The
Tweed Foundation
The Tweed Foundation
is a Charitable Trust set up by the River Tweed Commissioners
to promote the development of fish stocks in the Tweed
River System. It is engaged in an extensive programme
of biological research, monitoring and habitat enhancement
with the aim of protecting Tweeds valuable fish stocks
and maximising the rivers natural productivity.
The Tweed catchment
covers 2,000 sq miles with the regions topography
ranging from high uplands to intensive arable land
in the east. The catchment covers 2,000 miles of rivers
and streams with 7 major tributaries, which studies
have shown can have very different fish populations
and differing ranges of problems. The catchment sustains
larger runs of Salmon in the Autumn with a much smaller
Spring fishery, which is currently the subject of
major research and enhancement projects. There are
also substantial runs of Sea trout and a good population
of resident Brown Trout.
The Tweed Foundation
is at the forefront in developing a more scientific
and professional approach to freshwater fisheries
management. Its habitat enhancement projects aim to
ensure that fish have access to as much spawning territory
as possible and that the best environmental conditions
exist in the spawning and nursery streams to maximise
the production and survival of the juvenile stocks;
much of Foundations work, carried out in conjunction
with farmers and landowners, is devoted to enhancing
the spawning streams in the headwaters of the catchment
to assist this process.
The Ettrick
and Yarrow valleys have provided a particular focus
for a large amount of habitat restoration work with
miles of fencing work being undertaken to allow the
backside vegetation to regenerate and provide food
and cover for fish and other aquatic life, and instream
works to provide improved stream structure to areas
of burn which were previously unable to sustain fish
populations. Regular monitoring work is undertaken
to gauge the success of works done.
The Tweed
Foundation
Drygrange Steading Melrose Roxburghshire TD6
9DJ
T:
01896 848271 F:
01896 848277 W:
www.tweedfoundation.org.uk
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