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| e-newsletter 17 . Winter 2009 |
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This newsletter features:
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Diary Dates - For up to date information on events visit the ART online diary here |
| 26th-28th January 2010 - Atlantic Salmon Trust - Symposium on Managing River Flows for Salmonids |
Flows are of critical importance to all forms of aquatic life in rivers, but are under severe pressure in many areas. Increasing demand for water and the effects of climate change threaten to make matters worse. Effective management of flows will be vital if the Water Framework Directive's target of all rivers achieving good ecological status is to be met. There have been major developments in the scientific understanding of the flow requirements of salmonids since the last AST meeting on this issue 20 years ago, together with extensive changes in regulatory regimes. The aim of this symposium is to review these developments and consider how they can best inform the practical management of river flows. It will be followed later by a workshop that will seek to develop practical guidance for regulators and river managers. For more information and booking see http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/426 |
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| 14th-16th April 2010 - 11th River Restoration Conference 2010, University of York |
For more information visit www.rrc.co.uk |
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| 19th -23rd April 2010 – PINPOINT Advanced Training Course |
Following an extremely successful Introductory Training Course in October the second free PINPOINT Diffuse Pollution training course is scheduled for April 2010. Please contact archie@associationofriverstrists.org.uk if you would like to attend or for more information. |
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| 19th-20th May 2010 – Ballinderry River Enhancement Association and ART Spring Seminar |
“Local action achieving EU Objective – the role of river trusts and community groups in delivering EU targets”. Will be held at the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown comprising a one day conference (May 19th) followed by Field Trip to the Ballinderry River and its Tributaries on 20th May. Call for speakers! Please contact Mark Horton, Ballinderry Fish Hatchery Ltd, Orritor Road, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, BT80 9ND, Tel: 00 44 (0)28 867 61515, mark@bfhtrust.org |
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| 6th-9th September 2010 - The Conservation and Management of Rivers – “20 years on” |
In September 1990 the Nature Conservancy Council organised an international conference on ‘The Conservation and Management of Rivers’. The conference was truly international, attracting 337 delegates from 29 countries. The 2010 conference provides an opportunity both to share experience as we look back over the last 20 years, and to use the lessons of the past to look 20 years into the future. For more information visit www.jncc.gov.uk
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| ART Autumn Seminar Review |
Minister Supports Rivers Trusts |
This was the first ART conference to be held in the Thames area featuring all four of the Rivers Trusts in the region. It was also the first ever ART conference to have a Minister speaking, with senior staff from both the EA and DEFRA present. There were around 85 attendees who heard reports of work from many trusts including Thames Rivers Restoration Trust, Wandle Trust, Thames 21 and Action for the River Kennet.
Chris Poupard, Chairman of TRRT, gave the welcoming address to the seminar, and introduced the keynote speaker, Rt Hon Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Minister for the Marine and Natural Environment.
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The Minister was extremely supportive of the Rivers Trust movement saying, “As well as being the Defra Minister you may be aware I’m from Wales – the first country in the world to be entirely covered by rivers trusts and I’m therefore delighted to be at an event where I can promote Wales as being a world first”, and repeating the recent announcement of £10m additional funds for WFD-related projects, of which £1.75m will be delivered by ART – a “first” for the movement. The Minister was pleased to announce that “We’ll be funding work in 12 Rivers Trusts this year ranging from the Westcountry Rivers Trust covering Cornwall and Devon up to the Eden Rivers Trust in Cumbria.” For an example of the sort of work Rivers Trusts do to open up rivers for migrating fish see the story from the Wear Rivers Trust (below).
A series of presentations from Thames 21, ARK and the Wandle Trust, demonstrated various aspects of community involvement in Trust projects. |
Chris Poupard (TRRT), Arlin Rickard (ART), Rt Hon Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Ian Gregg OBE (ART) and Rob Oates (TRRT)at the London Wetland Centre, Barnes during the ART Autumn Seminar September 2009 |
ART Officers gave three contrasting presentations at the conference highlighting the scope of the Trust’s current activities:
- About the movement itself which now boasts over 35 local trusts in England & Wales.
- The Pinpoint project, which aims to train Trust staff in all aspects of agricultural diffuse pollution (including the TRRT sponsored FWAG Diffuse Pollution Project officer on the Kennet).
- The Living North sea project, which is an EU Interreg funded project with 15 partners across Europe and Scandinavia concerned mainly with sea trout. ART is the lead partner with support from the EA and Cefas amongst others.
A presentation from the Ballinderry River Trust in Northern Ireland described a template for community participation in the WFD and advertised their coming Spring Seminar.
A presentation from the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts for Scotland (RAFTS), ART’s sister organisation north of the border, described Trusts’ involvement in strategies for the control of Invasive Non-Native species. All the presentations and a transcript of the Minister’s speech are available on our website.www.associationofriverstrusts.org.uk
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| First Cycle River Basin Management Plans |
| Published and submitted to Ministers |
| As planned, following the public consultation, which ran earlier this year, the EA have now finalised their River Basin Management Plans. These are available online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wfd . The plans are now with Ministers and are expected to be signed off by the UK government for submission to the EU on 22nd December 2009.
As the Minister said at our conference on 7th September, “The Environment Agency’s proposals for the first River Basin Management Plans will be presented to Defra on 22 September for approval, following the six month consultation which finished in June. During that date and the publication date of 22 December, my officials and I will be in discussion with stakeholders to ensure we have the right balance contained within the first Plans, accepting that this is the starting point not the end and understanding where we need to focus our future effort.”
Well done to everyone who submitted a response to the consultation – now it is time to dive back into the finalised plans to make sure your comments and suggestions have been accounted for. If not, then contact your Area or Regional EA office to discuss the reasons with the WFD team there. The EA and Defra nationally have said they see this as the start of the process of working together to define and implement improvement measures, so your input is vital.
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| Rain-Charm House opening |
HRH The Duke of Gloucester carried out the official naming ceremony for Rain-Charm House, the new office of the Westcountry Rivers Trust and Association of Rivers Trusts’ Registered Office at Stoke Climsland on Friday 27th March. The building, a Duchy of Cornwall property, has been named Rain-Charm House in memory of WRT co-founder Ted Hughes who wrote the poem ‘Rain Charm for the Duchy’ to celebrate the birth of HRH Prince Harry. The Trust was thrilled that The Duke attended the opening ceremony making the event a memorable occasion.
The Duke was welcomed on arrival by children from the village primary school, then escorted into the building and introduced to WRT staff, Trustees and Guests to gain an insight into the work of this local, environmental Charity.
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WRT Director, Dr Dylan Bright gave an overview of the work of the Trust and Toby Russell, Head of Fisheries, provided a short presentation of the ground breaking scientific research project that WRT undertook into Atlantic Salmon conservation. The Duke, escorted by Dr Bright, visited the Educational Marquee where children were taking part in practical educational activities that help them investigate and better understand river life.
The official naming ceremony took place at the front of the building, with The Duke unveiling a commemorative plaque commissioned in Cornish Delabole Slate and His Royal Highness said a few words. Michael Martin MBE., a founder and former Chairman of the Westcountry Rivers Trust, presented HRH with a book of poems by the late Ted Hughes to commemorate the naming of the Office. |
Dr Dylan Bright (WRT Director) and His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester opening Rain-Charm House |
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| Wear Trust opens up Swinhopeburn |
Following their extremely successful launch in April the Wear Rivers Trust (WeRT) and local anglers have installed a fish easement on Swinhopeburn in Weardale, resulting in 10 Km of spawning ground above being reopened to migratory fish. The original pass was put in the 1980's and complements a concrete Pitlochry style ladder about 1.5 Km downstream. The easement project is part of the local Biodiversity Action Plan. It was first discussed in the Mineral Valleys Project, but costed at £8K and never progressed.
Wear Rivers Trust, working with the landowner, secured permission to work on site and also obtained access from the adjacent farm. The pass is located in a steep valley with very bad access in the last 200m and so presented a significant challenge to the Trust. Five WeRT members were joined by volunteers from Chester-Le-Street, Bishop Auckland and Frosterley Angling Clubs, who completed the task in a single day! Materials and transport costing around £600 were provided by the Environment Agency (EA). Untreated hardwood sleepers were used in the construction and the pass will be monitored this Autumn for activity. All credit to the group who gave up Sunday the 13th September to put something back into their catchment. For more information on this and other WeRT projects visit www.wear-rivers-trust.org.uk.
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Swinhopeburn fish pass before WeRT work |
- after the work to provide easy passage over the obstruction |
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