
Following Andrew Thin’s request for comments in response to the Wild Fisheries Review that is currently underway in Scotland, the Board are pleased to provide a copy of their submission below. Dear Sirs Wild Fisheries Review On behalf of the River Ayr Board I wish to note our concerns re. the Review of

ART posted a blog giving updates of progress at Catrine. Follow this link to see what’s new http://www.ayrshireriverstrust.org/blog/2014/07/24/catrine-update-3/

The results from the timed electrofishing surveys on the upper river have been mixed but more encouraging that expected following very poor results on the lower river reported earlier this week. ART biologists were in action yesterday from Sorn upstream. The site at Glen Logan has always been poor despite the habitat being suitable for

Whilst electrofishing the timed sites on the upper river today, ART biologists came across pollution stemming from the Powharnol Burn. The burn comes a short distance from the Powharnol coal site carrying overspill from the void that is overtopping. The burn flows across a field in which cattle have unrestricted access to the watercourse. The silt

Despite the weather forecasters predicting heavy rain, the Ayr catchment doesn’t appear to have had as much as fell in other Ayrshire catchments. The Stinchar, Girvan Doon and Garnock all rose yesterday but the Ayr (and Irvine) have hardly moved. The SEPA website is really useful to see hydrographs such as the one shown below.

Ayrshire Rivers Trust staff were out on the river today undertaking their annual timed electro fishing surveys. This year, bailiffs assisted and I’m sure they found the day very informative. The survey is repeated annually at the same locations across the catchment. ART indicated that results so far have been very poor and down on

Whilst attending a pollution incident on the Fenwick Water this evening, we received another report of pollution , this time on the Ayr at Mauchline. The Sewage Treatment Works were discharging a large quantity of grey water that affected the river for a considerable distance downstream. I asked that the person reporting it to call

More challenges faced by bailiffs. Whilst on patrol bailiffs discovered man made structures in the upper reaches. These are a new addition to the system. The question routinely asked is this an attempt to improve resting places for migrating fish or something more sinister? The fact of the matter is it is unlawful to add

Despite the weather forecast warning of heavy rain this weekend, there hasn’t been much and nowhere near enough to freshen the river or bring the fish in from the bay. I took a quick trip to Catrine today just to see if there was any rise at all. I’m always amazed at the level of