About Us

The Argyll Fisheries Trust is a registered charity that was first formed in 1995 as the Awe Fisheries Trust. Since 1995 the Trust has expanded its work to encompass Argyll and the islands and is now known as the Argyll Fisheries Trust.

The main objectives of the Trust are:

• Understand the composition of all fish populations, distribution and trends in abundance.
• Identify, protect and improve wild fish populations throughout the Argyll area and the islands.
• Understand, protect and enhance the physical environment for fish.
• Educate all sectors of the community on their role in caring for the freshwater environment.

The Argyll Fisheries Trust consists of 4 full time staff, a part time administrator and a board of directors.

Full time Staff

Alan Kettle-White (Senior Fisheries Biologist)
Alan is from Reading, England. He graduated from the Sparsholt College in 1997, with a BSc Hons Aquaculture and Fisheries Management. Before joining AFT in 1998, Alan had previously worked for the Environment Agency in England. He was promoted to senior fisheries biologist in 1999 and has led the trust to many of its achievements to date. His main interests are restoration and genetics projects.
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Craig MacIntyre (Senior Fisheries Biologist)
Craig is originally from Glasgow and laterally from Stirling. He graduated from the University of Stirling with a BSc Hons in aquaculture in 2004 and then with a PhD in aquatic veterinary studies in 2008. After working as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Stirling for one year, Craig joined the Argyll Fisheries Trust in May 2009.
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Tony Donnelly (Assistant Fisheries Biologist)
Tony is from Haddington, East Lothian. He initially studied Fishery Management at Barony College before gaining a Bsc Hons in Aquaculture from the University of Stirling in 2008. Tony has previously worked for the Tripartite Working Group in Lochaber and joined the Argyll Fisheries Trust in July 2009.
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Penny Hawdon (Regional Development Officer)
Penny is from Edinburgh and has lived on the west coast of Scotland for the last five years. She graduated with a BSc Physical Geography from Aberdeen University in 2001 and an MSc Marine Resource Development and Protection from Heriot-Watt University in 2004. After university Penny worked in conservation before taking up a post with Loch Duart Ltd, an aquaculture company utilising sustainable methods. She then went on to work with Marine Harvest before joining the Argyll Fisheries Trust in 2009. Her main responsibilities are administering and developing AMAs with the aquaculture industry and promoting wild fish in Argyll.
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Moira Bernard (Administrator). Moira works part-time with both the Trust and the Argyll District Salmon Fishery Board, handling accounts and administration.

Board of Directors

Andrew Barker (Chairmen)
Jim Stephenson (Treasurer)
Andrew Montgomery (Company Secretary)
Roger Brook (Argyll District Salmon Fishery Board, Awe District River Improvement Association, Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland)
Tom Turnbull (Loch Fyne District River Improvement Association)
Derek Smith (Scottish Federation of Coarse Anglers)
Dr Kenny Black (SAMS)
Prof John Blaxter (SAMS - Retired)
David Milburn (River Orchy)
David Stewart (Creran River Improvement Association)

Working Remit

AFT works with a range of partners and stakeholders including statutory bodies, non-governmental organisations, resource users and owners to achieve the Trust's mission. It also works in both local freshwater and marine habitats to complement and inform the wider management of Scotland's native fish populations.

Within the fishery management sector, the Trust works with a number of local River and Loch Improvement Associations, focusing on specific issues and also at a regional level with the Argyll District Salmon Fishery Board. At a national level AFT is a member of the Rivers & Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) The Trust's work programme is guided by the protocols developed by the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre. Some aspects of the Trust's work are also guided by other government authorities such as the Freshwater Research Service. Argyll District Salmon Fisheries Board is part of the Association of Salmon Fisheries Boards.

The Trust's work is funded by a range of organisations and individuals who have an interest in Argyll's aquatic environment. Increasingly, our activities are moving towards research and monitoring projects whose outcomes provide practical advice on fisheries management. Project partnerships include the wild fisheries and aquaculture sectors, renewable energy developers, local and national authorities and other charitable organisations. The Trust also undertakes a limited amount of contract based work, usually in relation to consultations on potential developments of renewable energy schemes, engineering, forestry and fish farms.