Editing River Tay (section)

==Nature and conservation==
[[File:Tayside Beaver mother and kit June 5, 2010 Ray Scott.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Tayside [[Eurasian beaver|beaver]] with her kit. Courtesy of Ray Scott 2010.]]
The river is of high biodiversity value and is both a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI) and a [[Special Area of Conservation]]. The SAC designation notes the river's importance for [[Atlantic salmon|salmon]] (''Salmo salar''), [[European otter|otters]] (''Lutra lutra''), [[brook lamprey]]s (''Lampetra planeri''), [[European river lamprey|river lamprey]]s (''Lampetra fluviatilis''), and [[sea lamprey]]s (''Petromyzon marinus'').<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8366|title=River Tay SAC|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref> The Tay also maintains flagship population of [[freshwater pearl mussel]] (''Margaritifera margaritifera'').<ref name=Hydrological/> Freshwater pearl mussels are one of Scotland's most endangered species and the country hosts two-thirds of the world's remaining stock.<ref>{{cite report |title=River Tay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) - Advice to developers when considering new projects which could affect the River Tay Special Area of Conservation |publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|url=https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/Publication%202011%20-%20River%20Tay%20SAC%20-%20Advice%20to%20developers%20when%20considering%20new%20projects%20which%20could%20affect%20the%20River%20Tay%20SAC.pdf |access-date=6 October 2020|page=6}}</ref>

The Tay is internationally renowned for its salmon fishing and is one of the best salmon rivers in western Europe, attracting anglers from all over the world. The lowest {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=off|spell=on}} of the Tay, including prestigious beats like Taymount or Islamouth, provides most of the cream of the Tay. The largest rod-caught salmon in Britain, caught on the Tay by [[Georgina Ballantine]] in 1922, weighing {{convert|64|lb|kg|abbr=off}}, retains the British record. The river system has salmon fisheries on many of its tributaries including the Earn, Isla, Ericht, Tummel, Garry, Dochart, Lyon and Eden.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fish Tay |publisher=FishPal |date=2011-01-11 |url=http://www.fishpal.com/Scotland/Tay/index.asp?dom=Tay |access-date=2011-01-15 }}</ref> Dwindling catches include a 50% reduction in 2009 so the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board ordered a catch-and-release policy for females all season, and for males until May, beginning in the January 2010 fishing season. Research by the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation has shown that the number of salmon dying at sea has doubled or trebled over the past 20 years, possibly due to overfishing in the oceans where salmon spend two years before returning to freshwater to spawn. The widespread collapse in Atlantic salmon stocks suggests that this is not solely a local problem in the River Tay.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Scotland, Anglers Told to Put River Tay Salmon Back |date=2010-01-11 |author=Frank Urquhart |publisher=Atlantic Salmon Federation |url=http://www.asf.ca/news.php?id=491&type=news |access-date=2011-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706165055/http://www.asf.ca/news.php?id=491&type=news |archive-date=6 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

A section of the Tay surrounding the town of [[Dunkeld and Birnam|Dunkeld]] is designated as a [[National scenic area (Scotland)|national scenic area]] (NSA),<ref name=map>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/9146|title=River Tay (Dunkeld) National Scenic Area|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref> one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/protected-areas-and-species/protected-areas/national-designations/national-scenic-areas|title=National Scenic Areas|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref> The River Tay (Dunkeld) NSA covers 5,708&nbsp;[[hectares|ha]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/Countryside/Heritage/Areas/maps|title=National Scenic Areas - Maps|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|date=2010-12-20|access-date=2018-05-21}}</ref>

The first sustained and significant population [[Eurasian beaver]] (''Castor fiber'') living wild in Scotland in over 400 years became established on the river Tay catchment in Scotland as early as 2001, and has spread widely in the catchment, numbering from 20 to 100 individuals in 2011.<ref name=Halley/> These beavers were likely to be either escapees from any of several nearby sites with captive beavers, or were illegally released, and were originally targeted for removal by [[NatureScot|Scottish Natural Heritage]] in late 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Perthshire beavers to be rounded up |author=Iain Howie |newspaper=Perthshire Advertiser |date=2010-12-03 |url=http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/perthshire-news/local-news-perthshire/2010/12/03/perthshire-beavers-to-be-rounded-up-73103-27756560/ |access-date=2010-12-29 }}</ref> Proponents of the beavers argued that no reason exists to believe that they are of "wrong" genetic stock.<ref name=Halley>{{cite journal |title=Sourcing Eurasian beaver Castor fiber stock for reintroductions in Great Britain and Western Europe |journal=Mammal Review |date=January 2011 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.2010.00167.x |author=Duncan J. Halley |volume=41 |pages=40–53|doi-access=free }}</ref> In early December 2010, the first of the wild Tayside beavers was trapped by Scottish Natural Heritage on the [[River Ericht]] in [[Blairgowrie and Rattray|Blairgowrie]], [[Perthshire]] and was held in captivity in [[Edinburgh Zoo]], dying within a few months.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sole trapped beaver Erica died in captivity |date=2011-04-06 |newspaper=Courier News |url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Perthshire/article/12512/sole-trapped-beaver-erica-died-in-captivity.html |access-date=2011-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407094109/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Perthshire/article/12512/sole-trapped-beaver-erica-died-in-captivity.html |archive-date=7 April 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In March 2012 the Scottish Government reversed the decision to remove beavers from the Tay, pending the outcome of studies into the suitability of re-introduction.<ref name=taybeavers>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17387962|title=Plan to trap River Tay beavers reversed by ministers|date=2012-03-16|work=BBC News|access-date= 2018-03-29}}</ref>

As part of the study into re-introduction, a trial release project was undertaken in [[Knapdale]], [[Argyll]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7419183.stm |title=UK &#124; Scotland &#124; Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West &#124; Beavers to return after 400 years |work=BBC News |date=2008-05-25 |access-date=2010-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8072443.stm |title=UK &#124; Scotland &#124; Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West &#124; Beavers return after 400-year gap |work=BBC News |date=2009-05-29 |access-date=2010-03-15}}</ref><ref name="Scottish">{{Cite web|url=http://www.scottishbeavers.org.uk/about-the-trial/|title=About the trial|website=www.scottishbeavers.org.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-04-14}}</ref> alongside which the population of beavers along the Tay was monitored and assessed.<ref name="taybeavers"/> Following the conclusion of the trial re-introduction, the Scottish Government announced in November 2016 that beavers could remain permanently, and would be given protected status as a native species within Scotland. Beavers will be allowed to extend their range naturally. To aid this process and improve the health and resilience of the population a further 28 beavers will be released in Knapdale between 2017 and 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/beaver-population-increased-knapdale/|title=Beaver population increased in Knapdale|date=2017-11-28|publisher=Scottish Wildlife Trust|access-date= 2018-03-29}}</ref> however there are no plans at present to release further beavers into the Tay.