Dee District Salmon Fishery Board

Salmon fishing rights in Scotland are private heritable titles that are registered separately from land. As such these titles can be bought and sold like any other property.

In Scotland, the cost of the local administration, protection and improvement of the fisheries is privately financed by the proprietors. The district boards finance their work by levying a rate on the salmon fishery owners in the district. Elected representatives of those owners provide the core of the membership of the Board. However, since 1986, the boards are required also to include representatives of salmon anglers and salmon netsmen in the district. A further revision to the constitution of the Boards was made in 1999 to allow for even wider representation on the boards by other parties who may have an interest or stake in salmon stocks or fisheries.

Powers and Duties

The powers and duties of a DSFB are summarised below.

Powers

• to act, undertake works and incur expenses for the protection and improvement of the fisheries within their districts, for the increase of salmon and sea trout and the stocking of the district with these fish.
• to impose financial assessments on each salmon fishery in the district, and to charge interest on arrears.
• to borrow funds, and to incur a wide range of expenditure in furtherance of their powers and duties.
• to appoint bailiffs to enforce the salmon fisheries legislation.
• exempt persons from certain provisions of the law for scientific or other purposes.
• to sue in the name of the clerk.

Duties

• to appoint a clerk.
• to maintain a list of proprietors within the DSFBs district.
• to produce an annual report and audited accounts and to consider these at an AGM.
• to call a triennial electoral meeting.

Clerk (contact details)

Tim Ewing
Wayside
Townhead of Greenlaw
Castle Douglas
DG7 2LN

DSFB Membership

Chairman – James Ingall
Treasurer – Pat Campbell
Legal advisor – Gavin Scott, Gillespie Gifford & Brown, Kirkcudbright
Head bailiff – Tim Ewing (contact on 07840611976)
Lower Proprietors – Stuart Ferns, Richard Agnew (for Crown Estates)
Upper Proprietors – James Ingall, Richard Agnew, Ronnie Wilson, W.F.E. Forbes, James Curtis (to represent the Tarff)
Invitees – Galloway Fisheries Trust, John McCubbing (New Galloway Angling Association), Ian Finlayson, Ray Cotterill, Robin Ade, SEPA
Date and location of next meeting: Tuesday 23rd April at 10am-12 noon. It will be held at the education room in Threave Gardens.

DSFB Conservation Policy

Salmon season: 11th February – 31st October (no salmon fishing on a Sunday)

The DDSFB takes stock conservation very seriously, the low numbers of Salmon and Sea Trout make taking action to both reduce impact on the stocks through angling policy/guidelines and enhance stocks through habitat improvements and restocking efforts essential. The board hopes that anglers will see these measures as a way to ensure the continuation and enhancement of their angling experience. Through good management, responsible angling behaviour, stock enhancement through hatchery production and habitat enhancement we can help ensure the future of the Dee Salmon and Sea Trout fishery.

The DDSFB requests that anglers:

• The Dee has been designated as a Category 2 river under the new Salmon Conservation Regulations for the 2019 season. This means the killing of salmon is permitted. This categorisation is reviewed annually.  The Dee DSFB do not agree with this categorisation and request that anglers return all rod caught salmon carefully back to the river as stocks are very low.
• All Sea Trout to be returned as stock levels are critical.
• The use of Prawn is banned and worming allowed only in high water.
• Barbless or crimped hooks are recommended.
• October anglers can donate their catch to the hatchery by holding salmon in keep nets and contacting the Head Bailiff for collection.
• Kill and report any North American signal crayfish.
• Report to head bailiff any Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, Giant hogweed or Mink.
• Report to head bailiff any fish with signs of diseased or parasites.

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