© Elliot Roberts
Salmon Scotland’s wild fisheries fund will back projects that strengthen river habitats, protect spawning grounds, and boost survival rates for wild fish. This forms part of a wider five-year, £1.5 million investment from Scotland’s salmon farmers to support river restoration and help rebuild wild fish populations.
Now entering its fifth year, the fund closes on March 31, and grants are available to all river catchment organisations across Scotland, with particular interest in areas where aquaculture and wild salmon fisheries overlap.
The 2026 fund will again be co-ordinated by Jon Gibb, a fisheries manager based in Fort William in the heart of the aquaculture sector, who has championed a constructive relationship between the farm-raised salmon sector and fisheries and angling groups.
“This support allows local groups to carry out the practical work their rivers need – restoring habitats, improving spawning grounds and gathering the evidence that shows how young fish are coping. These community-led projects are essential if we’re to understand the challenges facing this keystone species and respond effectively,” said Gibb in a press release.
Wild salmon and sea trout numbers across the UK have been falling for decades, driven by habitat loss, rising river and sea temperatures and pressure on migration routes. Marine survival has dropped to between one and five percent, compared with around 25 percent 30 years ago. Other threats include invasive plants choking riverbanks, predation by birds, fish and seals, and obstacles such as dams and weirs that prevent fish from reaching their spawning grounds.
Since 2021, the fund – previously known as the ‘wild salmonid fund’ – has invested around £705,000 in practical river restoration across Scotland. Past projects have included repairing failing dams in the Western Isles, stabilising eroding riverbanks in Argyll, providing new cover for juvenile fish on Ayrshire burns, and long-term monitoring at the Tournaig trap in Wester Ross.
Support has also backed research on the River Carron, where biologist Bob Kindness leads a long-term study using DNA analysis to track how conservation stocking contributes to returning adult salmon. Live gene bank work in Lochaber and on Loch Fyne has also received support, helping protect the genetic integrity of vulnerable salmon populations.
“The River Carron Conservation Association much appreciates funding from the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund. 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 Bob Kindness.
“Wild salmon is part of Scotland’s identity, yet its numbers have been falling for decades. Scotland’s salmon farmers want to play their part in finding solutions. Through this fund we are supporting practical, community-led projects that restore rivers, protect spawning grounds, and improve the conditions wild fish need to survive,” added Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland.
