The Spring Programme of Galloway Glens Natural World online events continues on 3rd March, with an event in partnership with Galloway Fisheries Trust exploring what we know, and don’t know, about the travels of Salmon and Trout right here in Galloway.
Both salmon and trout may spend some of their adult life in the sea, or sometimes all of their life in freshwater. If they chose to migrate, how do they do so and why? Join us to discuss these fishy conundrums, and more!
This meeting is also the launch of an exciting Galloway Fisheries Trust project, supported by a range of partners including the Galloway Glens Scheme, the Dee District Salmon Fisheries Board and Drax – the owners of the Galloway Hydro Scheme – to track Atlantic salmon smolts from Polmaddy to Kirkcudbright Bay. This will reveal the challenges and conundrums the smolts face on this journey.
Reserve your free place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fish-loch-ken-to-migrate-or-not-to-migrate-tickets-136418245645
The speakers will include Dr Samantha Becks of the Galloway Fisheries Trust. Looking forward to the event, Samantha said:
Over recent decades, there has been a decline in the number of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in many Scottish rivers. The Kirkcudbrightshire Dee smolt tagging project aims to understand the migratory patterns of Atlantic salmon smolts as they migrate out to sea (a critical stage in the Atlantic salmon life cycle), and identify key areas in the Dee catchment where mortality rates are highest. Find out more at the event, ‘To Migrate or not to Migrate’.
The event is being led by Galloway Glens Project Officer, Nick Chisholm. Nick added:
“The miraculous appearance of Salmon in Scottish rivers has been important for mankind ever since we arrived. Hunter-gatherer communities would benefit from the bounty that came in from the sea, without fail, every year. For all of our existence they were important, indeed we passed strict regulations to protect the resource long before we understood anything about their life cycle. A salmon poacher convicted twice in the 14th century could expect a death sentence under regulations enacted by Robert the Bruce.
Now we know much more but there are still mysteries that modern technology is trying to unravel. The event, ‘To Migrate or not to Migrate’, will explore our new understanding of how and why fish make these remarkable journeys, and will introduce a very exciting tracking project we will be launching in coming months.”
The Galloway Glens Scheme is a suite of projects taking place up and down the Ken/Dee valley in Dumfries & Galloway. Primarily funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, support is received from a variety of partners including Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team, Drax and the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.
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