later in his career, Keith was responsible for the development of ‘Off River Spawning Units’, or ORSUs, which, with his usual enthusiasm, he persuaded other individuals and organisations to build in various parts of the River Trent catchment.

Keith was heavily involved in the Institute of Fisheries Management acting as Training Secretary between 1983 and 1987, and making a significant contribution to the development of the Midlands Branch. We all remember the notable

In the last decade or so, he renewed his interest in fishing with several trips to Canada to catch salmon and giant sturgeon, and for a time he had a small sea fishing boat in Bembridge Harbour on the Isle of Wight.

In recent years, his real passion, from a fishy perspective, was the burbot. A large freshwater fish, not exactly blessed with good looks, and which has been extinct in the UK since the 1970s; Keith dreamed, planned and campaigned for its reintroduction to our rivers. Whilst more charismatic species such as great bustards, beavers and even lynx have been welcomed back, endless bureaucracy has so far prevented the reintroduction of the burbot. But it would be a wonderful testimony to Keith if it were, one day, to be achieved.

For those IFM Members who would like to make a donation in Keith’s memory, his family have set up a just giving page in favour of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust: www.justgiving.com/keiththefish Tight lines!

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IFM News

IFM News Event

Date

Location

IFM Midlands Branch Free workshop: Connecting rivers, people and partnerships

21st March 2018

The Stuart Mason building, Loughborough University

Electric Fishing Training

14th April 2018

Rempstone Village Hall, Nr Loughborough, LE12 6RH

World Fish Migration Day

21st April 2018

Global! Join in.

More information: WFMD Flyer and the Getting started with WFMD

Estuarine and Marine Fish Identification Course

8th May 2018

FBA River Labs Wareham Dorset, BH20 6BB, UK

8th Annual IFM Specialist Conference.

‘Fisheries Management in Estuarine and Coastal Waters’ Call for Papers

23rd May 2018

Lancaster University Lancaster

For further details on up and coming events: Where is the data stored?

Your information is stored electronically on our www.ifm.org.uk/events internal server, Mailchimp and the soft copies held on the machines of the IFM staff. The Notice to Members – General Data electronic system can only be accessed by Protection Regulations those employed by the Institute of Fisheries Management in both a full time and voluntary Dear Member, capacity. As we are an extremely small You may be aware that in May 2018, new organisation, this includes only to two full time General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) staff and one trusted volunteer working on our come into force. Under the terms of these database who may access your data for relevant regulations we are required to inform you about business purposes. your personal data that we hold and how and by whom it can be accessed.

How will your data be used?

Permission to store and process your data In order to manage your subscription, we need to record personal data, some of which is held digitally and some as hard copy, for example membership forms, event registration and feedback forms. We now need to ask you for your permission to store and process your data for this purpose with immediate effect.

What is personal data?

Personal data is data which can be used to identify you. This includes your name, email address, job title etc.

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Your data will primarily be used for the purpose of managing your subscription. We will contact you to inform you of the latest IFM News, events and training courses as well as to send e-newsletters.

What is a Data Controller?

A Data Controller is someone who is responsible for your data and who must make sure that your data is processed according to the law. For example, they are responsible for making sure that the information held about you is accurate and that it is kept secure. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act, I Paul Coulson, Director

We are afraid the guidelines from the EU are rather strict and you will be required to physically opt-in if we are to continue to contact you about IFM business.

IFM News

of Operations , act as the Institute of Fisheries Management Data Protection Officer.

Training Report.

Certificate student of the year 2017.

Allison Stoklosa was awarded the IFM Certificate Best Student Award for 2017, though unfortunately Allison couldn’t attend the Annual Conference in Belfast as she lives and works in To allow us to gather responses you will receive the United States. Through our contacts with a copy of this notification via Mailchimp if you the American Fisheries Society we arranged are on our database. On this mailing will be an for Allison to have her award presented at the email link that sends an email directly to us that American Fisheries Society Pennsylvania Chapter states that you are happy for us to continue to Spring Technical Meeting in Williamsport. Tim contact you electronically. We appreciate it is a Wertz the chapter President kindly presented pain but we would be most grateful if you can the award on our behalf. We would like to say click the link and send us an email. congratulations to Allison on her well-deserved Alternatively, you can send an email directly to award and also to give a big thank you to paul.coulson@ifm.org.uk or by post consenting to everyone at the American Fisheries Society for their help in arranging the presentation. Also, us recording personal information about you as a big thanks to Hermes Couriers for getting the per the points above. glass trophy across the Atlantic in one piece!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask but otherwise we look forward to receiving Allison pictured your reply. with her trophy

The IFM Team Influencing policy The IFM provided a comprehensive response to the Environment Agency’s preliminary consultation on proposed new England salmon regulations.

We are supportive of measures to conserve England’s salmon populations, including the proposal for compulsory catch and release by anglers on At Risk, Probably At Risk and Recovering rivers and the substantial reduction in net fisheries. Our full response can be found on our Policies page of the website https://ifm.org. uk/about-us/policies/

If you have any training questions or requirements we would love to hear from you just email: training@ifm.org.uk Paul Coulson

New Fellows of the IFM Richard Noble, Mike Lee and Jim Lyons have been awarded IFM Fellowships for their outstanding and long-term commitment to the Institute: Richard as former IFM Treasurer, Mike as IFM Careers Officer and Jim as Chairman of the Fish and Environment Specialist Section.

The IFM has actively influenced and informed briefings and consultations on environmental matters post-Brexit through the Environmental Policy Forum and Wildlife and Countryside Link.

Brexit will be the main theme for the Spring edition of FISH.

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IFM News

Branch news Midlands Branch The Midlands branch are holding a free workshop on connecting rivers, people and partnerships.

This is to be held at The Stuart Mason building, Loughborough University on Wednesday 21st March 2018.

The aim of the workshop is as follows 1. Inspiring and motivating people to achieve great fish passage projects 2. Better understanding of fish passage and wider benefits to people and wildlife from working to shared visions and common goals 3. How to open up fish passage innovatively working with others 4. Overcoming barriers to delivery and capitalise on future opportunities 5. Connecting people to make this happen For more details please see the page on our website https://ifm.org.uk/events/event/ midlandsbranchworkshop/ Greater London and SE Branch IFM Annual Sherry Evening at Fishmongersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hall 2nd October 2017.

Branch Contacts If you want more information on IFM activities in your region, please contact the branch secretaries through the email addresses below: East Anglia: Andrew Sadler

andrew.sadler@environment-agency.gov.uk

Ireland: Art Niven Art.Niven@loughs-agency.org London & South East: Steve Colclough srcifm@gmail.com Midlands/Lincolnshire: Ryan Taylor ryan.taylor@environment-agency.gov.uk North West: Paul Coulson paul.coulson@ifm.org.uk South West: Iain Turner swest@ifm.org.uk Southern: Iain Turner

Steve Colclough gave a really interesting and dynamic talk about sturgeon on the 6th December 2017.

iain.turner@ifm.org.uk

Scotland: Brian Davidson brian@rafts.onmicrosoft.com Wales: Emma Keenan

Kings University student talks

emma.keenan@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Yorkshire & North East: Mike Lee

michael.lee@environment-agency.gov.uk

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Breaking News

Breaking News

Unpacking GIFT seed Myanmar. Manjurul Karim 2016 © WorldFish

Myanmar collaboration aims to enhance rice and fish production WorldFish and the International Rice Research Institute are joining forces with the Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation to improve the productivity, profitability and development outcomes of rice-fish systems in Myanmar. Rice-fish systems are diverse, spanning capture fisheries and aquaculture, with fish and rice growing concurrently in rice fields and canals or, alternatively, fish raised between rice crops. The systems are common in many South and Southeast Asian countries as well as in some areas of Africa.

Beach litter rises 10% in the UK From the Marine Conservation Society. UK beach litter levels recorded in surveys in 2017 were 10% higher than the previous year, with food and drinks litter accounting for up to 20% of all rubbish found on beaches. The UK’s leading marine charity launches an appeal to the Government: a levy on disposables is needed now.

The Marine Conservation Society’s appeal is detailed at www.mcsuk.org/stop-the-plastic-tide

New salmon regulations The Environment Agency is proposing the following measures to protect salmon stocks in England fisheries and on the Border Esk: 1. Stop the taking of salmon from the majority of net fisheries by 2019. Other nations have closed their net fisheries; the evidence shows we should too.

2. For rivers with the lowest salmon stocks, a mandatory requirement to return all salmon caught. This reflects the need for both net and rod fishermen to help us protect Salmon stocks.

3. Voluntary catch and release targets for all other rivers.

4. Restriction on the number, size and type of hooks that can be used when fishing.

Kevin Austin, Environment Agency’s Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment said: “We are not suggesting these proposals lightly and have consulted widely with those affected. However we need to take action now in order to give as many of the salmon that make it back to our rivers as possible a chance to spawn successfully.”

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Book Review

Book Review

An Eel’s Tale

By Roger Castle Review by Paul Coulson.

You do not have to be an eel lover/nerd like me to enjoy this book, it is an immensely fascinating story that begins with Roger discussing how his passion for all things watery began. During World War II Roger and his family lived on a semi-derelict sailing boat that was moored in the reeds off Holes Bay in Poole. They lived on this dilapidated old boat until the point the floorboards were rotten and at high tide the water would come up through them!

From there on in Roger always had an affinity for the water and spent his childhood in, on and around the water as much as possible.

Roger didn’t become a full-time eel fisherman until he retired from teaching in his late forties.

His professional life was dedicated to sport and coaching, which saw him take on roles as an army PTI (Physical Training Instructor) and PE teacher as well as dedicating many years to coaching gymnastics. This passion for gymnastics saw him awarded an MBE in 2011.

The main body of the book is based on a thesis that Roger wrote whilst studying at Loughbrough College and highlights the scientific discoveries that ultimately lead to us having the understanding of the eel’s complex lifecycle that we have today.

Roger closes the book with an account of his time as an eel fisherman from 1979 to 2017. He swapped his job as head of PE at Christchurch Grammar School for eel racks and fyke nets.

He recounts some interesting stories including a raid by the Special Boat Service, attacks by the killer mosquitoes of Poole Harbour and several dunkings into deep, dark water.

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The appendix has some information on eel catches on Roger’s racks in both the Stour and Avon, with catches varying from 1,250kg and 750kg of silver eel from the Stour and Avon in 2001 to as little as 310kg and 80kg in 2009.

This is quite some difference in only eight years.

Sadly, Roger passed away with cancer in July 2017 and never got to see his book published.

All the proceeds from the book are going to Cancer Research.

An Eel’s Tale

By Roger Castle Publisher: Janus Publishing Company Ltd. Paperback: 114 pages

Fish and eel pass design, fabrication and installation, including full CAD capabilities Tidal gate fish passage mitigation, including design, fabrication and installation of bespoke dampers and spring retarders Fisheries assessments and surveys, including PHABSIM studies, electro-fishing, quantitative mapping, advanced quantitative experimental design, migration and barrier studies Fisheries monitoring and R&D, including pit-tagging, DIDSON/ARIS & camera monitoring, telemetry studies, field-based experiments and product development Fisheries impact assessments of hydropower installations and appropriate mitigation measures In-house civil construction design and project management

Unit 1 Shinners Bridge, Webbers Way, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6JY www.ďŹ shtek.co.uk

+44 (0) 1803 866680

info@ďŹ shtek-consulting.co.uk

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Members and their FISH Adrian Pinder with 300lb white sturgeon from the Fraser River British Columbia

Do you have a picture of yourself with a fish?

If so FISH would like to hear from you.

Send your images to: fish@ifm.org.uk