Blairgowrie businesses rally behind Ericht salmon

Business community backs innovative traffic light project

Blairgowrie businesses are helping to boost the survival of endangered salmon by backing an innovative Perthshire conservation project.

For almost a decade, young salmon or smolts were dying in high number during drought periods on the River Ericht, as they attempted unsuccessfully to pass two historic mill weirs in the town.

Dangerously low river levels were causing smolts to become trapped at the Victorian structures, a situation exacerbated by local businesses legally abstracting water from the river, under licence from SEPA, for legitimate operations.

However, the introduction of a collaborative ‘traffic light system’ two years ago by charity, Tay Rivers Trust, abetted by the community and Blairgowrie businesses, is making a crucial difference to salmon.

Jerry Saunders of Tay Rivers Trust helped to engage local businesses

Low flows

Researchers tracked 15 years of flow data before introducing a system which activates during red light periods when smolts moving down the river are likely to be at their most vulnerable.

When these red warnings are triggered, Tay Rivers Trust communicates with businesses holding water abstraction licences, seeking their co-operation to reduce their water out-take.

Sacrifices made by those businesses can get 25 percent more water down the system at those critical periods, increasing the chances of juveniles crossing the weirs successfully.

Fish surviving

That intervention has proved to be highly effective.

Despite the last two springs being amongst the driest in recent times, no smolt mortality has been observed at the weirs – a testimony to the scheme and the collaboration between the charity, local businesses and the Blairgowrie community.

“We’ve just experienced arguably the two driest springs in 60 years and there has been no smolt mortality observed.

“As part of the community buy-in, local people and business people act as river watchers during the critical red light periods and they report that predation is far lower than they’ve seen in earlier years, so the system has been proven to be highly successful,” said Jerry Saunders, Trustee of the leading charity, Tay Rivers Trust.

The project has been supported by Crown Estate Scotland and Scottish Government with partners including Perth and Kinross Council, local businesses, Blairgowrie Rattray and District Angling Association and BAM Nuttall Community Fund.

At one stage, over ten textile mills operated on the River Ericht at Blairgowrie, demonstrating the evolution of the town’s industrial profile over the decades.