Cromarty Fisheries Management Plan

The River Conon is the principle river in the district, it flows from west to east and comprises four heavily branched main tributaries; the rivers Orrin, Meig, Bran and Blackwater. The River Bran becomes the River Conon below Luichart dam where it flows for approximately two kilometres before its confluence with the Meig. The Conon then flows a further five kilometres before entering loch Achonachie and passing through turbines at Tor Achilty dam. From Tor Achilty the Conon flows unimpeded for approximately 13 km to the Cromarty Firth with the Blackwater joining above Moy bridge and the Orrin confluence a further four kilometres downstream.

All four tributaries are similar in character; they start in nutrient poor, upland environments characterised by glacial geomorphology, heathland, impoverished peatland and large areas of previously forested upland. Riparian woodland is scarce in the upper tributaries but increases steadily as the rivers flow towards the sea. The middle reaches of each tributary are heavily wooded with native broadleaf and Scots pine, although some spruce plantations are present. The lowland sections of the Conon are characterised by agriculture interspersed with blocks of forestry and riparian woodland. The river does not flow through any significant urban developments.

The majority of the fishings are in the lower 20 km of river and comprise a mix of private beats and club waters. An angling club is licensed to fish on Loch Meig and Loch Achonachie and stocks Loch Meig annually with brown trout, this fishery is on a lease from Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE).

The River Conon supports a significant run of Atlantic salmon (S. salar) as well a healthy population of brown and sea trout (S. trutta). Other fish species present throughout the system include Arctic charr, ferox trout, three species of lamprey (brook, river and sea), European eel, pike, perch, minnow and three-spined stickleback. As seen across the whole of Scotland, returning adult salmon are in a period of significant decline with the long-term rod catch data reflecting this.

The Conon catchment has been extensively utilised for hydropower generation and all four of the major tributaries are impacted by hydro infrastructure in some way. This is not a straightforward arrangement of dams and associated generation schemes but a complex cascade system where water is transferred considerable distances through tunnels (and in some cases transferred from other catchments entirely) and generated up to three times at various power stations. In short, there are eight major dams and six power stations.

Significant spawning habitat has been lost from the Blackwater when the  Vaich  and  Glascarnoch  valleys were flooded, and a large-scale mitigation stocking programme has been carried out since 1952. Due to lost habitat, the Blackwater stock is reliant on the operation of an adult trap, large hatchery and fish holding facilities and stocking of eggs by hand into a 25 km reach of the river.

The central Conon tributaries,  Meig and Bran , have been heavily modified in terms of dam construction and opening of previously inaccessible reaches of river. There are obvious concerns with the effectiveness of fish pass provisions and a need for continuous trap and tuck operations for smolts from both rivers due to low survival through impounded waters.

Construction of the  Orrin dam  has resulted in a collapse of the Orrin salmon stock despite historic fish passage provision. There is at present no access or spawning above the dam. The lack of sediment transfer to the lower Orrin is having a clear detrimental effect on the suitability of instream habitat for all fish species and overall ecology of the river.

Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s the Board, in partnership with the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust, bought out all netting stations within the Cromarty firth effectively reducing the netting pressure within the district to zero.  The Board recommend catch and release is practised across the river with a release rate of over 95 % achieved.

 The Alness  (Averon) flows into the northern shore of the Cromarty Firth near the town of Alness. The main stem of the Alness, between Loch Morie and the estuary, is largely fringed with native woodland and in sections flows through steep sided ravines. The Alness system above Loch Morie is extensive, with Abhainn Toll a Choin, Abhainn na Glasa and their tributaries draining the open moorland of Kildermorie deer forest. The lower Alness has one large tributary, the Blackwater, which flows through Strathrusdale and several smaller tributaries, the most significant of which are the Tollie Burn which flows through Ardross Castle and Allt na Seasgaich near Boath.

The Alness DSFB constructed a small dam at the outfall of Loch Morie in the 1970s, designed to store water to be released as artificial spates to attract fish upstream during the summer. This dam is fitted with a fish pass which gives salmon access to Loch Morie and above. In the town of Alness, near the mouth of the river, there is a weir which provides water for the Dalmore distillery. A Denil fish pass has been installed in the weir to provide access for migratory fish. The intake to the distillery lade is screened with a louvered screen array to prevent smolts from entering. Fish are also able to ascend the side of the weir during high flows, fish passage at this site it not expected to be an issue.

 The Allt Graad  rises between the northern slopes of Ben Wyvis and Kildermorie deer forest. It flows east toward Loch Glass, which is the North of Scotland Water Authority reservoir serving the Dingwall area. There is an impassable weir at the outlet of Loch Glass, which prevents both upstream and downstream movement of fish. From Loch Glass the Allt Graad flows at a gentle gradient for eight kilometres before it reaches the Black Rock gorge. The gorge is a very narrow and spectacular ravine with a series of falls which prevent the upstream passage of migratory fish. Therefore, the only accessible reach of the Allt Graad to salmon is the lower four kilometres.

The Allt Graad supports populations of Atlantic salmon, brown/sea trout and European eel.

 The Balnagown  rises on the eastern slopes of Beinn Tharsuinn and falls 320 m in its 25 km course to the sea through Strathrory. Many of the upper tributaries of the Balnagown are very steep. The Balnagown passes through steep gorges in its middle sections before flowing over lower gradient land around the village of Kildary and entering the Cromarty Firth at Nigg Bay. The Balnagowan supports populations of Atlantic salmon, brown/sea trout and European eel.

The Balnagowan is a highly productive burn which recruits good densities of brown trout throughout its course. There are, however, a significant number of redundant weirs which limit upstream passage of migratory fish. The primary management objective for the Balnagowan is to ease passage through the modification and or removal of some of these weirs.  

 The River Sgitheach  rises on the southern slopes of Ben Wyvis at an altitude of over 500 m. After a steep descent from its source, the Sgitheach then flows through the gently sloping Strath Sgitheach, before falling steeply again near Swordale. Below Swordale the Sgitheach slopes gently for a further four kilometres before reaching the Cromarty Firth south of Evanton. The Sgitheach supports populations of Atlantic salmon, brown/sea trout and European eel.

 The Peffery  drains the southern slopes of Ben Wyvis. Although its headwaters begin above 500 m most of the catchment lies below 100 m in altitude in a broad valley with deep soil cover. There are no still waters on the Peffrey and it runs off quickly after rainfall. The middle and lower reaches of the Peffery were extensively straightened and dredged by arterial drainage works in the 1960s and 70s. There is weir in Dingwall and a SEPA gauging weir at the Strathpeffer sewage treatment works.

The Peffrey has benefitted from recent and substantial restoration works. With passage easement undertaken on several weirs and extensive riparian planting in the upper catchment to reduce sedimentation. An artificially straightened 600 m stretch of the river was remeandered in 2022, returning the river to a more natural course and providing increased variety of instream habitat. This project was accompanied by further riparian planting. The Peffrey supports populations of Atlantic salmon, brown/sea trout, European eel, lamprey and three-spined stickleback.

The Cromarty firth district boasts a number of small but important coastal burns. These include watercourses such as the Pollo, Rosskeen, Contullich, Big and Newhall Burns. For the most part, these rivers run approximately 5 km in length, yet they are diverse in their habitat, surrounding land use and pressures which they face. Historic surveys show that most contain flounder, stickleback, lamprey and eels. The mouth of some (especially the Newhall) have traditionally been popular fishing locations for sea trout.   

To assess the overall health of the districts’ rivers, the Cromarty Firth DSFB undertake extensive population monitoring throughout the year. The Board actively participate in national monitoring programmes as well as research focussed projects throughout the district. At present we can field two independent survey teams allowing delivery of national, in-house and external contract survey work.

The Board completes an annual programme of electrofishing. The results of these juvenile surveys inform a broad range of management decisions and feed into national strategies for the management Atlantic salmon.

The National Electrofishing Program for Scotland (NEPS) is a Marine Scotland run electrofishing programme with the overall aim of developing a juvenile assessment method that can be used to determine the status of salmon populations at a range of spatial scales, from individual electrofishing sites to catchments and regions.  NEPS  provides the framework necessary to carry out an annual assessment of the status of Scotland’s salmon stocks using electrofishing data. NEPS began in 2018 and has repeated in 2019, 2021 & 2023. The district received a grade 1 for both fry and parr densities in the most recent assessment (2021). The NEPS data can be viewed on the  Shiny App .

Click for  PARR  or  FRY  densities to be displayed on the map.

The map assumes a fixed density benchmark across the district. Red points are performing below 50%, Yellow points at 50-100% and Green points are exceeding benchmark.

Our annual Stocking assessment on the Blackwater comprises of a panel of electrofishing sites throughout the stocked reach of the river and its tributaries. It aims to establish and confirm the correct stocking density to sustain a healthy run of Salmon to the Loch na Croic trap. Working with SSE, we will continue to fine tune the number of eggs required to stock the Blackwater to capacity without increasing density dependant mortality beyond natural levels.

The Board have identified a number of priority areas for habitat restoration and nominated a number of juvenile index sites. The role of the sites will be to establish baseline juvenile densities prior to restoration works taking place. Upon completion of the works, we will undertake scheduled repeat surveys to monitor the impacts on the juvenile population.

As the district salmon fishery board, routine surveys are also carried out to inform development and consultation outcomes. Contract work such as this makes up a certain proportion of The Board’s annual budget and we are often called upon to undertake fish rescues as and when required.

Smolts are subjected to increased mortality when attempting to migrate through a standing water body due to increased predation pressure and navigational challenges. The hydropower infrastructure adds to these pressures as the smolts must navigate through large artificial reservoirs and then locate safe passage through the dams. To reduce these additional pressures, the board operates an annual smolt ‘trap and truck’ operation on the rivers Meig and Bran.

Smolts are captured in two rotary screw traps on the Meig and a wolf trap on the Bran. The smolts are then transported to a release site downstream of Tor Achilty dam, circumnavigating the lochs Meig, Luichart and Achonachie. The Board will be trialling a ‘smolt guidance system’ on loch Meig in 2024 in partnership with SSE and Whoosh Innovations with the view to improving smolt passage through standing water bodies.

Smolts typically migrate downstream at night. Historically fishery boards have released smolts during daylight hours which may lead to increased mortality immediately following release.  In 2021 The Board started a night release study to assess whether smolt survival can be improved by delaying release. The initial findings are encouraging, with night release smolts experiencing 40 % higher survival than day released smolts. The study, now with SSE, has since expanded and if results continue to be as positive The Board will move to 100 % night release.

Due to the prevalence of hydropower infrastructure on the Conon system and the operation of a fish trap on the Blackwater, the board are in an excellent position to offer estimates of returning fish.

The dams at Tor Achilty, Meig and Luichart all have fish counters installed. Historically these counters have been relatively accurate although the most recent models (2018-) are known to have been undercounting by approximately 40%. These counters are operated by SSE, and they have invested a significant amount in improving the counters accuracy. In 2024 new AI counters will be installed in Meig and Luichart dams and Tor Achilty will receive an improved resistivity counter once development has been completed. Whilst the counters offer a useful insight into fish ascending through the dams, the data is not consistent enough to provide accurate long-term trends.

The fish trap at Loch na Croic is operated as part of the mitigation work undertaken by the Board. The trap is in the centre of a heck which acts as a total barrier to upstream migration. The entire run of fish for the upper Blackwater is caught at this location and so provides an accurate number for returning adult fish to the black water system.

An assessment of the conservation status of salmon in inland waters in Scotland is carried out each year by Marine Scotland and each river or assessment group is assigned a grading depending on the outcome of that assessment. The assessment is principally based on the annual rod catch. Within the Cromarty Firth district the River Conon is a category 1 river, the Alness is category 2 with the Balnagowan and Allt Graad category 3 rivers. For more information on the criteria used to assign river grades please see the Marine Scotland website.

As with other fishery boards across Scotland, the Cromarty Firth DSFB is moving towards a more holistic approach to fisheries management with a focus on large scale ecosystem restoration projects. These projects will involve riparian planting and instream habitat improvement, much of this work will be undertaken by local landowners in partnership with the Cromarty Firth Watershed Environment Trust (CFWET). Using data obtained from the population monitoring work to inform project proposals and funding bids, the Trust will seek to restore upland habitats to a good ecological status thereby supporting healthy ecosystems and, in turn, promoting the recovery of the fish populations.

Atlantic salmon and sea trout are in crisis across their natural range. Every river system has its own unique pressures, as well as more widespread issues threatening the survival of these species. The Cromarty Firth District Salmon Fishery Board has identified our main priorities for management action to reduce these pressures, with a view to halting the decline of migratory salmonids, within the district and moving toward a holistic approach to catchment restoration.

An overview of these management actions are outlined below, with specific project details contained within the map. Each point on the map has a full overview of a specific project or issue, click on a point to generate a pop-up.

The largest river within the district, the  River Conon , is heavily impacted by Hydro power generation with six major dams throughout the catchment.

Dams physically impede the migration of Atlantic salmon and sea trout both upstream (for spawning habitat access) and downstream (to reach marine feeding grounds). They also have a negative impact on sediment transfer, holding back gravel that is essential for spawning, and can further significantly alter flow regimes of watercourses.

The DSFB, contracted by SSE, operate a  large scale mitigation stocking program  to maintain a semi-natural run of Salmon on the Blackwater and to maintain stocks across the catchment.

Our top priorities for management in the near future are to build on our excellent relationship with SSE and work towards; the design and undertaking of scientifically robust tracking experiments to inform current management practices, trial habitat restoration downstream of dams through gravel reintroduction, easement of passage through dams and adjustments to flow regimes out of existing hydropower infrastructure.

Anthropogenic impacts on the riparian habitat are varied and wide ranging within the district. An attempt must be made to both identify these pressures and mitigate against further degredation with the aim of moving toward  restoration of impacted areas .

The upper catchments have been largely deforested and, in some areas, repurposed for commercial conifer plantations. This has lead to low levels of instream nutrients and in some cases significant acidification. A lack of shading for juvenile fish, afforded by riparian woodland, can expose them to potential thermal stress during extreme weather and the absence of bank stabilisation provided by tree roots can lead to excessive erosion of river banks.

Working with local land owners, The Board will support  large scale planting  of the riparian zone with native broadleaf trees across the district. This will, over time, increase instream nutrient availability and provide shading for juvenile salmonids. We will identify areas where lack of bankside vegetation is leading to excessive erosion and implement green engineering techniques to stabilise the river bank. Where large scale planting is not possible, we will trial a nutrient reintroduction program to ascertain whether juvenile production can be improved through the addition of animal carcasses.

The lower rivers, especially the smaller coastal burns, have been heavily canalised in places leading to sedimentation, low dissolved oxygen and generally poor instream habitat. There are a number of sites where the board have opened discussions with SEPA and local landowners to improve some of these heaviy impacted habitats.

In 2022 Lockett Agri-Environmental undertook significant re-meandering and restoration work on the river Peffrey, with a longer term view to continue this approach throughout the catchment. The Board have also identified a number of smaller burns and rivers that would benefit from habitat improvements including  green banking  and re-meandering.

Throughout the district there are a wide variety of obstacles to fish passage, from large impassible hydro dams to small, badly designed road and rail culverts. Each obstacle presents its own challenges to migratory fish species.

The Board have identified a number of obstacles that can be improved and will, where possible, work with landowners to alleviate barriers to migration. Over the next five years we will seek to open up as much of the district as possible to migratory fish (within the limits of their natural range).

The district also has a myriad of large bodies of standing water, some natural, others in the form of major  hydro reservoirs . In many instances these provide a significant challenge to fish migration as adult fish must navigate through these lochs to reach upstream spawning habitat and smolts must find their way downstream en route to sea. Many of these lochs contain large populations of pike, perch and ferox trout which have the potential to negatively impact the number of smolts that survive their migration.

 The illegal exploitation of Atlantic Salmon  stocks is a long standing problem throughout Scotland. The Board employ a team of Fishery Enforcement Officers who patrol the district in search for illegal or suspicious activities.

Illict activities are varied in their severity and scale but any illegal exploitation has a negative impact on the health of our Salmon and Sea Trout stocks. It is therefore imperative that The Board maintains the enforcement team and remains vigilant against such crimes.

Any illegal exploitation of Atlantic Salmon is a criminal offence under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) present a significant threat to biodiversity and riparian habitat within most river catchments across Scotland. There are a number of INNS present throughout the Cromarty Firth District, the most prevelant are; American mink, Himalayan balsam, Giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed and American skunk cabbage.

The American mink is a semi-aquatic mustelid (the same family as stoats and weasels), it is highly adaptable and has a varied diet, including salmonids. Originally brought to Scotland for the fur farming industry, a large wild population has established and has caused significant damage to fish stocks, native mammal communities and ground netsing birds, including Kingfishers).

In partnership with the  Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) , the Board will employ a full-time Invasives Species Project Officer to recruit volunteers to aid in the detection and trapping of American mink throughout the district. we also work collaborativley to tackle Invasive Non-Native Plant Species which can outcompete native flora, reducing biodiversity to such an extent that, in some cases, only one species exists across extensive areas.

Working alongside the SISI Project Officer and volunteers, the Board are comitted to work towards the removal of Invasive Non-Native Plant Species within the district over the next four years.

Atlantic Salmon are subject to predation pressure by a number of different species throughout their life cycle. The most notable predators within the district are; piscivorous birds, seals, dolphins, American mink and otters. Whilst part of a natural dymanic balance between predator and prey, diminshing salmon stocks have upset the scales and we now witness these native predators having a net negative impact on our Atlantic salmon and sea trout.

 Piscivorous birds  can create a signifcant pressure on juvenile salmonids as they migrate to sea, with sawbill ducks (goosander and merganser) posing the greatest concern. The Board undertake regular bird counts to monitor their population within the district and undertake a program of shooting to scare, with lethal enforcement, under licence. We will continue to assess the effectiveness of this approach and make reasonable adjustments to the licence application going forward.

Otters are known to exploit migratory  'pinch points ' within the catchment. Whilst we seek to ease passage through these features we will also investigate possible non-lethal deterrents to alleviate the pressure on fish as they pass through.

There is a healthy population of both seals and dolphins within the Cromarty firth which provide a substantial tourist income for the local economy. Other Fishery Boards in Scotland are currently researching methods of deterring dolphins from Salmon migration routes and we will keep up to date on progress and developments in this area. Should a viable, non-lethal, solution be found we will seek to implement it, if appropriate.

The Board are aware that disease and interspecific competition have the capacity to negativly impact Atlantic salmon and sea trout fisheries across our district and Scotland as a whole. Led by the Atlantic salmon Trust, Board staff attended a two-day conference with leading fishery managers and scientists from across Europe, to look at a method to collate existing data and knowledge on two significnat threats facing our wild salmon stocks; Red Skin Disease and Pink Salmon.

Whilst not as badly affected as some rivers in Scotland, the Conon and Alness have had outbreaks of Red Skin Disease in recent years. We work closely with our Ghillies and Fish Health Inspectorate to monitor and record any diseased fish.

With regard to Pink salmon, all we can do at present is to ensure we circulate the latest information to ghillies and angling accociations to make sure everyone on the river is watchful and well informed. With luck we will not see the numbers of Pink Salmon dominate as has happened in parts of Norway and Scandinavia.

The main legislation for the protection of salmon is the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003. The legislation conserving salmon has changed little over the years, with the 2003 act replacing the previous 1951 act. The only significant updates to the 2003 act have been the introduction of regulations which have curtailed the killing of salmon by rod and line and by netting.

The Wild Salmon Strategy created by the Scottish Government in 2022 identified various pressures on wild Atlantic salmon, one of those was exploitation caused by legal and illegal fishing. To deal with this issue the Cromarty Firth DSFB at present employs three full time water bailiffs, all of whom are warranted. The water bailiff’s primary role is to enforce fisheries legislation and look for those who fish illegally. Historically to combat illegal fishing, the fishery board employed seasonal water bailiffs to work alongside full-time bailiffs. This would mean up to nine persons would be patrolling the district dealing with illegal salmon fishing at any one time. As the level of salmon poaching has reduced in recent years the board no longer employs seasonal staff.

The district is made up of a large firth, coastal water and four main salmon rivers plus numerous smaller coastal streams. The length of river and coast that needs to be patrolled covers a distance of over 200 km. This stretches the available manpower, especially during the summer months. To assist us at peak times, board staff have developed a good working relationship with the local Police Scotland wildlife crime officer, and joint patrols with police officers are conducted throughout the year at known trouble spots.

The River Conon, which is the largest salmon river within our district, is heavily impacted by hydroelectric developments. The dams, fish passes and discharge points from power stations create pinch points for salmon and these locations require regular monitoring to deter and detect those who fish illegally.      

In relation to the hydroelectric obstructions within the district where salmon congregate, often in large numbers, there is at present no mechanism in place for the fishery board to introduce a regulation to prohibit fishing for all species withing a set distance downstream, or upstream, of any obstruction.  These pinch points are a magnet for those who fish illegally, and when approached they claim they are fishing for freshwater fish.

To conserve and protect fish, which are vulnerable to exploitation at obstructions in England and Wales, regional bylaws can be introduced which prohibit fishing set distances upstream and downstream of named obstructions. The opportunity for a fishery board to be able to apply for a bylaw agreed by the proprietors, for the conservation of salmon and freshwater fish would be welcomed.

An essential aspect of fishery development is engagement with the local anglers and ghillies on the river. The Board and Trust will seek to develop the fisheries within the district by increasing both communication and participation. Priority areas are engagement of local schools and angling clubs, specifically to offer children the opportunity to become involved in angling initiatives.

Communication

Online presence is one area The Board have fallen behind on in recent years. The board will develop a new, more user friendly, website which will act as a central point to broadcast Board and Trust activities to the general public. The website will feed into social media platforms, and we will activity seek to grow our social network to engage with the widest possible audience. An updated website will also act as a portal for potential anglers, signposting them to the relevant contact to book fishing and to check weather and water conditions.

The board circulate monthly reports to all private beats on the River Conon for guests to read whilst they are on the river. We include relevant information on biosecurity and fish health where necessary. All reports are archives and are available online.

Participation

The Board will seek to establish a pathway into salmon fishing by removing socio-economic barriers to participation for young people. As a first step The Board and Trust will reintroduce the junior angling club that was run successfully in the past. Young people will be offered the opportunity to try fishing and develop their skill free of charge. Throughout the summer, young people will progress from bait fishing and spinning to fly fishing on a stocked trout loch.

We will engage with local angling associations and private beats to establish a ‘kids angling week’ and encourage the reduction in the cost for junior permits. Through this approach we also hope to facilitate a mentorship program with experienced members of the angling clubs within the district.

The Board also has access to permits for the lower Blackwater, through the Church of Scotland, we will look to utilise these to further encourage participation in angling. Finally, we plan to liaise with local proprietors to look to secure low-cost trout fishing on underutilised stretches of the river for under 18s.