River South Esk Catchment Management Plan - Project Aims

What does the Catchment Management Plan for the River South Esk aim to achieve?
The Catchment Management Plan (CMP) brings together all of the users of the River South Esk catchment. The consultation processes allowed users to firstly propose, discuss and agree the main environmental, social and economic issues affecting the catchment and then develop aims to carry out actions which will guide the future management of activities within the catchment in a sustainable way.

Catchment Management Plan Implementation Timescale
The plan was completed and launched in December 2009. The Implementation Phase will begin with the employment of a Project Co-ordinator to assist in prioritising and implement ing actions identified in the SECMP and to assist with the first flag-ship project for the partnership, the control of invasive non-native species (INNS project). This will be led by the EskRivers and Fisheries Trust who in July 2009 published a Bio-security Plan which highlights the bio-security issues of the catchment.

The partnership Steering Group have selected the INNS project as a priority as it believes that it is excellent way of engaging stakeholders is the early stages of the implementation of the SECMP. The high-profile project is applicable to many of the plans action cards which include water quality, habitats and species, social and economic factors, water resources, flood management, and river engineering.

The INNS project will bring benefits to the local community within a short timescale with a reduction in the health and safety risk of giant hogweed. Undertaking the project will ensure that the length of South Esk catchment will experience improved access and amenity of the river and its tributaries. A raised awareness of non-native invasive species will help to limit their spread and enhance biodiversity. The removal of invasive non-native species will contribute towards achieving favourable conservation status of the River South Esk Special Area of Conservation.

The Esk Rivers and Fisheries Trust on behalf of the River South Esk Catchment Partnership has been awarded £20,000 by the Angus Environment Trust (landfill tax funding) allowing the proposed first phase of implementation of the River South Esk Catchment Management Plan to proceed. The success of this application ensures that match funding previously awarded by Angus Council, Esk Rivers & Fisheries Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Cairngorms National Park Authority, and Rural Tayside LEADER is now available, ensuring a further one year delivery of the objectives of the South Esk Catchment Management Plan (SECMP).