Trout Smolts - picture by Stuart Brabbs
Scotland’s rivers and lochs are one of our greatest natural assets. They support a diverse array of flora and fauna; provide a unique recreational resource and represent a substantial contributor to the national economy.
What we do
RAFTS’ core objective is the ‘Conservation and enhancement of native freshwater fish and their environments in Scotland’.
This involves:
- Project management, fundraising and co-ordination
- Promoting the development of new trusts and foundations
- Promoting best practice and education in the fishery management network
- Representing the interests of our member trusts and foundations on a range of national groups and fora
- Influencing relevant land, freshwater and general environmental policy
PROJECTS RAFTS promotes and manages a range of environmental projects in order to help develop and maintain a sustainable, natural environment for Scotland’s native freshwater fish. In addition, there are members meetings which are open to the Trust network and specific meetings and workshops for technical staff, such as the fishery biologists. The RAFTS Annual Conference is open to all.
POLICY RAFTS influences a wide sphere of freshwater and fishery issues, and is routinely consulted by Scottish Government and associated agencies on all matters relating to freshwaters, the fish species they support and the dependent fisheries. Through this,and working with ASFB in a number of areas, RAFTS also contributes to a range of progressive policies in a number of key environmental areas.
REPRESENTATION Representation and influence is achieved through membership of a range of national groups and fora – more information on these can be found HERE.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Executive authority for RAFTS is devolved to the Board which meets 4 times per year.
RAFTS is a registered Scottish Charity and our formal objects are “the conservation and enhancement of native freshwater fish and their environments in Scotland”. As a charity, RAFTS is governed by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). OSCR regulates over 23,000 charities and ensures that charities operate within a structure of transparency, public accountability and compliance with charities law. RAFTS takes its legal, finacial and operational responsibilities seriously and anyone may view our legal, constiutional and financial documents on our Financial, Governance and Operations publications page.
Our public entry on the OSCR register may be viewed HERE.
RAFTS is an equal opportunities employer.
