The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is looking for volunteers to help with salmon parr tagging on the River Frome in Dorset. Each year the biologists at the GWCT tag over 10,000 fish as part of its ongoing research program.
Luke Scott, Fisheries Scientist at the GWCT, explains:” This is a huge exercise involving many people, and provides an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in experiencing electro-fishing and tagging salmon, or just getting hands-on with a conservation project. You could join us for a day or two, or a few days spread out throughout the whole tagging period. No experience is needed, just enthusiasm and a sense of humour.”
Starting on 25 August, the GWCT requires volunteers to help with the field work of this important research. Due to the nature of the work, volunteers are required to be physically fit. The tagging will continue on a daily basis, weather permitting, until either 23 September or the target number of salmon is reached.
For over 30 years the River Frome in Dorset, once famed for its 30lb salmon, has been providing some of the best evidence of the Atlantic salmon decline in our rivers across the country. Over that period a large amount of monitoring equipment has been installed, making it one of the best instrumented natural river laboratories in Europe. The GWCT has taken over these facilities to understand the process that has caused this decline and go to the next stage – to work out how to reverse the decline.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Luke Scott: ljscott@gwct.org.uk
Notes to editors
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – providing research-led conservation for a thriving countryside. The GWCT is an independent wildlife conservation charity which has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ 22 post-doctoral scientists and 50 other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. The Trust is also responsible for a number of Government Biodiversity Action Plan species and is lead partner for grey partridge and joint lead partner for brown hare and black grouse.
For information, contact:
Eleanor Williams
Telephone: 07592 025476
Email: press@gwct.org.uk