Monitoring and Research
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Monitoring and Research
The core aim of the Lochaber Fisheries Trust is to assist the management of the region’s freshwater fisheries. To manage something effectively we need good information and to this end we regularly monitor fish populations and aquatic environments to assess their health and identify any potential threats they face.
Accurately counting fish is a difficult task and we use a number of well-practised methods to census fish stocks. Electrofishing surveys provide good estimates of juvenile salmon and trout densities, enabling us to assess the general health of the populations and identify important nursery areas within a catchment. Analysis of rod catch data, snorkel surveys and redd counts are also used to measure the status of fish stocks. There are few permanent traps or counters on Lochaber’s rivers, but the counters on the Mucomir and Morar hydroelectric dams and the Morar screw trap provide invaluable data on fish populations.
The habitat preferences of many freshwater fish species are quite specific and river habitat surveys can identify suitable areas for spawning, juvenile and adult fish. Such surveys also pick up any problems that can be limiting fish populations such as barriers to migration, sedimentation and erosion.
There is still much we do not know about the biology of fish and factors that affect their success. The trust is involved in targeted research that aims to answer specific questions and improve fisheries management. Much of this is carried out in collaboration with other institutions.
Current monitoring and research projects:
Electrofishing for multiple different projects
Seine netting to monitor sea lice on sea trout populations around Lochaber
Coastal fyke netting
West coast tracking project
Habitat surveys
Water vole surveys
Monitoring the health of freshwater pearl mussel populations in the region, and their interactions with trout and salmon.
