Scottish salmon and sea trout fishery statistics 2023

Salmon Net Fishery

Under the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations, retention of salmon caught in coastal waters has been prohibited since the 2016 season. This restriction applies mainly to fixed engine fisheries. Net fisheries were first required to report caught and released fish for the 2021 season.

In 2023, a total of 246 wild salmon were reported caught and retained in the net and coble fishery, the lowest catch since 1952. A further 122 wild salmon were reported as caught and released (33% of the total). The haaf net fishery in the Solway region reported nine caught and retained salmon, and 145 caught and released salmon (94% released). Other types of fixed engine fisheries reported no caught and retained salmon, and 24 caught and released salmon (100% released).

Data source: 2023 Scottish salmon and sea trout statistics, Supplementary Tables, Table 2 and 4, from the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate.