Chivas begins river and waterway preservation project
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard and maker of global Scotch whisky brands including The Glenlivet and Aberlour, has unveiled a new, long-term programme to preserve some of Scotland’s iconic rivers and waterways.
The partnership, called ‘The River Within’, is a collaboration between Chivas Brothers and The Deveron, the Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust, the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust and the Spey Catchment Initiative.
The investment will help protect and restore the select waterways within the Trusts’ combined catchment areas in North-East Scotland – a total of 5,566 km2.
Julie Gallacher, head of sustainability & responsibility at Chivas Brothers, said: “Scotland’s waterways are the lifeblood of whisky production, so while we use this precious resource responsibly, returning 96% of what we use to its source, we like to think there’s a ‘river within’ each bottle. Many of our distilleries are built on the banks of treasured Scottish rivers and it’s from these waters that our renowned whiskies are endowed with their unique spirit, essence and even their names.
A range of specific waterway projects are currently being developed in close partnership with the three river trusts, to commence later this year. These will focus on direct activity along riverbanks and waterways, designed to help increase biodiversity and overall health of the river ecosystem. This, in turn, is said to help limit the rise of water temperatures, restore floodplain resilience and increase river security.
Richard Miller, director at The Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust, added: “Many of the species Scotland is known for and their habitats are currently facing unprecedented challenges. One of these is the Atlantic Salmon which was recently reclassified by the IUCN from ‘least concern’ to ‘endangered’ in Great Britain.
“We are delighted to be a partner in ‘The River Within’ programme which will provide essential resources to ensure Deveron fish stocks have free access to cold, clean water. This will be achieved by removing obstacles to fish passage, creation of 3D buffer strips along field margins, riparian planting, fish refuge creation and habitat restoration. We very much look forward to working with Chivas Brothers on this new and exciting project.”
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