Salmon Scotland - an industry trade body - has also pledged an additional £230,000 over the next year to address declining fish numbers by restoring habitats, protecting against predators, and supporting river restocking. This additional funding is part of a broader five-year, £1.5 million investment from salmon farmers to address declines in wild salmonid populations across Scotland.
The stark declines observed in wild UK salmonid populations over recent decades have been attributed to a multitude of causes, including climate change, habitat degradation, and marine development. The wild fisheries fund, now in its fourth year of running, offers funding to projects seeking to support these wild populations, and is available to all river catchment organisations across Scotland, with a particular focus on areas where aquaculture and wild salmon fisheries overlap.
"In 2023, wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland and across the UK were officially classified as an endangered species. This keystone species faces serious threats from a wide range of impacts both in the river and at sea, and projects aimed at better understanding and mitigating these threats are urgently needed," said Jon Gibb, co-ordinator of the wild fisheries fund, in a press release.
"I am also pleased that the fund is now available to all Scottish river management organisations, as the rapid decline in salmon numbers is being seen across the Scottish mainland and beyond," he added.
Last year, eight projects were supported by the fund, 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 to maturity salmon parr taken from the river before releasing them back into the wild 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," said Andrew Barker of the River Ruel Improvement Association.
"Wild salmon is one of Scotland's most iconic species, but its numbers have been in decline for decades on both the east and west coasts, due to climate change and habitat destruction. 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," commented Tavish Scott, chief executive at Salmon Scotland.
The wild fisheries fund will close on 31 March, 2025.
