Nick Halfhide – NatureScot
Restoring Scotland’s Biodiversity
Nick brings over 30 years of experience in environmental stewardship to his role as Interim Chief Executive of NatureScot. Previously serving as Director of Nature & Climate Change, he's lead efforts to reverse the decline in nature, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Scotland’s land and sea, and support nature’s adaptation to climate change. With a deep commitment to Scotland’s nature, Nick is dedicated to building a sustainable future for both people and the environment.
Michael Meneer – Pacific Salmon Foundation
People for Salmon
Michael Meneer has two decades of experience in journalism, fundraising and public affairs in the United States and Canada. Michael has been President and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation since April 2019 and prior to that was Vice President for Development, Communications and Marketing for ten years. He helped to generate significant growth in PSF’s fundraising, communications and government relations during that period. This included leadership roles in the fundraising campaign for the $13 million Salish Sea Marine Survival Project and the successful effort to return 100% of Salmon Conservation Stamp revenue to PSF’s Community Salmon Program. In his spare time, Michael is also a film and television actor and media commentator on U.S. politics.
Alan Wells – Fisheries Management Scotland
Restoring Scotland's Rivers for the Benefit of Nature and People
Alan has been the Chief Executive of Fisheries Management Scotland since it was formed in 2017. A key priority is working with the Scottish Government and relevant agencies to press the case for protection and enhancement of Scotland’s native fish, and the habitats on which they depend.
Wendy Kenyon - Missing Salmon Alliance
Wild Salmon Connections – What next?
Wendy headed up delivery of the Wild Salmon Connections event in London in 2025. She was previously the Assistant Secretary at the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) and worked in the Scottish Parliament advising MSPs and Committees on fisheries and the natural environment matters, for over 10 years. With a background in environmental economics, Wendy has been involved in research and teaching at the James Hutton Institute, SRUC and the University of Edinburgh. Wendy is also Clerk to the Forth District Salmon Fishery Board.
Nicole Still - Scottish Wildlife Trust, Riverwoods
A Blueprint for River Woodland Restoration
Nicole recently started as the Riverwoods Project Manager to lead the delivery of Blueprint Project and manage the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s wider Riverwoods initiative activities. She has spent the last decade researching and working in temperate riparian forests across Europe and North America on restoration, conservation, and INNS management.
Pedro Landale - Chair Atlantic Salmon Trust / Ambassador Missing Salmon Alliance
Wild Salmon Connections - What next?
Pedro has been involved in the Wild Salmon sector on a voluntary basis since joining the Nith Board in 2011. He joined The AST board in 2016 and became Chair in 2023. He helped found the Missing Salmon Alliance in 2019. He was also a Board member of FMS between 2020 and 2024. He is a driving force behind trying to develop the market for Natural Capital into the sector and was one of the team which helped deliver Wild Salmon Connections in London in January 2025. When not working with Salmon he is engaged developing Dalswinton Estates, Dumfriesshire rural businesses.
Paul Sizeland– Fisheries Management Scotland
Developing a Scottish Rivers Fund
Paul joined Fisheries Management Scotland in May 2023 from NatureScot where he had been leading NatureScot’s input to the draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. Paul is working with FMS members and stakeholders across the landowning, land-managing, public and private sectors to secure nature finance to support efforts to address pressures on the freshwater environment.
Amelia Heath - Forth Rivers Trust Co-Director
Unlocking nature finance opportunities for river catchment restoration
Amelia has worked for the Forth Rivers Trust since 2017, initially as the Finance Manager until expanding her role to include project development and project management. Since 2021 Amelia has been managing climate resilience projects throughout the Trust’s operating area, including in the Loch Lomond Trossachs National Park. She also leads the Trust on nature finance, including its pilot nature finance project, Leven LENs. In 2023, Amelia was appointed permanent Co-Director of the Trust.
Keith Williams - Kyle of Sutherland Fisheries
Loch Shin Salmon Restoration
Keith has worked for fishery boards and trusts for over twenty years and is currently the director of both Kyle of Sutherland Fishery Board and Rivers Trust. His previous employment was as a biologist for the Ness & Beauly Fisheries Trust which followed a spell with Cromarty Firth DSFB.
Clementine Leemans - Kyle of Sutherland Rivers Trust
A Blueprint for River Woodland Restoration
Clementine initially joined the Trust in 2023 for six months as part of the Working With Rivers Scheme. Clementine has extended her stay beyond her internship and is now engaged in the Riverwoods Blueprint project as part of the wider Kyle Riverwoods Project, delivering and supporting riparian schemes across the catchment.
John Armstrong, Marine Directorate
Panel Discussion
John Armstrong is chair of the Science and Evidence Board supporting the Wild Salmon Strategy, bringing together some of the leading management-focussed scientists from public, private and charity sectors in Scotland. During his long career studying many of the pressures affecting wild salmon, John was a founding member of the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre and head of Scottish Government’s Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory.
Willie Yeomans - Clyde River Foundation
Ideally, you wouldn’t start from here - 40 years of salmon recovery in the River Clyde
Willie Yeomans has been a freshwater biologist for nearly 40 years, the last 20 of which have been spent leading the team of scientists at the Clyde River Foundation. He has interests in fish parasitology, sticklebacks, invasive species, environmental education and river pollution, all of which have come in useful in his work on Scotland’s most urban river, and one of the great rivers of the world.
Mark Purrmann Charles - Scottish Invasive Species Initiative
Scottish Invasive Species Initiative - Partnership working locally at landscape scale
Mark has worked with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative since its inception in 2018, covering the southern end of the project area and now covering solely Tayside. Prior to joining the project, he has worked for organisations including The Parks Trust and The Conservation Volunteers in roles primarily focused on conservation, invasive non-native species control and community engagement.
Leah Reinfranck - Fisheries Management Scotland
Unlocking nature finance opportunities for river catchment restoration
Leah is the Nature Finance Project Officer at Fisheries Management Scotland and is contributing to the development of the Scottish Rivers Fund – an ambitious project designed to unlock the vital corporate investment needed to restore healthy, resilient river catchments across Scotland for both nature and people.
Chloe Grant - Fisheries Management Scotland
A Blueprint for River Woodland Restoration
Chloe joined the Fisheries Management Scotland team in April 2024 as Wild Salmon Conservation Manager after working as a Communications and Advocacy Officer for the Riverwoods initiative at the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Chloe helps to deliver Scotland’s Wild Salmon Strategy, ensuring that wild salmon are prioritised in national policy discussions and that key conservation actions are achieved.