Diageo, has announced the completion of a new weir and
fish pass installation, to help boost the sustainability of salmon and trout stocks, in the
Speyside whisky region.
The new weir and fish pass in the River Dullan – part of the
River Spey catchment, which is crucial to the Scotch whisky industry, is the
result of a £550,000 investment and a collaboration with the Spey Fishery
Board.
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| Diageo announces completion of new Speyside river management system |
The project, which has taken three and a half years to
design and construct, replaces an outdated and damaged weir, and will
significantly improve upstream biodiversity and increase the opportunity for
spawning trout and salmon.
Commenting on the news, Lee Oliver, Environment Manager at
Diageo, said: “The design of the new fish pass is a vast improvement on the
old, damaged weir at Dufftown and takes into account free passage for all fish
species as well as different flow conditions. We have worked closely with the
Spey Fishery Board to develop a weir system that will benefit all river users
and in turn the local community. I am delighted to see the project complete and
look forward to monitoring the results on fish populations over the next few
years.”
A similar, smaller scale project has also recently been
completed on the Burn of Linkwood at Linkwood Distillery in Elgin, in the neighbouring
River Lossie catchment.
Posted by Steve Rush