Wild Fisheries Fund in call for new projects

Wild salmon in crisis

Wild salmon and sea trout populations across the UK have been in decline for decades, largely due to habitat loss and rising river and sea temperatures.

Their marine survival rate has dropped to between 1% and 5%, compared to around 25% 30 years ago.

The Scottish Government has also identified other pressures facing wild salmon, including non-native plants, predation by fish, birds, and seals, and obstacles to fish passage, such as dams and weirs.

Previously called the Wild Salmonid Fund, around £475,000 has been invested since 2021 in projects such as restoring a historic dam in the Western Isles to help wild salmon reach their spawning grounds, and efforts to reduce riverbank erosion and provide cover for young salmon.

Last year, eight projects were funded, including the West Coast Genebank, a partnership between Otter Ferry Seafish and the River Ruel Improvement Association, which helps restore Atlantic salmon populations in the River Ruel by growing young salmon into adults in a hatchery.

Another initiative was a habitat restoration project on the Mauchline Burn, run by the Ayrshire Rivers Trust, which installs livestock fencing and plants trees to stabilise riverbanks and create new habitats for salmon.

Andrew Barker, of the River Ruel Improvement Association, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund for making possible a very exciting project to grow to maturity salmon parr taken from the river before releasing them back into the river to spawn.

“This pilot scheme is being developed using the unique onshore facilities of Otter Ferry Seafish and with the help of the Argyll Fisheries Trust and it is hoped that it will provide a blueprint in due course for other Scottish rivers to protect and increase their salmon stocks.”

Struan Candlish, a fisheries biologist with Ayrshire Rivers Trust said: “The wild fisheries fund is incredibly valuable to the trust.

“This is the third year we’ve been supported by the fund and we just can’t overstate how important it is.

“The impact this project and others like it have is significant and will help to support wild Scottish salmon for many years to come.”

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, commented: “Many salmon farmers are anglers themselves, and most in the fisheries and angling sectors understand the importance of a healthy, shared environment, where fish can thrive in our waters.

“Through the success of farm-raised salmon, we’ve developed world-leading expertise in hatching and rearing salmon that can thrive at sea.

“Alongside financial support for projects, our members are sharing their knowledge and experience to assist wild fisheries with re-stocking, further proving that collaboration is key to reversing the worrying decline in wild salmon numbers.”