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.

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