SAMARCH is a five-year project with a grant of €5.8m from the EU’s France (Channel) England Interreg Channel programme.
The SAMARCH project will :
- Provide novel information on the survival and migration of young salmon and sea trout in four estuaries of the Channel area
- Provide novel information on the movements and swimming depths of adult sea trout in the Channel
- Create a genetic data base for trout on both sides of the Channel
- Create a map of areas that are important for sea trout in the Channel based on sea scape
- Provide new information to further improve the models used in England and France to manage their salmonid stocks
- Train students in the management of coastal and transitional waters
- Engage with stakeholders throughout the project
- Inform current and develop new policies for the better management of salmonid stocks in our coastal and transitional waters
Although the project involves working on a number of rivers in the Channel area, the majority of the data collection and research will focus on the five salmon and sea trout “Index” rivers in the Channel area. These are the rivers Frome and Tamar in the south of England and the Scorff, Oir and Bresle in northern France.
The project includes 10 partners from France and England who are a blend of research and regulatory organisations, and key stakeholders. The 10 SAMARCH project partners are:
- Lead Partner: Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
- University of Exeter
- University of Bournemouth
- Environment Agency
- Salmon and Trout Conservation
- Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement
- I’Institut national d’enseignement superieur pour I’agriculture, I’alimentation et l’environnement (l’Institut Agro)
- Bretagne Grands Migrateurs
- Office Francais De La Biodiversity
- Seine-Normandie Migrateurs
With a total budget of €8.7million, the SAMARCH project (2017-2023) is part funded through the European Union’s Interreg Channel VA Programme receiving €6.061 million in grant.
For more information, visit the SAMARCH website.