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Cairngorms

Anglers warned of threat posed by aquatic interlopers

4th May 2004

Innovative new project to tackle problem of non-native fish on Spey and Dee

The introduction of non-native fish to the Spey and the Dee river systems could threaten local species and put at risk the £ 20 million angling industry.

The warning came at the launch of The Cairngorms Non-Native Fish Project to assess the presence of non-native fish in the Spey and Dee catchments and raise awareness of the damage that releasing such species can cause.  The project, co-ordinated by the Cairngorms Biodiversity Officer, brings together a wide range of groups with different interests to tackle this problem.

The Spey and the Dee are home to a range of species such as Brown/Sea Trout, Arctic Charr, Salmon, Lamprey and Freshwater Pearl Mussels.  The Spey is recognised as a Special Area of Conservation, under the European Commission’s Habitats Directive, for the latter three species, and the project is in line with the management objectives of the River Spey Catchment Management Plan.

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