Fisheries Management Scotland Annual Conference 2026
We are delighted to announce that the Fisheries Management Scotland Annual Conference will be held on 11 November 2026 at the Norton House Hotel and Spa, Edinburgh. We are grateful to Scottish Power Energy Networks who are our principal sponsor for the event.
Our theme this year is “Shared Waters: Shared Challenges – From Pressures to Progress”. Improving rivers and fisheries is a shared challenge that requires shared responsibility. Lasting progress will only be achieved through collaboration, learning from one another and working across sectors, disciplines and borders. The event will feature interactive workshops and engaging talks, offering hands-on opportunities to explore innovative solutions, exchange ideas, and collaborate on real-world challenges in fisheries and river management.
The final programme will be published shortly, below are details of the session themes and speakers. Final titles for many of the talks are currently being sought and will be confirmed in the final programme.
Session 1 – 09:30 – 11:00 – Our Sector – Managing Pressures on Rivers & Fisheries
The purpose of this session is to bring our sector together and demonstrate clearly that we must work collaboratively if we are to address the pressures facing rivers and fisheries.
Chair: David Johnstone, Chair, Fisheries Management Scotland
Welcome to delegates – David Johnstone
Keynote speech – Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands
Alan Wells, CEO, Fisheries Management Scotland
Amelia Heath, Forth Rivers Trust
Lorraine Hawkins, River Dee
Duncan Fergusson, Spey Fishery Board
Alan Kettle-White, Argyll Fisheries Trust
Q&A and Panel Discussion comprising above speakers
11:00 Two-minute silence for Remembrance Day
Session 2 – 11:45 – 13:00 – Beyond Fisheries: What Other Sectors Are Doing
The purpose of this session is to look outward and allow other sectors to present their approaches, while creating space for reflection and inspiration.
Chair: John Goodlad
Introduction to session – John Goodlad
Rebecca Audsley, Scotland’s Rural College
Building Capacity for Resilient Water Use – Distilleries, water resources & temperature, Ronald Daalmans, Head of Environmental Sustainability, Chivas Bothers
Karen Dee, Head of Strategy and Planning, Wastewater Directorate, Scottish Water
Q&A Panel Discussion comprising the speakers and the following contributors:
Jamie Reid – Scottish Power Energy Networks
Caro Cowan – Atlantic Salmon Trust
Linsey Mason-McLean – Scottish Forestry
Ben Hadfield – Mowi
13:15pm Lunch
Session 3 – 14:15 – 15.45 – Beyond Scotland: What Other Nations Are Doing
The purpose of the final session is to broaden perspectives and inject ambition by showcasing international examples of rivers being managed well.
Chair: Ann-Marie MacMaster – Esk Rivers and Fisheries Trust
Introduction to session – Ann-Marie MacMaster
Velizara Stoilova, Karlstad University
Cat Morse, Atlantic Salmon Federation
A Reverence for Rivers: Imagining an Ethic for Running Waters Dr Kurt Fausch, Colorado State University
Q&A
An introduction to John Armstrong – Alan Wells, Fisheries Management Scotland
John Armstrong, Scottish Government, Marine Directorate
Closing remarks David Johnstone, Chair, Fisheries Management Scotland
