Angling club buys river to aid endangered salmonids

A group of anglers has bought a four-mile stretch of the river Ericht in Perthshire, hoping to improve water conditions that are harming endangered salmon. The river, which runs through the town of Blairgowrie, is a key spawning tributary in the river Tay system. 

The Blairgowrie Rattray and District Angling Association (BRDAA), hopes its buyout from previous owner Macpherson Fishing, will increase its lobbying power to the Scottish government. The club says salmon stocks are falling due in part to low water levels, resulting from external industrial water abstractions. 

River convener Grant Kellie, a member of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association’s fishing group, said: “Water abstraction has a detrimental effect on the movement of fish, whether juveniles or adult salmon heading upstream, so we need to keep the flows more regular. This is not just an issue on the Ericht. There are about 260 rivers in Scotland that all have issues preventing the easy passage of migratory fish. 

“The Scottish government needs to step up and get this implemented so we can get the fish back to where they should be,” he added.