Don’t miss this prestigious conference on the 17 - 20th OCT 2006, BALTIC CENTRE, NEWCASTLE-GATESHEAD. Book your place now for “SALMONIDS IN THE 21st CENTURY” www.associationofriverstrusts.org.uk/salmonid_conf

Full details and delegate rates may now be found on the ART website together with accommodation providers and for the first time ART is offering the opportunity to book and pay online with a credit card facility.

BOOKING
There are 3 easy ways to book your place:

1.) You can apply online and pay using the credit card facility

2.) You can submit your application form online and we will issue an invoice

3.) You can print out the application form and complete and send it to ART together with a cheque

Thanks to our partners and event sponsors we have been able to keep the delegate rates as low as possible at £195 for the 4 day package, including, reception, registration, tea/coffee, lunch/picnic lunch and coach travel. There is also a daily rate at £75.

Sponsors include, American Fisheries Society, Trout Unlimited, Environment Agency, Fishmongers Company, Greggs, WWF, Atlantic Salmon Trust, APEM, EU Atlantic Salmon Arc Project and EU Union des Terres de Rivieres.

ACCOMMODATION
Although there is plenty of space at the conference venue, book early to ensure the widest choice of accommodation. There is a range of hotels and rooms available in the Newcastle-Gateshead area which may be reserved through the ART web-link to the Newcastle-Gateshead Initiative, the accommodation bureau for the city.

The Copthorne Hotel on the River Tyne, a short walk from the Baltic Conference Centre will host the reception evening on Monday 16 th October and provide a centre of operations for the organizers. At the other end of the scale the City’s new Youth Hostel provides a range of multiple occupancy rooms at a budget price. For further details on accommodation and to make your reservations contact the Newcastle-Gateshead Initiative

The conference focuses on four themes:

• Post Industrial River Recovery
• Marine and Climate Change
• River Basin Challenges
• Fisheries Management

PROGRAMME:

• 16th October - Evening Drinks Reception & Welcome, Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle
• 17th & 18th October - Presentations & scientific papers, Baltic Centre
• 17th October - Association of Rivers Trusts’ Annual Awards Dinner for 2006, Baltic Centre
• 19th & 20th October - Escorted field visits by coach to rivers Tyne, Tweed and Eden

Further conference and online booking information may be found at

www.associationofriverstrusts.org.uk/salmonid_conf

We recommend bookmarking this link, as all details will be posted here as they become available,

or e-mail:alan@associationofriverstrusts.org.uk or telephone: Alan Hawken (ART Secretary): 00 44 (0) 1726 822343

FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS Please submit your abstracts by 7th July to Alistair Maltby (Director North). E-mail: alistair@associationofriverstrusts.org.uk

The 15th International Salmonid Conference will also feature ART's 2006 Annual Awards Dinner, where excellence and achievement by Rivers Trusts and individuals is recognised, and substantial cash awards are given to be spent on river conservation projects of the recipient's choice.

The 2006 Annual Awards Dinner will be held on the Tuesday 17th October in the Riverside Restaurant at the Baltic Centre. Tickets are £40 (inclusive of wine) and may be reserved at the same time as book your conference place.

2005 winners recieving their awards

ART 2006 Awards - Nominations invited!

ART welcomes your nominations (individual and/or organisation) in one or more of the following award categories for 2006. Nomination forms can be downloaded from the ART website or obtained from the Trust office and should be returned to ART by e-mail or post by 31 st August 2006 .

ART is extremely grateful to the sponsors of these prestigious awards that carry a combined value of more than £12,000

• Award for Contribution to Science - sponsored by Atlantic Salmon Trust, value £2,000
• Award for Best Fisheries Project with Environmental Benefits - sponsored by Salmon & Trout Association, value £4,000
• Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer - sponsored by WWF and HSBC, value £4,000
• Special Award(s) for Contribution to the Rivers Trust Movement - Sponsored by ART, min value £2,000

U.TdR partner meetings have recently taken place in Portugal, Greece, Slovakia, France and Cornwall. Subjects covered have varied from sustainable development, ox bow restoration, river corridor management techniques, access and cycle-ways, fisheries development, tourism and future European networking and partnerships.

An expanded account of activities will appear in the next edition of ART’s E-Newsletter including a report from the U.TdR Cornwall meeting. In the meantime for more information click on www.terresderivieres.eu

The Slaney River Trust (SRT) has kindly agreed to host ART’s Spring 2007 Seminar, at the Millrace Hotel, Bunclody, Co Wexford. This SRT event forms part of the Celtic Rivers Project programme in partnership with the Pembrokeshire Rivers Trust in Wales .

The Seminar will be chaired by Dr. Martin O’Grady (Central Fisheries Board) and speakers will include:

• Dr. Ken Whelan (Marine Institute. Chairman, North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation)
• Senator Michael Meighen (Chairman, Atlantic Salmon Federation ( Canada ))
• Niall Greene (Chairman, Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now)
• Dr. William Roche (Central Fisheries Board)

On Tuesday 20th February a field trip will take place in the Slaney Valley. It will include visits to: fisheries on the river, sites of SRT activity and heritage centres.

For advanced information and to help gauge potential numbers, SRT would be pleased to receive a quick e-mail if you are interested in attending the seminar. Contact Andrew Willis, Project Officer - Slaney River Trust: andrew@slaneyrivertrust.ie full details will be posted on the ART website in due course. Click here for details.