SFCC COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday 1st April 2015, 14:00
Marine Scotland Freshwater Laboratory, Pitlochry
Draft Minutes
James Hunt (JH)* Tweed Foundation (Chair)
Pamella Esson (PE)* Dee Fishery Trust
Jackie Graham (JaG)* Galloway Fisheries Trust
Nick Chisholm (NC)* Annan Rivers Trust
Sean Dugan (SD) SFCC
Chris Horrill (CH) RAFTS
Alistair Stephen (AS) SSE
Alistair Duguid (AD) SEPA
Colin Bean (CB) SNH
* denotes member of the SFCC committee
1. Welcome and apologies for absence
Apologies were received from Jeff Gibbons and John Armstrong.
The chair welcomed all attendees and in particular Pamela Esson who has replaced Mark Bilsby on the committee and also Colin Bean from SNH.
2. Minutes of previous meeting, review of action points and matters arising
The following items are ongoing from the December meeting:
SFCC to discuss with MSS improving collaboration on training course delivery and attendance on electro-fishing refresher, scale reading and GIS courses.
SFCC to scope out a possible review of electrofishing data collection after publication of MSS analysis report.
Marc Naura to provide an update on the University of Southampton electrofishing data analysis project. SD to circulate a summary to committee/ update to membership.
When ready, Jeff Gibbons to circulate to committee the next draft of the data sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The December minutes were agreed as accurate and approved.
3. Chairman's report
Copied directly from his notes :-
“We allowed an extra 12 days for BSWG time which was an absolute necessity to get the report completed. The two half post allocations did ultimately work well and Sean should be credited with managing both very different areas of work. We can now look forward to Sean working full time for SFCC, which is the first time that we have had a full post since 2012 and I know Sean is looking forward to doing this.”
“Since December, one of the main SFCC activities was the biologists meeting which I believe was very successful and we will discuss this as an agenda item. After my recent, slightly late paternity leave, I would like to note Nick's assistance in doing the presentation at RAFTS which I know took a fair bit of time to organise and rehearse.”
“You may note that the WFR is not included as an agenda item but this is not because we don't consider it important. We await the consultation process and I think our response to the previous questionnaire summarised our position. We have Jeff and John who are particularly well placed in the process and I believe will keep the interests of SFCC in mind and will advise us if we need to do anything. When considering the activities of the SFCC over the next year, Sean and myself are mindful of the WFR context and a number of the proposed objectives meet WFR recommendations, particularly in relation to training and partnership working.”
I did provide a very brief summary in my email on Friday, reflecting on the last couple of years and what we would like to-do in the year ahead. The last three years have been about engagement, communication, training and effective database provision. We are now doing these things pretty well and now have the opportunity to think more broadly about what SFCC can do within the remit of its constitution and its vision statement and I encourage you to contribute to the process of generating new ideas and initiatives.
“As ever the, agenda is very packed for 2 hours of discussion and sometimes we don’t do justice to particular items. With a bit more thought my suggestion is we have a themed item after lunch for each meeting of no more than an hour to encourage this ‘broader’ thinking idea.”
AS mentioned the meetings taking place between IFM and SFCC/RAFTS UHI to outline the specific skills, tasks and roles of staff empolyed by the proposed FMO’s.
ACTION: SFCC to wait until document is finalised then take forward feedback with SM, AS.
4. Manager’s report
SD reported on his working activities for February and March 2015 in the following main areas:
Data
• Freshwater Fisheries Web Map
• GIS data re-supply for Trusts (Thank you Hilary Anderson)
• SEPA Conference
• Smolt Database
• MSS FishObs Database Trial (Thank you Iain Malcolm)
• SEPA database set up
• Electrofishing Database support
• Data provision for SAC monitoring
• Database audit follow-up with Trusts
• Fish scale image database scoping with Marine Institute
Training
• I.F.M Scale Reading Workshop
• Online Scottish fisheries training & events calendar
Administration
• Annual report
• Subscription work with Lochaber, Loch Lomond and Flow Country Fisheries Trust
CPD
• GIS Advanced course – Glasgow 11th-12th Feb
Committee suggested an audit of the habitat data within the database.
ACTION: SD to continue developing the R routine to automate a regular audit of the electro-fishing database
CB called for Trusts to keep a hold of fish scale collections, and suggested that SFCC produce a guidance note on scale storage. SD mentioned the FBA scale collection archive and suggested linking this with existing scale collections held by SFCC members and MSS.
ACTION: SD to progress a guidance note on scale collection.
5. Freshwater Fisheries Web Map
SD welcomed any feedback from committee and outlined the concept of the web map and displayed a first version that has been developed online. The concept document is appended below (Appendix A).
Committee questioned whether the purpose of this map is to be for internal SFCC Member use, or if it is to be public facing. The general consensus was for a public facing map that should also be mindful of other maps produced through SEWEB for example. This map should directly link in with other initiatives, should have a clearly defined function, and be viewed in the context of the WFR landscape. AD also described a new SEPA project using an online application called SpotFire.
ACTION: SD to take forward development of the web map and liaise closely with AD.
6. National Smolt Database
SD outlined the concept of the database as detailed in appendix B.
Committee were in favour of this project as it is a good example of improving the data sharing, which is a WFR recommendation. Trusts do not currently record smolt data in the same manner across the network, and harmonised collection should be an immediate goal for SFCC. Considerations around database access were discussed with the group suggesting that SD, working closely with MSS could manage the smolt database and provide data exports for Trusts when required or at particular points in the year.
ACTION: SD to progress smolt database concept with MSS and report back to committee.
7. Finance
JH outlined the process of changing treasurers and presented the budget for the next financial year for further discussion. JH thanked Alison Maxwell for her work over the years and welcomed Sandra Gray back into the role of SFCC treasurer.
JH mentioned that dialog with Lochaber and Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust continues to see if they would like to become members. JH also asked committee for guidance on a fair and transparent pay review process for SD.
ACTION: JH to progress with consideration for the RAFTS and MSS review processes.
JH also welcomed feedback on his SFCC line management costs which were agreed at a maximum of 12 days time at £250 per day.
Committee suggested a greater investment in habitat protocol development. However, the group recommended that any habitat work must be relevant within the future context of the WFR. The group also discussed the merit of creating an INNS survey protocol with AD mentioning that a rapid INNS survey protocol currently exists within SEPA. SM warned against further development of the SFCC electrofishing database as this database may not be used in a future fisheries management system. JH disagreed with this view on account of the cost to move to a new system, the recent success of data provision for the conservation limit project and SEPA inputting data into the SFCC database.
ACTION: SFCC should aim for a maximum deficit of £20,000-£25,000.
8. SFCC objectives
JH presented outline objectives for the coming year as the basis for further discussion by committee (slides provided on request). The group concluded that objectives always need to be considered in the context of the WFR.
The group discussed windfarm/development EIA’s and the need to harmonise techniques. AD advised that each site is different and unique, and while a consultant/Trust could meet the minimum requirements, ideally the consultant would go the extra mile to meet the requirements and answer the research question. JG and CB stressed the importance of survey design. Members called for survey design guidance to be produced, perhaps in relation to an introductory stats course.
Members discussed a standing water bodies protocol or an update to that which is currently stored on the SFCC website. AS also mentioned a SEPA access database for large water body surveys.
Action: SD to discuss with AD.
CH: Need to have a list of what SFCC can do in terms of objectives in 2015, and what will be aspirational. SM stressed the national-level requirements and suggested that SFCC should sit down with national agencies to agree what needs to be done in 2015. A general comment was that protocol development and general work should not be carried out if there is a chance that I will become obsolete in future years.
Committee agreed that SFCC should take forward the objective of promoting the collation of data on other fish species (other than salmo salar) in Scotland.
ACTION: SD to progress with National Biodiversity Network, SNH and SEPA in the first instance.
JH also suggested a collation of fish count data for 2014 from around Scotland which was agreed.
ACTION: SD, AS, JH to write up project aims and progress.
SD asked to have one or two committee members allocated as a point of contact for each chosen project.
ACTION: JH to assign a committee member to each project to work with SD.
9. Training
JH and SD updated committee on progress with collaborative training courses, in particular the recent scale reading workshop held on 26th March. JH and SD thanked all who attended the scale reading workshop. Talks from this workshop are available online.
ACTION: SD to continue to update scale reading learning resource in collaboration with IFM.
SD asked for thoughts from committee on the training calendar concept before it goes live next week in a joint launch with I.F.M. The running of an intro to statistics and an intro to R course in October 2015 was encouraged. CB: Survey design could be added to the intro to stats course which could be delivered by Oliver Hooker or Marion Scott (Glasgow University). JH and AD discussed an invertebrate course with AD mentioning David Colville as being the current invertebrate expert at SEPA.
ACTION: AD to contact David Colville and assess demand for an invert course in Scotland using RICT and other commonly used scoring systems
10. Biologists’ meeting
JH thanked all for attending the successful biologist’s meeting at SCENE and reflected upon the venue for 2016. While the general consensus from attendees at SCENE was for a move to Inverness UHI, JH proposed further discussion at the next committee meeting and further consultation.
11. Electro-fishing database
The group welcomed recent SEPA input of data into the database.
12. AOB
CH raised the question: Have SFCC considered where they will be in the future after the WFR process? There will be a broad consultation and SFCC should consider this perhaps as a way of publicising the role of SFCC.
AS: SFCC needs to be properly resourced. If SFCC does not exist then its functions would need to be subsumed into the national unit but maintained as a distinct section.
JH agreed with both of these observations and reiterated his view outlined in his report.
The date of the June meeting has been changed to June 24th.
Appendix A: Freshwater Fisheries Web Map
Background
Within the remit of the constitution, SFCC is tasked with furthering the availability and dissemination of data relevant to freshwater fish, their habitats and fisheries in an effective and co-operative manner. Recent advances in technology enable the display of map based information online which would help SFCC to fulfil this objective. While other environmental organisations in Scotland have benefitted from web mapping, there remains an opportunity for development in the freshwater fisheries sector.
Aims
· To provide a platform to host map-based information on the SFCC website which is relevant to Scotland’s freshwater fisheries environment
· To display metadata information on data collected by Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre (SFCC) members and data held centrally by SFCC
· To display data collected by other parties of relevance to freshwater fisheries management
Functions
· Raising awareness of data availability
· Promotion of data pooling and assessment of collection efforts
· Communication of Scotland-wide projects (E.G smolt data collection project, Scotland Temperature Monitoring Network)
· Provision of a platform to display information on Scotland’s all species distribution. WFR Recommendation 37: “Basic mapping of Scotland’s wider all species wild fisheries resource”
Functionality
· Viewable data and base map layers
· Streaming of externally hosted maps (E.G. those hosted currently on NMPI)
· Direct link to SEWEB and NMPI
Participants
SFCC membership (SEPA, MSS, Fisheries Trusts, SNH)
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Appendix B: National Smolt Database
Background
After collation of all available smolt data in Scotland (SFCC, 2014), and subsequent analysis by Marine Scotland Science, the following recommendation was made:
“Future [smolt data] analyses would benefit from central data collation and storage with associated meta-data on collection methods. This would be possible using the existing MSS FishObs database or through additional development of the SFCC database” (Malcolm et al. 2015).