ATTEMPTS at a burn restoration project in Renton have been set back by mindless vandalism of newly planted trees.

Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust has been working on the project at the self-titled “DACA Burn”, near Renton, next to National Cycle Network 7.

The burn, and many others like it in the area, support an abundance of fish life such as brown trout and European eel.

According to the Trust, the best chance of giving these fish populations a better chance of survival involves planting trees, providing shade for optimal water temperatures and provide cover from predators, at exposed areas of the burn.

However, in a recent incident at the Renton area near the A82 road crossing, several fence posts used to support the trees were stolen and a pod vandalised.

Fergus McFarlane, assistant biologist at Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust, told the Reporter: “It was a shock. One of the parts had 15 trees destroyed.

“It’s quite frustrating, especially for an environmental project to save fish in the burn and to improve user experience.

“It’s a very small minority that are doing it.

"A lot of the people there are positive and ask questions and that’s what keeps us doing and we want the project to go ahead.

“The vandalism is not going to stop us from doing it.

"We’re seeing the positivity of the people and the fish in the burn.”

The project has been interrupted by other setbacks, with a pollution incident in the water at the burn causing a problem.

“A lot of these urban burns suffer the same problems.” Fergus continued.

“I was there at the right place at the right time to notice.

The burn suddenly turned a cloudy grey colour with a chemical odour and all the fish disappeared - likely from the stress of the lack of oxygen.

“We’re hoping to get on top of the incident.

"The colour and the smell mean it could be some sort of sewage or something upstream.”

Fergus also said at the dumping of tyres in and near the burn was adding to the pollution problems in the area.

“There’s no point in solving these environmental issues if the fish keep getting wiped out,” he continued.

“There are tyres and cuttings dumped in the burn – it could all do with a change in attitude.

“People need to see what’s in the burn.

“People tell me “there are no fish in the burn anyway”. Well, there’s more fish in there than the main stem of the Leven.

“These burns are really important for life in the river.

"A lot of fish head in there and spawn.

“The River Leven is not the best spawning habitat, so these little, small burns are important for sea trout and other fish stock.”

The burn restoration is part of the Leaving a Legacy project which the Trust is undertaking with the help of West Dunbartonshire community groups like Dumbarton Area Council on Alcohol and Tullochan.

Later in the year, the Trust are hoping to run open days at the section of the burn that they are working on, which they say will be a great opportunity to see fish and other invertebrate life in the burn and to look at evidence of the environmental improvements.