Almost £140,000 has been granted to organisations this year through Salmon Scotland’s wild fisheries fund to address long-term species decline.
The fund is part of a £1.5 million commitment from Scotland's salmon farmers to support the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of wild fish numbers.
Tighnabruaich-based Otter Ferry Seafish has been awarded £49,404 to work with Argyll wild fisheries experts to develop a gene bank to boost threatened salmon populations.
The initial four-year project is being developed in partnership with the Argyll Fisheries Trust and the River Ruel Improvement Association.
Organisers hope the project will not only help stock several regional rivers but also become a ‘blueprint’, paving the way for a wider ‘genetic insurance’ network of banks across the country.
A separate scheme to tackle erosion on the Ruel, improving the habitat through tree planting and fencing, has received £10,000, marking a third year of funding.
Wild salmon and sea trout populations throughout the UK have been in decline for decades – particularly because of habitat loss and rising river and sea temperatures.
These fish now have a marine survival rate of just one-to-five per cent, compared to around 25 per cent only three decades ago.
The Scottish Government has identified other pressures facing
wild salmon, including non-native plants, predation by fish, birds and seals, and obstacles to fish passage including dams and weirs.
Salmon farming companies, which operate exclusively on the west coast, Orkney, and Shetland, launched the fund to play their part in finding solutions, engaging constructively with the wild fish sector, and taking meaningful action to save wild salmon.
Previously called the ‘wild salmonid fund’, more than £335,000 has already been invested since 2021 including a £35,000 grant to save the leaking Fincastle Dam on West Harris, helping preserve an important salmon fishery.
The fund is co-ordinated by fishery manager Jon Gibb, who is based in Fort William and has championed a constructive relationship between the farm-raised salmon sector and fisheries and angling groups.
The five other projects awarded funds this year are:
- Ayrshire Rivers Trust – £17,026 to undertake a restoration project that will aim to address riverbank erosion at the Mauchline Burn.
- Galloway Fisheries Trust – £22,697 to reduce acidity in the River Bladnoch using 700 tonnes of crushed scallop shells on forestry roads and feeder burns, improving the ecosystem.
- Uig Lodge Lettings – £10,000 for improvements to the Fhorsa River on the Isle of Lewis, focusing on enhancing spawning areas, re-shaping channels, clearing vegetation, and helping salmon move more easily.
- Urras Oighreachd Chàrlabhaigh (Carloway Estate Trust) – £6,305 for fishing surveying, analysis, and spawning bed improvements on the Carloway River on the Isle of Lewis.
- River Eachaig Fishery Syndicate – £24,376 for habitat improvements in Argyll, including riverbank strengthening, fencing, rhododendron control, and flood damage repairs.
Jon Gibb, co-ordinator of the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund, said:
“The wild fisheries fund provides a rare and exceptional opportunity for rural and coastal communities to access vital funds aimed at improving their local rivers and lochs.
“In 2023, wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland were officially classified as an endangered species.
“It’s fantastic to support a variety of innovative projects dedicated to conserving and enhancing habitat, particularly for species facing extinction in certain areas.
“Wild salmon are currently facing a deep and dire crisis, and the aquaculture sector can play a crucial role in reducing their decline.”
Otter Ferry Seafish, the oldest independent fish farming company in Scotland, operates the UK’s only halibut hatchery and produces cleanerfish.
These cleanerfish are used by some salmon farmers as a natural way to remove sea lice from farm-raised salmon.
By setting up a live salmon gene bank, the project seeks to preserve the genetic material of threatened wild populations, ensuring their survival and adaptability.
Using advanced genetic screening, the team will assess the diversity of salmon in the River Ruel and determine the need for egg stocking from the gene bank.
The goal is to help restock several regional rivers and set a model for other areas to follow.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said:
“Wild salmon is one of Scotland's most iconic species, but there has been a decades-long decline on the east and west coasts of Scotland due to climate change and habitat destruction.
“Scotland's salmon farmers are determined to find solutions, engaging constructively with the wild fish sector and taking meaningful action to save wild salmon.
“We actively contribute to reversing this decline by supporting community-led projects to restore our rivers and lochs, making a positive global impact.
“Through the extraordinary success story of farm-raised salmon, we have developed world-leading expertise in hatching and rearing salmon that thrive at sea.
“Our members not only fund projects but also share their expertise to help restock wild fisheries, contributing to reversing the decline in wild salmon numbers.”
Alastair Barge, managing director of Otter Ferry Seafish, said:
“We are very excited to be part of this new initiative funded by the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund.
“The project combines the knowledge and expertise of the wild fishery sector with the control provided by our dedicated staff and versatile aquaculture facilities.
“Working together with the Argyll Fisheries Trust and the River Ruel Improvement Association, we aim to preserve the genetic integrity of the river’s salmon population while giving it a real chance for rapid recovery in the future.”
Andrew Barker, of the River Ruel Improvement Association, said:
“We are extremely grateful to the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund for making possible a very exciting project to grow to maturity salmon parr taken from the river before releasing them back into the river to spawn.
“This pilot scheme is being developed using the unique onshore facilities of Otter Ferry Seafish and with the help of the Argyll Fisheries Trust and it is hoped that it will provide a blueprint in due course for other Scottish rivers to protect and increase their salmon stocks.”
Alan Kettle-White, senior biologist with the Argyll Fisheries Trust, said:
“Argyll Fisheries Trust is delighted that our project partners have received funding from Salmon Scotland's wild fisheries fund to support our joint projects aimed at conserving and improving our wild salmon populations.
“The projects supported by the fund include the continuation of the program of river habitat improvement on two rivers and support for a preliminary look at the potential for living gene banks to help conserve local salmon populations.”
The River Eachaig is a significant sea trout fishery, but it has been impacted by severe bank erosion and collapse. As a result, the pools are becoming shallower and less productive.
Bob Younger of the River Eachaig Fishery Syndicate said:
“The river suffered significant damage to the riparian zone after the floods of October 2023.
“This support from Salmon Scotland’s wild fisheries fund will help us protect the river for the future by fencing and planting vulnerable areas of the banks.
“This will also support more biodiversity on the river.”
More details are available at www.wildfisheriesfund.co.uk.