Taking Biosecurity forward in
the Forth District
Ben Tyser
River Forth Fisheries Trust
Contents
• Who are the River Forth Fisheries Trust
and River Forth District Salmon
Fisheries Board
• Biosecurity planning and
implementation in Scotland
• Biosecurity planning in the Forth District
The Forth DSFB
• One of 42 District Salmon Fishery Boards in Scotland
• Statutory powers: covers migratory salmonids.
• Managed and run by local salmon fishing
proprietors/anglers
• Funded by a mandatory tax raised from local proprietors
• Ultimately based on number of fish caught
’
The Forth DSFB: Statutory powers
• ‘A District Salmon Fishery board may do
such acts, execute such works and incur
such expenses as may appear to them
expedient for –
a) the protection or improvement of the
fisheries within their District
b) The increase of salmon
c) The stocking of the waters of the District
with salmon
The Forth District*
*catchment
The River Forth Fisheries Trust
• One of 25 Rivers and Fisheries
Trusts covering 90% of
Scotland
• Is affiliated to the Rivers and
Fisheries Trusts of Scotland
(RAFTS)
• The 25 Trusts have over 40
professional staff working on a
broad range of water bodies
The River Forth Fisheries Trust
• The RFFT is charity that advances environmental
protection of all species of freshwater fish and
their environments primarily but not limited to the
inland and coastal waters of the River Forth
catchment including all waters which enter the
Forth Estuary and Firth of Forth.
• Managed and run by a Board of Trustees made up of
representatives from Fisheries Proprietors, Board
employees and angling representatives.
• Promotes and implements ‘Evidence based
catchment management’
Board/Trust relationship
RFFT & Biosecurity Planning
RFFT is one of 20 Trusts producing Biosecurity Plans
DURATION: October 2008 to May 2011.
KEY OUTPUTS AND ACTIONS:
Biosecurity Plan Template
Biosecurity Plans for 20 Trusts
STEERING GROUP:
Scottish Government INNS Policy Lead
SNH
Australian Stonecrop
SEPA
GB Non Native Species Secretariat
IDENTIFICATION OF TARGET
SPECIES
Target Species are a compilation of selected high impact
invasive species found in river, loch or transitional water habitats
from:
the Water Framework Directive UK Technical Advisory
Group INNS lists,
the Species Action Framework,
non-native or translocated fish species identified by the
Trusts, and Slipper Limpet
the fish parasites Gyrodactylis salaris and Anasakis sp.
TARGET ‘Invasive Non Native Species
(INNS)’
Terrestrial Plants Aquatic Plants & Algae Invertebrates Vertebrates
Rhododendron Water primrose Gyrodactylus salaris American Mink
(Rhododendron ponticum & (Ludwigia grandiflora) (Mustela vison)
hybrids)
Japanese Knotweed Fanwort North American signal Asian Topmouth
(Fallopia japonica) (Cabomba caroliniana) crayfish (Pacifastacus Gudgeon
leniusculus) (Pseudorasbora parva)
Himalayan Balsam Large flowered Zebra mussel Ruddy Duck
(Impatiens glandulifera) waterweed (Dreissena polymorpha). (Oxyura jamaicensis)
(Egeria densa)
Giant Hogweed Floating pennywort Chinese mitten crab Minnows
(Heracleum mantegazzianum) (Hydrocotyle (Eriocheir sinensis). (Phoxinus phoxinus)
ranunculoides)
Common cord-grass Australian swamp Slipper limpet Ruffe
(Spartina anglica) stonecrop (Crassula (Crepidula fornicata) (Gymnocephalus
helmsii) cernuus)
Parrot’s feather Didemnum Orfe
(Myriophyllum aquaticum) (Didemnum vexillum) (Leuciscus idus)
Water fern Bullhead
(Azolla filiculoides) (Cotus gobio)
Nuttall’s pondweed
(Elodea nutallii)
Canadian pondweed
(Elodea canadensis)
Curly waterweed
Lagarosiphon major
Wireweed
(Sargassum muticum)
WHAT ARE BIOSECURITY PLANS?
Regional level plans
Link national policies and strategies and local priorities
Action orientated
Living documents part of an adaptive management cycle
Participatory and build partnerships for identified action Ruffe
Linked to the existing planning framework
A tool and stimulus for coordinated local action
LINKS TO NATIONAL STRATEGIES
Invasive Non Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain:
Prevention;
Early detection, surveillance, monitoring and rapid response;
Mitigation, control and eradication.
GB Awareness and Communication Strategy
GB Rapid response protocols
Gs contingency plans
Fish diseases protocols
American Signal Crayfish
RFFT BIOSECURITY PLAN:
LINKS TO LOCAL EXISTING
PLANS
The Biosecurity plans also recognise and build on existing elements of:
Forth Fisheries Management Plan,
Forth Area and Scotland River Basin Catchment
Management Plans,
Conservation objectives of SACs, SPAs, SSSIs within
Forth District
The Local Biodiversity Action Plans.
Local INNS Strategies such the Community Green Wireweed
Initiative
Mission statement
‘To establish a sustainable framework which will prevent,
detect, control and eradicate invasive non-native
species within the Forth Fisheries District through
appropriate management, data collection, liaison,
education and legislation ’
RFFT Biosecurity Plan
Why a biosecurity plan for the Forth?
i) Provide a long term strategy for
invasives.
ii) Explores the feasibility of district wide
INNS control.
iii) Increase coordination and facilitate
communication of control efforts.
iv) Cost effective & value for money.
v) Proven effectiveness.
KEY OUTPUTS OF THE PLANS
Key stakeholders aware of the impacts of INNS and
measures required to prevent their introduction and
spread
Early warning systems for surveillance, detection and
monitoring of INNS (Rapid response mechanism RRM
identified)
Effective sustainable and coordinated
control/eradication programmes are established and
fully functional
Water Primrose
Feasibility of district wide INNS control confirmed
through stakeholder consultation.
Enhanced Local Capacity
How does the plan
actually work in
practice?
RFFT BIOSECURITY PLAN
PRESENTATION of ACTIONS
TIMEFRAME
ACTION LEAD PARTNERS 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Objective 2: Establish optimum early surveillance, detection, monitoring and rapid response systems for the
identified INNS which pose significant threats to local biodiversity and economy
Output 2.1 Early warning systems for surveillance, detection and monitoring of new and existing INNS in the
District established.
Train two RFFT personnel in
the identification of INNS RFFT SNH, RAFTS
Train RFFT as trainers RFFT SNH, RAFTS
Work with user and interest Interest
groups to identify “eyes” RFFT
groups
Training of “eyes” RFFT SNH, SEPA
Produce database to record
and manage INNS sightings RFFT RAFTS
Establish, test and refine
communication mechanisms RFFT RAFTS
within surveillance system
Monitor and periodically
evaluate efficacy of RFFT RAFTS
surveillance system
RFFT BIOECURITY PLAN:
Early Warning
RAPID RESPONSE
INVASIVE SPECIES &
BIOSECURITY PROGRAMME
GB Response Local High Priority Response Local Priority Response
-Report to local and GB -Report to local and GB -Report to local and GB
institutions institutions institutions
-Determine the extent of -Determine the extent of -Determine the extent of
infestation infestation infestation
-Isolate area where practicable - Isolate area where practicable -Survey in course of normal
- Establish source and check work to establish and map
related sites distribution
- Closure of all pathways -Include new areas in existing
-Decide on appropriate action eradication/control
eradication/containment. programmes
- Approve eradication - Identify and close all
methodology pathways
-Monitor - Monitor as part of planned
catchment monitoring
programme
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR
CHALLENGES?
• The challenges:
9 District councils
11 major rivers & one major canal
At least 18 invasive species
• Potential opportunities? Is it feasible?
How can CGI become involved?
1. Through consultation into the
Biosecurity plan and it’s feasibility.
2. Become part of the monitoring
network for INNS.
3. Become familiarized with reporting of
INNS protocols.
4. Training of voluntary ‘recorders’ in CGI
by the RFFT.
Summary
• The Forth Biosecurity Plan will complement, work with and
enhance work undertaken by organizations such as CGI Scotland
• The long term economic and environmental costs of invasives far
exceed the short term convenience of ignoring the problem.
• National and European legislation relating to invasives will get tougher,
therefore the onus is increasing on pro actively addressing the issue at a
local level:
Thank you for Listening
Questions?