About the River Tweed Commission

The RTC is the body which, by law, protects and manages the Salmon and other freshwater fish in the River Tweed. Our mission is to protect Salmon migration and stocks, balance differing interests, and ensure a flourishing future for all migratory and non-migratory fish in the river.

Because of the difficulty in protecting and managing a river that runs between two countries, the RTC was set up over 200 years ago. These days we operate under the Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed) Order 2006, which, among other things, requires us to:

Manage the Salmon, Sea-trout and other freshwater fish
Regulate the fishery
Remove obstacles to fish migration
Prevent illegal fishing

Our jurisdiction covers Tweed and all its tributaries, the coastline from Cockburnspath to Holy Island, and five miles out to sea. The RTC has powers of law enforcement and prosecution in both England and Scotland.

The law also says that the RTC must have 81 Commissioners: 43 of them (a majority) appointed by Northumberland County Council & Scottish Borders Council, and 23 Angling Clubs . The other 38 Commissioners are Tweed salmon fishery owners/proprietors. We meet quarterly, and elect a Committee of 8-12 people to represent us between meetings.

Photo Credit: Eoin Fairgrieve

About the River Tweed Commission