Argyll Fisheries Trust has been awarded £10,000 from Salmon Scotland’s Wild Fisheries Fund to continue habitat restoration work on the River Eachaig, building on previous successful projects to tackle erosion and improve conditions for wild salmon.
The project will protect a further 50 metres of vulnerable riverbank using natural green bank revetment techniques, repair an existing section of bank protection, install 500 metres of livestock fencing and plant 1,000 native trees along the river corridor. The work forms part of a long-running programme to restore the River Eachaig, where erosion and flooding have damaged riverbanks and important fish habitat.
The River Eachaig is fished by the 70-strong River Eachaig Fishery Syndicate and members of Dunoon and District Angling Club. The project will be managed and delivered by Argyll Fisheries Trust, which has an established track record of delivering successful conservation projects through the Wild Fisheries Fund. While £10,000 is being provided by the fund, additional support is being sought from Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority towards the total project cost of £32,000.
It is one of nine conservation projects across Scotland sharing almost £230,000 from the fund this year. Since its launch in 2021, the Wild Fisheries Fund has delivered £1.5 million for practical conservation and restoration work, supporting 30 local projects across Scotland. Salmon farmers have now committed a further £460,000 over the next two years, taking total investment through the fund since 2021 to £1.96 million.
Robert Younger, manager of the River Eachaig Fishery Syndicate, said:
"Fisheries managers are facing growing challenges from climate change, with heavier rainfall and more frequent flooding eroding riverbanks and damaging important habitats.
"The Wild Fisheries Fund is helping us continue vital work on the River Eachaig. The funding will support natural measures to strengthen a further stretch of riverbank, repair previous work, install livestock fencing and plant 1,000 trees to protect and improve the riverside environment."
