Salmon farmers have announced investment in 10 projects nationwide to protect rivers, restore habitats and safeguard wild salmon and sea trout.
More than £230,000 has been awarded this year through Salmon Scotland’s wild fisheries fund for practical work tackling long-term species decline.
The fund is part of a £1.5m commitment to conserve, restore and sustainably manage wild fish populations across Scotland.
“Wild salmon is one of Scotland’s most iconic species, but populations continue to face significant pressures from habitat loss, climate change and predation,” said Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland. “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.”
The Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust will receive £30,625 for river bank improvements and tree planting on the River Fruin and £17, 541 will go towards erosion mitigation and spawning ground protection on the River Doon in Ayrshire.
“The wild fisheries fund allows us to implement measures that make a real difference for successful spawning of salmon and trout,” said Jennifer Keeping, biologist at the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust. “This autumn, we will begin tree planting and fencing to shade the waterways and improve the habitat for years to come.”
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.
Elsewhere, in Lochbar, £72,000 will support Drimsallie Hatchery live salmon gene bank and £11,600 will support the Lochbar Fishery Trust and the University of the Highlands and Islands in Inverness screen four rivers for juvenile salmon populations and genetic diversity.
Long-term monitoring continues at the Tournaig fish trap in Wester Ross with £8,485.
Other projects include research led by biologist Bob Kindness on the River Carron, with £10,000 to track how conservation stocking contributes to returning adult fish.
The initiatives are designed to tackle the long-term decline in wild salmon and sea trout populations, which have been declining for decades mainly due to habitat loss and warming rivers and seas.
“Through the wild fisheries fund, we are supporting community-led projects that restore rivers, improve spawning grounds, and give wild salmon and sea trout a better chance of survival,” said Scott. “Our members not only provide funding but also share expertise developed from the successful farm-raised salmon sector, helping ensure that restoration and conservation efforts are as effective as possible.”
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