EIR/202400442128 · FOI/EIR · not held
North Esk Logie fish counter data: EIR release
Information requested
North Esk Logie fish counter data from 1984 to the present day including any years when the data set is incomplete.
Response
I enclose most of the information you requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reasons why that exception applies are explained below.
From 2019-October 2023, the fish counter at Logie only functioned on one (of three) counting channels. The count data being released for 2019-2022 are estimates of the whole river count, based on the count from the functioning channel and the historic relationship between the counts on each channel, the total river count, and river flow. For 2023, the single working channel was functional only between March and late-October, however, the Directorate has not produced model estimates of the whole-river count for the North Esk for those months when the counter was (partially) functioning and as was had previously been done for 2019-2022. Consequently, we do not have a fish count for the North Esk at Logie for any of 2023. Finally, the counter was further damaged by flooding due to Storm Babet in October 2023 and has not functioned since then, hence we do not hold any count data for 2024.
Please note that we plan to publish a detailed dataset of fish counts from the North Esk (by month) in 2025 and that this is currently being collated and quality assured ahead of being published. When this detailed dataset is published, the annual totals in it may differ slightly from the data released here, as a result of the quality assurance process that we are currently undertaking.
This table shows the annual net upstream counts for the Logie (1984-2022) and West Water (1991-2020) counter sites in the North Esk catchment. In 2021, counting ceased at the West Water site due to irreparable damage to the weir.
From 2019-October 2023, the fish counter at Logie only functioned on one (of three) channels. The count data being released for 2019-2022 are estimates of the whole river count (with 90% confidence intervals), based on the count from the functioning channel and the historic relationship between the counts on each channel, the total river count, and river flow. For 2023, the one channel was working only between March and late-October. We have not produced model estimates of the whole-river count for the North Esk for those months, as was done for 2019-2022. Consequently, we do not have a fish count for the North Esk at Logie for any of 2023. As the counter has not functioned at all since late-October 2023, we do not hold any data for 2024. As noted above, under Regulation 10(4)(a) we do not have to release data that we do not hold.
Year Logie Logie lower 10% Logie upper 90% West Water 1984 7007 1985 9912 1986 6987 1987 7014 1988 11240 1989 11026 1990 4762 1991 9122 2962 1992 10795 2809 1993 10887 2699 1994 11341 2976 1995 9901 2391 1996 7994 2656 1997 11319 2926 1998 10536 2422 1999 11042 2312 2000 8353 2092 2001 12208 2179 2002 12306 2268 2003 9332 3065 2004 19210 3164 2005 14801 2770 2006 13530 2363 2007 8250 1834 2008 13106 2924 2009 13881 2804 2010 17482 3421 2011 18340 3311 2012 9707 2458 2013 8131 1773 2014 10133 1899 2015 12160 2372 2016 10371 1529 2017 8330 1309 2018 7424 1813 2019 9878 7868 12568 1386 2020 13408 10632 17270 1441 2021 13062 10444 16704 2022 11937 9550 15202 You may also be interested to know that the stock size estimates for 2019-2023 can be obtained from our interactive application showing how the river gradings are derived: Salmon Conservation Regulations (shinyapps.io). To see individual river stock size estimates, go to “Detailed information per area”, select or enter “River North Esk” as the assessment area, then go to “Catches to spawners” and click on the graph tab to show the “Annual stock” estimates. For the North Esk, this provides the estimated size of the spawning stock upstream of the Logie fish counter and in 2019-2022, the data shown are those from the counter. For 2023, the North Esk salmon stock was assessed using a modification of the method used for rivers that do not have a fish count. The stock estimates for each month were derived from the rod catch as for other rivers, but were then constrained to be above the minimum number determined by the partially functioning counter for the months the data were available.
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Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. As noted above, under Regulation 10(4)(a) we do not have to release data that we do not hold.
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