Salmon Conservation

"Wild Atlantic salmon are on the brink of becoming an endangered species in our lifetime, with global populations of wild Atlantic salmon estimated to have declined from 8-10 million in the 1970s to just 3 million fish today. Numbers of wild salmon and sea trout found in Scotland’s rivers have declined by 70% over the past two decades." Source: Salmon & Trout Conservation UK.

This section of the site is dedicated to information and comment regarding salmon conservation, fishery management and good practice for the protection of future salmon stocks.

Atlantic Salmon Trust
The Atlantic Salmon Trust is an Atlantic wide organisation involved in the funding and sponsorship of practical research programmes tackling the problems wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout face today.

They cite a number of threats faced by our Atlantic salmon and sea trout:

At Sea

Climate changes affecting feeding and survival opportunities
Fishing, including unintentional capture when fishing for other species

On the Coast

Interceptory mixed stock nets
Fish farms - sea lice, disease and escapees
Seals and dolphins
Pollution

In the Rivers

Cormorants and sawbill ducks
Seals and otters
Pollution and poor habitat
Obstructions such as dams, weirs and culverts
Disease
Poor angling practices
Poachers

Voluntary catch & release is the single most important conservation contribution that individual salmon anglers can make to the protection of future salmon stocks.

Salmon & Trout Conservation UK
Salmon & Trout Conservation is a UK charity who actively campaign to protect wild fish and their waters. One of their most important campaigns is to protect wild salmon & sea trout from parasites and diseases spread from commercial salmon farming. Their aims include:

Relocate poorly sited farms
Review lice regulations and make action on lice trigger levels mandatory
Encourage a shift to closed containment salmon farming: either land-based or floating tanks in place of open nets

For more information on salmon and sea trout conservation visit the Salmon & Trout Conservation website at www.salmon-trout.org and the Atlantic Salmon Trust website at www.atlanticsalmontrust.org

salmonquest salmon strip

Salmon Conservation

Left and centre images by kind permission of Helen Bailey, right image by kind permission Andrew Dowsett.

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