30th July: Urgent warning issued after invasive pink salmon caught in River Dee

An invasive salmon has been caught in the River Dee, raising concerns for native species in the north-east.

Anglers have been asked to ‘remain vigilant’ after a pink salmon, which is native to the Pacific Ocean, was captured last week.

The species which was last seen in 2021 are a threat to the native Atlantic salmon, which are in decline.

Pink Salmon breed in a 2-year fixed cycle and spawn in late summer. The small male fish was caught by an angler and weighed just over 1lb and has been retained for sampling.

The Fishery Board has previously targeted pink salmon using the successful approach of speargun and also electrofishing under licence from the Marine Directorate and NatureScot.

Pink salmon are typically 2-5lb in weight, have a heavily spotted tail, have a black mouth and tongue and have very small scales. When fresh, they are very silver, changing to dark green/brown with a cream belly, while the males develop a pronounced hump in breeding conditions.