Transcript JasButlerPresOct03 - Moray Firth Partnership

Integrating
Salmon and Sea Trout within
Management of the Moray Firth
Dr. James Butler (Director, Spey Fishery Board)
Salmon rod fisheries
and river conservation
Sustainable tourist
income
Conserves 100%
Fishery takes 10%
Funding for
management of
stocks
Healthy stocks and
river environment
Benefit to river ecology
Salmon Lifecycle
Adult Salmon Tagging Studies
(Shearer, 1986 & 1992)
Adult Salmon Migration Routes
(Shearer, 1986 & 1992)
Coastal predation
Legal & illegal netting
• 130 dolphins
Dolphins & seals
• 700 common
seals
• 300 grey seals
• Catching ? fish
• 15 netting stations
• Catching 8,000 fish
180,000 salmon 80,000 sea trout
Commercial fisheries
Pelagic fisheries
Dolphins & seals
Sea trout, salmon
Herring, sprats, sandeels
The SAC Conundrum
• Salmon (PREY) are declining
• Common seals (PREDATOR) are declining
• Bottlenose dolphins (PREDATOR) are declining
• Common and grey seals (PREDATOR) are
protected in the Moray Firth by Conservation Order
(2002-2004) due to PDV outbreak
WHICH SPECIES TAKES PRIORITY?
What actions are impossible?
1. Culling dolphins
• SAC population declining
• Source of tourist income (£720,000 per year)
2. Culling common seals
• SAC population declining
• Contribute to tourist income
What actions are possible?
1. Targeting problem seals in river mouths?
• Most damage done by few problem animals?
• Grey seals not in decline and
outwith common seal SAC
• Appropriate methods: lethal or
non-lethal?
• Management plan for Moray Firth seals needed
• Process begun by Scottish Executive pre-PDV but stalled
What actions are possible?
2. Reduce salmon netting?
• Declining surplus
• Mixed-stock interceptory
fisheries
• Would reduced catch buffer
dolphin and seal predation?
• BUT economic impact on
traditional activity?
What actions are possible?
3. Reduce pelagic fishery?
• Pelagic fish are basic diet for all
predators in Moray Firth
• Would reduced catch benefit
salmon and sea trout feeding?
• Would reduced catch buffer dolphin
and seal predation on salmon and
sea trout?
• BUT difficulties of dealing with North Sea fisheries policies
What actions are possible?
4. Relocate salmon aquaculture?
• No risk of disease or escapes on
wild salmon and sea trout
• Scottish Executive Aquaculture
Strategy and TWG reviewing location
of salmon farms
• No current salmon farm production in Moray Firth
• Relocate freshwater salmon farm cage sites?
Operation Fish Net
Dolphin deaths from illegal gill nets
Fishery Board patrols
• Reduces salmon losses
• Prevents dolphin deaths
Illegal Gill Nets Recovered, 2002-03
Possible Moray Firth action
1. Seal management plan?
2. Review salmon netting?
3. Review commercial pelagic fisheries?
4. Relocate salmon farms?
5. Expand Operation Fish Net?