Biologist Bob Kindness releases young salmon into the River Carron as part of a long-term project supported by Salmon Scotland to protect wild fish and restore habitats. © Elliot Roberts
The funding, part of a £1.5 million commitment to conserve wild fish populations, will help safeguard wild salmon and sea trout.
The grants cover a mix of practical conservation, habitat restoration and scientific research. The Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust will receive £30,625 for river bank improvements and tree planting on the River Fruin, while £17,541 will go towards erosion mitigation and spawning ground protection on the River Doon in Ayrshire. In the Outer Hebrides, the Stornoway Angling Association on the Isle of Lewis has been awarded £25,000 for urgent repairs to a key dam on the River Creed.
In Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands, £72,000 will be used to support the Drimsallie Hatchery live salmon gene bank. A further £11,600 will assist the Lochaber Fishery Trust and the University of the Highlands and Islands in Inverness screen four rivers for juvenile salmon populations and genetic diversity. Meanwhile, £8,485 will support long-term monitoring at the Tournaig fish trap in Wester Ross.
Additional projects include research led by biologist Bob Kindness on the River Carron, who has received £10,000 to track how conservation stocking contributes to the return of adult fish.
“These 10 projects show how communities are taking practical action, from restoring habitats to gene bank research and long-term monitoring. It’s inspiring to see local groups, trusts and fisheries working together to safeguard these species and demonstrate how community-led conservation can make a real difference,” said Jon Gibb, co-ordinator of the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund, in a press release.
Long-term decline in wild salmon and sea trout
Together these initiatives are designed to tackle the long-term decline in wild salmon and sea trout populations. Numbers across the UK have been falling for decades, mainly due to habitat loss and warming rivers and seas. Survival at sea has dropped to between one and five per cent, compared with around 25 per cent 30 years ago.
“Wild salmon is one of Scotland’s most iconic species, but populations continue to face significant pressures from habitat loss, climate change and predation. Scotland’s salmon farmers are committed to finding solutions, working constructively with the wild fish sector, and taking meaningful action to protect wild salmon and sea trout,” added Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland.
Other pressures include invasive plants, predators such as birds, fish and seals, and obstacles to migration including dams and weirs. Scotland’s salmon farming companies, which operate on the west coast, Orkney, and Shetland, set up the wild fisheries fund to help find practical solutions.
Since 2021, the fund has invested around £475,000 in projects. This includes a £35,000 grant to repair the Fincastle Dam in West Harris, which safeguardes an important salmon fishery.
Other projects awarded funding this year are:
- River Ruel habitat improvement, Argyll – £10,000 to the River Ruel Improvement Association, with support from Argyll Fisheries Trust, to reduce fine sediment entering the river and improve spawning and juvenile salmon habitat.
- Otter Ferry Seafish live salmon gene bank, Loch Fyne – £39,134 to continue the project rearing wild salmon parr to adulthood, supporting conservation and future restocking efforts.
- River Urr, Dumfries and Galloway – £9,547 to Urr District Salmon Fishery Board for invasive mink predator-trapping equipment and staff training, protecting native salmon and other wildlife including voles, hedgehogs and ground-nesting birds.
“The River Carron Conservation Association much appreciates funding from the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund. This support allows us to analyse tissue samples from salmon and monitor the success of a long-established stocking programme. So far, the results show that stocked salmon make a significant contribution to the adults returning to the river, helping sustain the population for future generations,” said Kindness.
