Scottish Government urged to act quickly to save our wild salmon

Fisheries Management Scotland have welcomed the publication of the Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy. The strategy was informed by an advisory group and sets out five priority themes for action to address the pressures which our wild Atlantic salmon face. The strategy recognises the urgency of the situation and the need for Scottish Government, Agencies, the charity and private sectors to work together and coordinate action to prioritise the protection and recovery of Scotland’s wild Atlantic salmon populations.

Dr Alan Wells, Chief Executive of Fisheries Management Scotland said, “We have been working for many years to raise awareness of the issues that our wild salmon face and we welcome the recognition of these issues at a national scale. It is now crucial that the strategy is delivered without delay. The next step in the process is the development of an implementation plan, and we look forward to contributing to that. However, there are many improvements that can be taken forward now, and we urge the Scottish Government to act quickly to deliver the actions that our wild salmon need. These include funding crucial work to enhance the sustainability of our rivers, through planting riverside trees to mitigate climate-induced warming, accelerating action to improve water quality and quantity, removing barriers to fish migration and delivering a reformed regulatory system that protects wild fish from the impacts of fish farming.”

Notes:

The strategy can be viewed on the Scottish Government website.

Fisheries Management Scotland was a member of the Wild Salmon Strategy Advisory Group, alongside Forth Rivers Trust and Spey Fishery Board. Atlantic Salmon trust, our partner in the Missing Salmon Alliance was also a member. The full membership is published in an Annex of the strategy.