The Dee Salmon Fishery Board held a seminar for river beat owners and ghillies at Banchory Lodge Hotel on Thursday 14 January. The seminar, attended by over 100, followed intensive dialogue behind the scenes between the Board and public agencies, aimed at getting the fishery up and running as soon as possible. Aberdeenshire Council, SEPA, SNH, and the Cairngorm National Park spoke at the meeting and are united in their commitment to helping ensure the Dee is open for business on 1 February.

The main challenges facing the beats are to fishing huts, access roads and tracks and to the riverbank. The audience was advised that the agencies will, within the confines of legislation, do everything they can to help the beats in a flexible, practical and timely manner. Simple ‘like for like’ tasks such as replacing fishing huts with temporary accommodation and remedial work on access roads and tracks can get underway at once. A multi-agency panel has been set up to prioritise proposals for more significant works, which require a formal process.

River Director Mark Bilsby said: “We are most grateful to the public agencies for their response to the present situation on the Dee. The river supports many hundreds of jobs and is an important part of the Deeside economy, so it is in the interests of all to ensure we do everything in our collective power to be ready for the new season. Clearly, there is much to be done and in the short term it is crucial the fishery and agencies work closely together. One thing is for certain – the Dee will be open for business, as usual, on 1 February.”

ENDS

Issued by Andrew Graham-Stewart on behalf of the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and the River Dee Trust. For further information contact Mark Bilsby, River Director on 01339 80411 or info@riverdee.org

Notes for Editors

1)         The River Dee Trust is a charitable organisation tasked with understanding the catchment and the factors that influence it, leading to practical works to restore the river for future generations and a community based education programme for all age groups.

2)         Angling in the River Dee generates some £12 million annually in revenues to the local economy in important calendar months when very few other tourists come to Deeside. Angling tourism also supports an estimated 500 rural jobs.

3)         SEPA Press Release 7 Jan 2016 http://media.sepa.org.uk/media-releases/2016/sepa-is-here-to-help-farmers-and-land-managers-repair-flood-damage/