Local organisations have welcomed the news that the River Spey is to benefit from a £75,000 investment. The funding is being provided by the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme, through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. It will help to protect and improve the river and its tributaries. The £75,000 matches the amount already committed by members of the Spey Catchment Steering Group and other organisations.

The Steering Group includes the Spey Fishery Board, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the Highland and Moray Councils. Its long term aim is to protect the special interests of the Spey and to work with partners to develop a management plan for the river catchment area. The group was formed following the Government’s proposal to designate the Spey as a Special Area of Conservation because of its internationally important populations of Atlantic salmon, sea lamprey and otter. The other funding partners are Moray Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise, Sport Scotland and the Cairngorms Partnership.

The award of European Structural Funds for the River Spey will help to finance a three year project officer post whose main job will be to produce a catchment management plan and a costed action plan. Anyone with an interest in the Spey will have an opportunity to contribute to the development of the plan. Funds will also be targeted towards a variety of projects involving local businesses, recreational and tourist interests, as well as local school children and the community.

Colin Whittle, Chairman of the Spey Fishery Board, welcomed the Minister’s announcement on behalf of all the project’s partners: “The River Spey is tremendously important for the economy, the local community and the environment of Badenoch & Strathspey and Moray. This award of European Structural Funds creates an exceptional opportunity for all those with an interest in the River Spey and its tributaries to work together to develop a plan which will ensure a long term commitment to the sustainable management of this valuable resource.”

ENDS


Notes to editors

This news release was issued by SEPA on behalf of the Spey Catchment Steering Group.

The informal partnership of key regulatory authorities in the Spey catchment area was formed to drive forward the process of developing an integrated approach to managing the catchment. This new group was created in response to the government’s intention to designate the Spey as a Special Area of Conservation, and because of the forthcoming Water Framework directive.

The group includes: the Spey Fishery Board, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Highland and Moray Councils. The partnership’s approach is to produce a catchment management plan through consensus, and with the involvement of local communities and all other interested parties.

River Spey facts:

• it has a catchment area of about 3,000 square kilometres (8th largest in the UK)
  
• from its source in Loch Spey to the sea at Spey Bay, it is 157 km (98 miles) long (7th longest in the UK and 2nd longest in Scotland)
  
• water quality is generally very good.
  
  

The river supports a number of important species:

Atlantic salmon The Spey is one of the largest Atlantic salmon rivers in Scotland and was the first to be proposed as a Special Area of Conservation for salmon under the EC Habitats Directive. The river has sustained a consistent catch over 50 years of some 10,000 salmon and grilse per annum and is estimated to contribute £15 million per annum to the local economy.

Sea lamprey This is a primitive, jawless fish resembling an eel. It spawns throughout the lower and middle reaches of the River Spey. The habitat requirements of the sea lamprey are well met, including clean gravel for spawning and silt or sand for the burrowing larvae. The Spey is a favourable site for this species because it has few natural or artificial barriers to migration and it is relatively unpolluted.

Otters The river supports a healthy population of otters, which occur widely throughout the river catchment. Ample populations of important food species are present in the river, and there are numerous ponds, small lochans and marshy areas which are important seasonal sources of amphibian prey. The site includes river islands and reed beds which are favoured resting areas.