5We 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 SP 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. 

Programme

Tea & Coffee from 09:00

Conference Starts at 09:30

Introduction and Welcome
David Johnstone, Fisheries Management Scotland

Opening Address
Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands 

Session 1 – 09:45 – 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

A Relationship with Salmon: Resilience, Recovery and Reasons for Hope
Alan Wells, Fisheries Management Scotland

Our Sector at a Glance
Amelia Heath, Forth Rivers Trust

Slowing the Flow of the River Dee
Lorraine Hawkins, River Dee

Is water scarcity management on the Spey fit for purpose?
Atticus Albright, Spey Fishery Board

Reducing risk to salmonid fish in Argyll & the Isles
Alan Kettle-White, Argyll Fisheries Trust

Q&A comprising above speakers

11:00 Two-minute silence for Remembrance Day

Session 2 – 11:55 – 13:15 – 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, Seafood Expert and Author

Farming and Water Scotland – Clear guidance for muddy waters
Rebecca Audsley, Farming and Water Scotland

Building Capacity for Resilient Water Use:  Distilleries, water resources and temperature
Ronald Daalmans, Head of Environmental Sustainability, Chivas Brothers

Scottish Water and Rivers
Karen Dee, Head of Strategy and Planning, Wastewater Directorate, Scottish Water

Q&A Panel Discussion

Jamie Reid – SP 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

Safe passage downstream through collaboration and innovation: lessons from Sweden
Velizara Stoilova, Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation and Burgas State University

Dam Removal in Maine – Addressing major barriers in the Kennebec and Penobscot Watersheds
Catherine Morse, Atlantic Salmon Federation

A Reverence for Rivers: Imagining an Ethic for Running Waters
Dr Kurt Fausch, Colorado State University – A Reverence for Rivers: Imagining an Ethic for Running Waters 

Q&A

Evidence for management and future prospects
John Armstrong, Scottish Government, Marine Directorate

Closing Remarks
David Johnstone, Fisheries Management Scotland