Rupert Shaw will replace Alastair McNeill, who passed away earlier in the summer after a long illness.
Having acted as stand in Chair for the last 12 months, Rupert, from Borgue, has now been nominated and endorsed by fellow trustee directors as the next convenor.
He said: “I can see the Solway daily from my coastal farm and skirt its edge with almost every journey I make. I feel naturally entwined and therefore concerned with its wellbeing in all senses. In addition to environmental need I am also keen that the Partnership play a significant part in preserving our coastal heritage and actively look for projects that help arrest the continuing decline of employment and commercial outcomes from our Firth.”
Meanwhile, tributes have been paid to Alastair McNeill, who was one of the founders of the SFP in the 1990s and become a board member in 2011 after retiring from SEPA in 2010. He took up the position of partnership chairman in 2014.
In a statement, the SFP said: “Alastair will be remembered as a private, gentle man, but one who spoke out with passion about issues he believed were important. He loved his pet Alsatian dogs, fast cars and loud music while driving.
“He was widely respected as a consistent and effective regulator who was committed to the protection of Scotland’s environment.
“Alastair will be greatly missed at SFP and will be remembered as a hugely supportive chairperson, friend and advisor to staff and as an advocate of national and local work towards sustainable fisheries and the environment.”
