A “Victorian relic” at a Perthshire beauty spot could be removed to help curb a downturn in River Tay salmon, it has been claimed.
Landowner and keen angler Michael Smith is calling for a redundant weir at Luncarty to be demolished to help fish reach the Schochie burn, described as one of the most significant spawning streams to enter the main stem of the Tay.
Salmon catching rates recently slumped to their lowest levels in about 50 years.
The Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board said that the continuing drought was causing delays to young salmon (smolts) migrating down the river.
#Salmon #smolts still migrating down the River Tay. The continuing drought causing delay. Now moving in daylight. Desperation for the sea! pic.twitter.com/QcyeGTkSMp
— Tay Salmon Board (@taydsfb) May 18, 2017
Now former chairman Mr Smith has urged the board to spend money removing the weir, which he says has become an obstacle for salmon returning to the Tay.
The weir — a stone barrier across the width of the river — was built to help power Luncarty Mill and has not been used for about 15 years.
He said: “In the interests of the board’s much vaunted ethos of conservation, restoration and enhancement of the district’s salmon stocks, it is scandalous that this weir has not been removed.
“The board is funded by anglers and proprietors and an issue such as this suggests our money is being wasted.”
Mr Smith has suggested board members could approach SEPA for help with funding.
“This small project would meet the necessary criteria for improving access for salmon, whilst also mitigating the flooding effect this redundant weir has on upstream properties,” he said.
Board chairman David Summers said the issue had been looked into.
“We regularly conduct survey of juvenile salmon and trout in the Schochie Burn and generally find numbers to be good,” he said. “It certainly holds up well compared to other tributaries in the district. I believe SEPA have done surveys too and have found similar.”
He said that a counter at a fish pass near the Weir showed that hundreds of adult fish had ascended.
“Therefore, by conventional yardsticks, the Shochie is a productive salmon stream and enough fish would appear to be able to get up the fish pass to populate it,” he said.
“I do not doubt, however, that in an ideal world it would be better if the weir were not there, and that may help in years when the flow isn’t ideal.
“Nevertheless, the evidence would suggest it isn’t an overwhelming problem, most of the time anyway.”
It is understood that the weir was most most recently owned by a housing developer, but could soon pass into the control of Perth and Kinross Council.
Earlier this year it was announced that a 10-mile stretch of the River Garry was being brought back to life, meaning that spawning salmon will have access for the first time in 60 years to the Tay tributary which could lead to 1,500 adult salmon returning to the river annually.
