Establishing a Population of Sparling on the River Fleet

This project aims to establish a visable breeding population of Sparling (Osmerus eperlanus) in the River Fleet. The neighbouring river catchment, the Cree, supports the only remaining Sparling population on the west coast of Scotland. Galloway Fisheries Trust have completed studies on water quality, habitat availability, accessibility, water flow speeds etc. on most Galloway rivers to select the most suitable for the establishment of a new population. The River Fleet has been selected as the most suitable. The project objectives include moving eggs and spawning sparling from the River Cree to the River Fleet; establishing a viable breeding population of sparling in the River Fleet; and using the Fleet population as an important demonstration of the possible future reintroduction of sparling into other Galloway and Ayrshire rivers.