Fisheries Management Plans

Summary

This national project coordinated district approaches to fisheries management by transforming traditional fisheries management planning processes into a dynamic, data-driven approach. The Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre (SFCC) worked with members and stakeholders to reimagine 44 static, standalone pdf management plans as interactive ArcGIS StoryMaps and to develop a centralised ArcGIS Dashboard. This innovative approach consolidated over 1,300 planned interventions from fisheries districts nationwide, supporting the Scottish Government Wild Salmon Strategy and providing a clear, nationwide view of the actions needed to improve conditions for endangered wild salmon populations.

Outputs

Fisheries Management Plans: A suite of 44 detailed digital fishery management plans was created. These plans documented the limiting factors in each fishery and proposed targeted actions—from specific management interventions to large-scale catchment restoration and climate resilience measures—to protect and restore wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout populations. 

Interactive Dashboard: An online dashboard was developed that consolidated management actions from all districts into a single, interactive map layer. This dashboard allowed users to explore local and national trends, common themes, pressures, and planned actions, while also providing detailed costings (including capital costs, annual costs, in-kind contributions, and funding shortfalls). This output offers a dynamic tool for assessing progress against Scotland’s Wild Salmon Strategy and for identifying potential funding opportunities ready for investment. 

Funding

This project was funded by the Marine Directorate’s Marine Scotland Fund.

Partners

The project was coordinated by the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre and delivered in collaboration with District Salmon Fishery Boards (DSFBs) and Rivers and Fisheries Trusts.