Taking Biosecurity forward in the Forth District

1. Taking Biosecurity forward in the Forth District Ben Tyser River Forth Fisheries Trust

2. Contents • Who are the River Forth Fisheries Trust and River Forth District Salmon Fisheries Board • Biosecurity planning and implementation in Scotland • Biosecurity planning in the Forth District

3. The Forth DSFB • One of 42 District Salmon Fishery Boards in Scotland • Statutory powers: covers migratory salmonids. • Managed and run by local salmon fishing proprietors/anglers • Funded by a mandatory tax raised from local proprietors • Ultimately based on number of fish caught ’

4. The Forth DSFB: Statutory powers • ‘A District Salmon Fishery board may do such acts, execute such works and incur such expenses as may appear to them expedient for – • the protection or improvement of the fisheries within their District • The increase of salmon • The stocking of the waters of the District with salmon

5. The Forth District* *catchment

6. The River Forth Fisheries Trust • One of 25 Rivers and Fisheries Trusts covering 90% of Scotland • Is affiliated to the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) • The 25 Trusts have over 40 professional staff working on a broad range of water bodies

7. The River Forth Fisheries Trust • The RFFT is charity that advances environmental protection of all species of freshwater fish and their environments primarily but not limited to the inland and coastal waters of the River Forth catchment including all waters which enter the Forth Estuary and Firth of Forth. • Managed and run by a Board of Trustees made up of representatives from Fisheries Proprietors, Board employees and angling representatives. • Promotes and implements ‘Evidence based catchment management’

8. Board/Trust relationship

9. RFFT & Biosecurity Planning • RFFT is one of 20 Trusts producing Biosecurity Plans • DURATION: October 2008 to May 2011. • KEY OUTPUTS AND ACTIONS: • Biosecurity Plan Template • Biosecurity Plans for 20 Trusts • STEERING GROUP: • Scottish Government INNS Policy Lead • SNH • SEPA • GB Non Native Species Secretariat Australian Stonecrop

10. IDENTIFICATION OF TARGET SPECIES • Target Species are a compilation of selected high impact invasive species found in river, loch or transitional water habitats from: • the Water Framework Directive UK Technical Advisory Group INNS lists, • the Species Action Framework, • non-native or translocated fish species identified by the Trusts, and • the fish parasites Gyrodactylis salaris and Anasakis sp. Slipper Limpet

11. TARGET ‘Invasive Non Native Species (INNS)’

12. WHAT ARE BIOSECURITY PLANS? • Regional level plans • Link national policies and strategies and local priorities • Action orientated • Living documents part of an adaptive management cycle • Participatory and build partnerships for identified action • Linked to the existing planning framework • A tool and stimulus for coordinated local action Ruffe

13. LINKS TO NATIONAL STRATEGIES • Invasive Non Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain: • Prevention; • Early detection, surveillance, monitoring and rapid response; • Mitigation, control and eradication. • GB Awareness and Communication Strategy • GB Rapid response protocols • Gs contingency plans • Fish diseases protocols American Signal Crayfish

14. RFFT BIOSECURITY PLAN: LINKS TO LOCAL EXISTING PLANS The Biosecurity plans also recognise and build on existing elements of: • Forth Fisheries Management Plan, • Forth Area and Scotland River Basin Catchment Management Plans, • Conservation objectives of SACs, SPAs, SSSIswithin Forth District • The Local Biodiversity Action Plans. • Local INNS Strategies such the Community Green Initiative Wireweed

15. Mission statement ‘To establish a sustainable framework which will prevent, detect, control and eradicate invasive non-native species within the Forth Fisheries District through appropriate management, data collection, liaison, education and legislation ’

16. RFFT Biosecurity Plan Why a biosecurity plan for the Forth? • Provide a long term strategy for invasives. • Explores the feasibility of district wide INNS control. • Increase coordination and facilitate communication of control efforts. • Cost effective & value for money. • Proven effectiveness.

17. KEY OUTPUTS OF THE PLANS • Key stakeholders aware of the impacts of INNS and measures required to prevent their introduction and spread • Early warning systems for surveillance, detection and monitoring of INNS (Rapid response mechanism RRM identified) • Effective sustainable and coordinated control/eradicationprogrammes are established and fully functional Water Primrose • Feasibility of district wide INNS control confirmed through stakeholder consultation. • Enhanced Local Capacity

18. How does the plan actually work in practice?

19. RFFT BIOSECURITY PLAN PRESENTATION of ACTIONS

20. RFFT BIOECURITY PLAN: Early Warning

21. RAPID RESPONSE INVASIVE SPECIES & BIOSECURITY PROGRAMME

22. WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES? • The challenges: 9 District councils 11 major rivers & one major canal At least 18 invasive species • Potential opportunities? Is it feasible?

23. How can CGI become involved? • Through consultation into the Biosecurity plan and it’s feasibility. • Become part of the monitoring network for INNS. • Become familiarized with reporting of INNS protocols. • Training of voluntary ‘recorders’ in CGI by the RFFT.

24. Summary • The Forth Biosecurity Plan will complement, work with and enhance work undertaken by organizations such as CGI Scotland • The long term economic and environmental costs of invasives far exceed the short term convenience of ignoring the problem. • National and European legislation relating to invasives will get tougher, therefore the onus is increasing on pro actively addressing the issue at a local level:

25. Thank you for Listening Questions?