1. Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland: Collaborative Working
Using examples from current projects
Fiona McKenna
GB NNSS LAGS Workshop
22nd January 2014 1

2. Hello!

3. AGENDA Collaborative working: Example 1: Scottish Mink Initiative
Example 2: INNPS projects
Summary
American mink and kittiwake chick (Terje Koolas) 3

4. Four Levels of Partnership Working:
Formal Project Partnership: RAFTS (lead partner), SNH, SWT, Cairngorms N.P.A. and Aberdeen University.
Management Partnership: RAFTS (lead partner), ten of our member trusts: West Sutherland; Wester Ross; Cromarty Firth; Ness & Beauly; Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie; Spey, Deveron, Don, Dee and Esks.
Partnership with other Organisations: eg. FCS, RSPB, SWT, Sporting Estates, etc.
Partnership with and between volunteers: from various LAGS, NGOs and members of the local communities.
Give overview of SMI main aims= eradication of American mink , ensuring long term sustainability of mink control, awareness raising for community based and adaptive management approach to INNS control.
Built on previous projects: North East Scotland Water Vole Conservation Project, Cairngorms Water Vole Conservation Project and North Scotland Mink Project
Funders are listed along the bottom
Photo: John McAvoy 4

5. What has been achieved?
Actual area covered grew due to inclusion of NW Scotland after mink sightings in these areas – formerly thought to be mink free. Steering group decided to include the area as a rapid response to the sightings.
© Sarah Atkinson
© Helen Gray 5

6. Scottish mink initiative
>95% of rafts monitored by volunteer> 500 “Citizen conservationists”
Cairngorms and NE Scotland water vole conservation project
Scottish mink initiative
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

7. 90% of mink were caught and dispatched by trained volunteers
Cairngorms and NE Scotland water vole conservation project
Scottish mink initiative
Total
volunteers
Number of mink
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

9. Mink App – Automating Volunteer Feedback To Retain Interest9

10. Generation of NLG (Natural Language Generation) feedback…
Acknowledgement
Meaning of observation
Action to be taken
You work this up to affective NLG Advaith?
Contextualisation,
spatial
Contextualisation
temporal
Contextualisation
spatio-temporal 10

11. Example 2: INNPS Projects
Biosecurity planning process identified the issues and partnerships to be made.
Current projects involving our member trusts:
Controlling priority invasive non native riparian plants and restoring native biodiversity (CIRB) – 4 member trusts involved.
Invasive Non Native Plant Species Control Phases 2,3 and 4 – 13 member trusts involved and Tweed Forum.
In 2008 biosecurity planning process began. CIRB lead partner is Queens University Belfast. The two projects address legislative requirements, namely of WFD. Habitats Directive and LBAPS – filters down from CBD. Reason for working with Ireland: similar problems faced, opportunity for sharing best practice and learning lessons. 11

12. 6 trusts & tweed forum linked to the reporting site
6 trusts & tweed forum linked to the reporting site. Argyll, Galloway, Esk Rivers and Cromarty Firth Fisheries Trusts, Ayrshire Rivers Trust, The River Forth Fisheries Trust and Tweed Forum. Public can go on it directly, and trusts use PDAs to synch with it directly. Early days for this programme, still developing the software and ironing out issues along the way.

13. Summary Different layers of collaboration:
RAFTS – Gov’t Agencies – Other NGOs – Universities- Funders (strategy)
RAFTS – local trusts & organisations (management)
Trusts – volunteers - contractors to implement work (implementation)
Factors in building the partnerships were:
Identifying a common interest
Responsible empowerment (legal, effective methods, strategy & support)
Communication & feedback of results
Clearly defined roles & responsibilities
Challenges
Communication
Sustainability 13

14. Thank you for listening!
©Peter Denness