Industry’s conservation fund in second round of grants

The Scottish salmon industry has pledged an additional £120,000 for conservation projects to support wild salmon and sea trout.

Applications for grants from the Wild Salmonid Support Fund are invited from today, in a second funding round following the launch of the fund last year.

The fund was set up to support organisations that work to enhance and protect wild fisheries and habitats.

Created by industry body Salmon Scotland in partnership with Fisheries Management Scotland, and administered by Foundation Scotland, both the wild fisheries and farm-raised salmon industries have been delivering this work as part of each sector’s interests to support and conserve habitats.

The five-year fund is financed directly by Scotland’s salmon farm companies, and last year more than £70,000 was awarded to five river and fisheries trusts after its launch in April.

The Scottish salmon sector’s investment in a fund to support the wild salmon industry has increased following the success of the previous round in 2021.

Beneficiaries in the last funding round were the Argyll Fisheries Trust, Wester Ross Fisheries Trust, Lochaber Fisheries Trust and the Carloway Estate Trust in the Western Isles.

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said: “We are committed to the marine environment, and it is in our joint interests to ensure that the waters we share where salmon farms operate are as good an environment for wild fish as they can be.

“Investing in good science and nature restoration projects on Scotland’s rivers is extremely important and will benefit Scotland’s iconic wild salmon and sea trout.”

Organisations are encouraged to request grants in the range of £10,000 and £35,000 before the application period closes on Monday, March 21, with a decision to come in the week commencing May 23. The administrators advise that individual projects should be completed with 18 months of the project being awarded funds.

More information is available online at www.foundationscotland.org.uk/wild-salmonid-support-fund