Trust Activities 2018 19 AFT Biologists Report Adult

Trust Activities 2018 / 19

AFT Biologists Report Adult salmon abundance; conservation regulations Juvenile populations; electrofishing, NEPS Smolt projects; Marine Survival & Migration Local marine pressures; Aquaculture Freshwater Habitat; Habitat, Water Temperature & Nutrient projects Other activities; Contracts Outreach

Argyll Salmon & Trout Catch by District 2018 250 200 150 100 50 Fy ne I C orsa ar ra da le In ne La r gg an Pe Lu nn ss yg a ow an Ba O rm a sa ry Ad d N el l Aw C e re ra n ue l R Ec ha i g 0 Wild Salmon Number Wild Grilse Number

Argyll Sea Trout & Finnock Catch by District 2018 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Io rs C a ar ra da le In ne La r gg an Pe Lu nn ss yg a ow an Ba O a rm sa ry Ad d N el l Aw e C re ra n Fy ne l R ue Ec ha ig 0 Sea Trout Number Finnock Number

Eachaig Salmon & Grilse Catch (200918) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Wild Salmon Number Wild Grilse Number 700 Awe District Salmon & Grilse Catch (2009 -18) 600 500 400 Laggan Salmon & Grilse Catch (200918) 160 300 200 100 0 140 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 120 Wild Salmon Number 100 80 60 40 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Wild Salmon Number Wild Grilse Number

Conservation limits n n n n Salmon Conservation Limits set by Marine Scotland Science All Argyll mainland Grade 3 based on; Counter data (Amalgamated), Fishery exploitation (too low) Egg deposition (estimate), Fecundity (unknown) Size of catchment (under review), Grilse error (unknown) Sex ratio (unknown), River Flows (to be confirmed) AFT committed resources to provide electrofishing data

Conservation limits 2019 Category Probability of Meeting CL Advice No. Rivers At least 80% Exploitation is sustainable therefore no additional management action is currently required. This recognises the effectiveness of existing nonstatutory local management interventions. 1 2 60 -80% Management action is necessary to reduce exploitation: catch and release should be promoted strongly in the first instance. The need for mandatory catch and release will be reviewed annually. 3 3 Exploitation is unsustainable therefore management actions required to Less than 60% reduce exploitation for 1 year i. e. mandatory catch and release (all methods). 1 23

Post-smolt sea survival

Post-smolt sea survival n n n Sea trout sea lice burdens (FMS); Sampling at 5 sites annually in spring Sea survival of salmon smolts (PIT Tagging) on River Awe ; 2016 -19 > 7, 000 smolts tagged West Coast Smolt Tracking; Potential for smolt migration tracking through inshore waters

Sea lice surveys 2019

Sea lice surveys 2019

Sea lice surveys 2019 Sample size & Prevelance of lice (%) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 No. Sea trout Riddon Fyne Prevelance (%) Dunstaffnage Etive Carradale

Sea lice surveys 2018 Intensity of Infection & Max. no. lice per fish 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Intensity Riddon Fyne Max. Dunstaffnage Etive Carradale

Dunstaffnage; Intensity of Sea lice infection 2002 -2019 Intensity of Infection 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18 20 19 0 >120 mm

Loch Fyne; Intensity of Sea lice infection 1999 -2018 Intensity of Infection >120 mm 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

juvenile fish surveys 2019

juvenile surveys 2019 n n n Awe / Orchy Ruel Loch Fyne Creran Contracts; River Forsa (Mull) NEPS 2019

NEPS 2019 n n n n Awe Mid-Argyll; Nell & Add Loch Fyne; River Aray South; Goil, Eachaig & Ruel Kintyre; Carradale & Barr Water Arran; Iorsa Mull; River Forsa, Ba, Coilador, Bellart Islay; Laggan, Sorn & Kintour

NEPS 2019 South Argyll NEPS 2019 results 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 R . C ur r. . R ue l R R . G oi l r er C ur U pp ra y R. A er at W Ba rr al e ra d C ar Ba rr W W at er 0 Salmon Fry Salmon Parr Trout Fry Trout Parr

NEPS 2019 Mid Argyll NEPS 2019 Results 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Abhainn Tunns R. Add trib. Feochan Loch Nell R. Add Bheag trib Salmon Fry Salmon Parr Allt R. Strae Water of Kinglass Tulla Trout Fry Trout Parr

NEPS 2019 Arran & Islay NEPS 2019 Results 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Iorsa Water River Duich R. Laggan R. Kintour R. Laggan R. Sorn trib. Salmon Fry Salmon Parr Trout Fry Trout Parr Upper Aosatil

NEPS 2019 Isle of Mull NEPS 2019 Results 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Glencannel (R. Ba) R. Forsa Salmon Fry R. Bellart Salmon Parr R. Coiladoir trib. Trout Fry Trout Parr R. Lussa trib.

FRESHWATER HABITAT 2019

Increasing fry production; Nutrient project

Increasing fry production; Nutrient project n n n n Decrease in nutrient export from marine sources; fish carcasses Low productivity catchments Land-use Addition of nutrients (spring 2019) Fry sampling (summer 2019) Water of Tulla R. Creran River Fyne / R. Kinglas

Water of Tulla; Nutrient project 16. 0 Trout Parr 14. 0 Trout Fry Min. Fish Density 12. 0 Salmon Parr 10. 0 Salmon Fry 8. 0 6. 0 4. 0 2. 0 0. 0 30 LC 1 30 LC 2 30 LT 30 LC 3 30 UC 1 30 UT 30 UC 2 30 UC 3 30 UC 4

River Creran; Nutrient project 40 Trout parr Min. Fish Density 35 Trout fry 30 Salmon parr Salmon fry 25 20 15 10 5 0 3 3 a 3 b 3 ci 3 c (T) 5 a (T) 5 d (T) 6 ai 8 bii (T) 9 a 9 b (T)

AFT Summary Unprecedented decline in numbers of wild Atlantic salmon in recent years. Survival at sea may improve with next cooling phase (AMO) ; Food availability, competition & predation Aquaculture Sea lice / escapes remain as potential threats; Drivers for Environmental Monitoring Plans In-river juvenile populations have declined but have capacity to recover; monitoring & reporting required Future focus; Informing agencies, developing EMPs & maximising smolt production and survival

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