The status of salmon in Scotland: 2024

The assessment for the 2025 angling season highlights that most stocks (117 out of 173 – 68%) are in poor conservation status, and these are spread throughout the country (Figure 1). The large (east coast) rivers, which contain most of Scotland’s wild salmon, tend to be of good conservation status. Despite only 17% of stocks overall being in good conservation status they are estimated to hold approximately 80% of the total number of Scottish salmon. Between 2017 and 2025 there has been a decline in the number of stocks in good conservation status, from 61 (2017) to a proposed 33 (2025), highlighting the need for action to safeguard this iconic species (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Map of Scotland showing the proposed conservation status of the 173 stocks assessed for the 2025 angling season.

Figure 2: Changes in the conservation status of Scottish salmon stocks for the 2017-2025 angling seasons. Data source: Marine Directorate, The status of salmon in Scotland.