[machar]

The River Don Trust are delighted to announce that local fly fishing line designer/retailer 'Barrio Fly Lines' at http://www.flylineshop.com are this year’s sponsors of a digital camera for the best project of the five schools taking part in the 2010/2011 Salmon in the Classroom Project.
 
Trust Chairman Iain Morrison said "the SITC project has been very successful with the participating schools getting really involved as part of the education curriculum. The sponsorship by Barrio Fly Lines of a digital camera will be a great boost and I am sure encourage others to take part in the future”

(edit = fix link)

[Iain Goolager]

Well done Mike, and good to hear that there is room in the curriculum for worthwhile subject matter.
 

[John Reid]

Well done Mike, and good to hear that there is room in the curriculum for worthwhile subject matter.
 

Here here... 

[Jim Eddie]

Yes well done Mike , I'm sure AW will be lurking , I'm sure he would also congratulate your generous donatation.

 

Jim

[machar]

River Don Trust Biosecurity Plan Consultation

Invasive non-native species (INNS) and biosecurity issues are of increasing concern in the Don area. In response to this the River Don Trust (RDT) has prepared a biosecurity plan for the local area. This plan is one of twenty that will be produced as part of a national level initiative supported by the Scottish Government, SNH, SEPA and the GB Non Native Species Secretariat. It is crucial to the success of the plan that there is broad level support at local and national level. As such the Trust is now circulating this draft plan to local stakeholders for their comment, general views on biosecurity issues as well as the potential roles that they may have in addressing the INNS and biosecurity issues in the Don area.

It would be useful for the Trust if your comments also addressed the following:

Does the plan identify and address all the riparian and aquatic INNS and bio-security issues in the area?
Which INNS and bio-security issues are priorities for you or your organisation?
Do you agree with the actions and suggested lead partners?
Is the information presented in the plan accurate and do you have additional information that could be included?
Are there any activities addressing INNS and bio-security issues that your organisation is undertaking which should be included in this plan?
Would you be willing to attend a meeting to discuss the plan after the consultation is complete?
The closing date for this consultation is January 7th 2011.

The Plan can be read or downloaded here

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/River%20Don%20Trust%20Biosecurity%20Plan%202010%20consultation%20doc%202010.pdf

any comments to biologist@riverdon.org.uk  Thanks for your support

[machar]

 During the autumn of 2010 the River Don Trust assisted the Don District Salmon Fishery Board with determining the run types of broodstock caught at the hatchery for the DDSFB restocking programme. Following new protocols developed by the Trust, (under guidance from Marine Scotland), the DDSFB refined its existing methodology. One component of the new protocol included the tagging of the fish to enable scales to be taken so that specific run types could be assigned through scale reading, thus preferentially selecting broodstock.
read how you can help here

http://www.adaa.org.uk/pdfs/FloyTaggingLeaflet%202011.pdf

[machar]

Disinfection Service Launched (7th. Feb)

Because of the increasing concerns regarding the spread of Gyrodactylus Salaris (GS) a new disinfection service has been launched under the auspices of the River Don Trust, based in Aberdeen, Inverurie and Cluny.

 Read more http://www.adaa.org.uk/pdfs/GSDisinfectionLeaflet2011.pdf

[machar]

Scale Sampling Workshop

The Trust is continuing with its scale sampling programme and will will be holding a scale sampling workshop again this year. The workshop will educate anglers on reccomended methods for collecting scales from trout and salmon. The event will include a presentation by the biologist, a practical lesson in removing scales and the some of the results from last years programme. The event will be hosted at the Trust office from 7pm on the 30th of March, please contact the biologist@riverdon.org.uk to book a place.

[Ben Dixon]

Superb Iain,

Jamie did a cracking job last year.  I have already taken some samples from fish this season and would urge any regular competant anglers to at least attend the workshop.  Once armed with the knowledge of how to do this safely and angler can make a judgement call on whether or not they are happy to carry out sampling.

Ben

[machar]

The February report of the Don District Salmon Fishery Board can be read here

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/February%20report%20for%20River%20Don%20Website%202011b.pdf

[machar]

The River Don Trust are very pleased to like to inform you that the River Don Bio-Security Plan 2011-2016 is now complete. We would like to thank you very much for your contribution to the River Don Bio-Security Plan and for you patience during the consultation process.
The consultation process was very successful with positive comments coming from all contributors. Following the completion of the final draft, the document has been passed to our umbrella organisation RAFTS, prior to being released to you the stakeholders and then the general public, via the website and local press.
 
The River Don Trust has already started acting upon some of its actions within the Bio-Security Plan and has applied for funding for various aspects of the Plan in order to facilitate these actions, with further projects being prepared for later this spring (watch this space). The River Don Trust will also be present at the NELBAP Practitioners Seminar at the Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen on Tue 22nd March from 10am, where the Trust will have a poster presentation board on the Bio-Security Plan and some hard copies available.
 
The River Don Trust biologist (Jamie Urquhart) will be in touch with those stakeholders whose actions are most pertinent in due course and the River Don Trust will also review the Bio-Security Plans progress on a six monthly basis.
 
If you have any further queries regarding the Bio-Security Plan or the River Don Trust please do not hesitate to contact me

 A number of elements are already underway with further announements to follow soon. The Plan can be read here

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/River%20Don%20Trust%20Biosecurity%20Plan%202010%20Final%20Feb2011.pdf

 
Jamie Urquhart
River Don Trust Biologist

[machar]

I would advise there are very few places left on the scale sampling demonstation on 30th. March at the Trust's Cluny offices so please drop an email to jamie@riverdon.org.uk to book a place

[machar]

Final call for the scale sampling demo at the Trust offices on Wednesday, please contact Jamie at biologist@riverdon.org.uk to reserve a place

[machar]

The March 2011 report of the DDSFB can now be read on the River Don Trust web site here

www.riverdon.org.uk

[machar]

The 2011 river stocking report of the DDSFB can be read on the River Don Trust site here www.riverdon.org.uk

[machar]

The Spring edition of the River Don Trust Newsletter is now available to read here www.riverdon.org.uk . If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the Trust biologist at jamie@riverdon.org.uk
Also available is a river Don stocking protocol which I hope you will also find interesting

[machar]

DDSFB Habitat Report

As part of our ongoing action plan on habitat improvement please read the attached report from Jim Kerr DDSFB Superindendant regarding the Leochal Burn --Here

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/DDSFB%20hab.pdf

[machar]

The latest DDSFB habitat report this time for the Goval Burn can be read here

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/goval.pdf

[machar]

The latest DDSFB monthly report can be viewed at www.riverdon.org.uk

[machar]

A positive habitat improvement report covering May and June can be read on the River Don trust website here

www.riverdon.org.uk

[machar]

The eradication of mink on North East rivers is contained within the existing bio security plans for the respective rivers. There have been a number of recent sightings on rivers being reported so I spoke to Sarah Atkinson, the Mink officer for the North east yesterday. Scottish Mink Initiative, (Aberdeenshire Project Officer),
She would be pleased to receive any sightings of mink on the Dee, Don, Ythan, Ugie or other waterways which would assist in targeting them.
Sarah mentioned she is always on the outlook for committed volunteers to assist in checking mink rafts etc.
To contact Sarah regarding mink sightings or potentially becoming a volunteer please email at s.a.atkinson@abdn.ac.uk

[machar]

A very formative report on the findings of last years scale sampling on the River Don  by Jamie Urquhart, River Don Trust Biologist can be read here


http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/Scale%20Sampling%20Report%202010.pdf

[Noel Kelly]

Very interesting stuff

[machar]

The July report of the DDSFB can be read here

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/DDSFB%20Monthly%20report%20for%20July%20website%20and%20Dave.pdf

[machar]

Please find attached a copy of a brief presentation given by Sarah Atkinson, Mink Control Officer (Aberdeenshire). Sarah says the notes should hopefully make sense to those who were not there!
She has also made some notes on what she spoke about, questions raised and other information discussed- these are not formal minutes. Any information you can provide to help Sarah across the River Don or Aberdeenshire would be greatly appreciated. Sarah can be contacted here sarah@rafts.org.ukor on 07825180319

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/don%20update%20aug2011.pdf

http://www.riverdon.org.uk/FileLibrary/PDF%20Reports/donUpdateAug11%20notes.pdf