By Ken Bell, angling correspondent

ONE OF Scotland’s main electricity suppliers has been accused of pulling “a bit of a fast one” over returning water flow to a denuded river.

“Under the European Water Framework Directive member states are obliged to improve rivers like the Garry in north Perthshire,” Dr David Summers, fisheries manager of the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board told a dinner at Scone Palace.

“The Garry is a considerable tributary of the Tay, once famed for its springers but, because of hydro electricity, all the flow has been removed from this river.

“A whole river has been lost to salmon for half a century.

“It is probably the biggest single issue affecting the Tay, which is easily avoidable if society wish,” he went on.

Dr Summers admitted the Tay board had expected “considerable argument” about what should be done to restore the Garry when they suggested it.

“Late last year Scottish and Southern Energy plc, who abstract the water, tried to gain some advantage by volunteering to restore some flow.

“While the principle of their offer is accepted, in reality what has been offered is essentially cosmetic.

“They have offered to restore a permanent flow, equivalent to what would be expected naturally in a severe drought.

“The big tributaries will still have no water, and without higher autumn flows salmon still won’t get up to spawn.”

And he pointed out the increased flow would not come from the impounded water of the Garry, but would be taken from the flow of the River Spey, which, he suggested was a “bit of a fast one!”

“The offer was made because Scottish and Southern could reduce compensation flow to the Spey by a similar amount and so not require any loss of electrical generation.”

Dr Summers said he understood the Scottish Executive and SEPA, who have to implement the directive, have accepted the deal “in principle” but the Tay board do not.

“For real benefits to accrue, more flow must be released, and freshets provided in the autumn.”

The benefit to the system could be as many as an extra 1500 fish each year through the Pitlochry Dam fish pass, Dr Summers said.

He admitted none of this could be achieved without loss of generation, but this was accepted in the water framework, under which hydro generation could be cut if alternative forms can be used which do not involve disproportionate cost or have greater environmental impacts.

“As we are only talking about three-and-a-half wind turbines’ worth of electricity, we don’t see any reason why this shouldn’t happen.”

He called for the new Scottish Executive, to be pressured on the issue.