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VISIT TO THE TWEED FOUNDATION BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE PRINCE OF WALES
His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales visited the Tweed Foundation on Monday, 9th June. The Prince learnt about some of the important work that the Foundation carries out within the Tweed catchment. This provided the Prince with an insight into how Tweed is managed with a partnership approach, including all the local agencies, angling clubs, river proprietors, local landowners, farmers and private individuals.
To begin with Prince Charles walked down to the Leader Water where one of the Foundation’s school visits was in progress. Earlston Primary School were being shown the types of fish and other aquatic life which could be found in their local river. This type of educational exercise is key to the Foundation’s work and trips are undertaken throughout the summer with schools from both England and Scotland as part of the “Bridging The Border” Education Project.
Dr Ronald Campbell, the Foundation’s Biologist, talked about the fish which had been found in the stretch of river which had been electro-fished with the help of Water Bailiffs from the River Tweed Commissioners. Invertebrate studies were also in progress with staff from the local office of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Following the demonstrations and a chat with the children and the Foundation’s staff, the Prince returned to the Tweed Foundation’s Education Centre where he met a cross section of individuals closely involved with fisheries management on Tweed. The discussions took place over a buffet lunch which showcased the wealth of local produce available in the Borders.
Discussions then focused on the importance of community involvement and partnership to Tweed. The conclusion was that if the environment was right, then the fish would look after themselves. Continual monitoring throughout the river system provides the objective scientific data which is vital to the success of the work undertaken by the Foundation and forms the basis of all fisheries management decisions taken on the river. It was reported that last year, following years of this type of work, the Foundation was delighted to be able to announce that the whole of the catchment was now open to fish migration for the first time in 190 years. This has been an enormous achievement for the river and confirms that all the work the Foundation has undertaken over the last 10 years in removing obstacles and restoring juvenile fish habitat has paid dividends.
Tweed Foundation Chairman, John Lovett, said, “If fish are left to themselves they are fine. Problems only start when man becomes involved and starts interfering and degrading habitat and disrupting other aspects of their life cycle. We attach the greatest importance to involving the local community in all aspects of the management of Tweed and we recognize Tweed as a key resource to the local economy. That commitment is demonstrated today by the wide audience present during the Prince’s visit. In particular, the participation of school children is a cornerstone of our work as we believe an understanding by the next generation will best secure the future for the whole community.”
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