Forth Crown Estate Pilot Project Update

At the end of 2020, the Forth District Salmon Fishery Board and Crown Estate Scotland entered into an innovative agreement for the management of the salmon fishings in the Forth District.  This pilot project is now well underway as we enter 2022. The first months of this project have allowed our new Fisheries Development officer to get established in her new role and begin to meet and work with Crown tenants across the district as well as get to know our beautiful rivers.

Fishery support has been central to this project, helping fisheries to develop their long term goals and opportunities, support their anglers and protect and enhance the river environment that is so close to everyone’s heart.

Generally the Scottish Crown Estate salmon fishing assets are leased and the project is geared to support existing and new tenants to get best use of the asset and support them in providing well run and sustainable fishing opportunities.   In this process the Development Officer has supported clubs and associations with funding bids for various projects and been able to provide additional support to deliver them.

Central to the project is to help tenants promote their fishing opportunities, including support for increasing permit sales, website improvements, setting up social media pages and working with Fishing Around the Forth.  In this a key aim is to get more people fishing and we are working with a number of clubs on opportunities to provide funded angling experiences to various groups of people including those who struggle with mental health, women and girls, juniors and all new interested individuals and to promote the numerous mental and physical benefits of angling as well as the connection built with nature through fishing.

Moving into 2022 the project will be looking at areas which are part of the Scottish Crown Estate currently not leased and developing opportunities for new fisheries.  Further updates will be made available as this exciting work proceeds.

We are looking forward to the new season to continue working closely with fisheries to promote angling and it’s wider benefits, develop new fisheries and engage the public on the beauty of the rivers that lie right on their doorstep.