Publication - Progress report

Wild salmon strategy implementation plan progress report: 2023-2024

Published: 25 March 2024
From: Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, +1 more … Director of Marine
Directorate: Marine Directorate, +1 more … Environment and Forestry Directorate
Topic: Environment and climate change, Farming and rural, Marine and fisheries
ISBN: 9781836010623

A progress report setting out the progress towards delivering the actions in the wild salmon strategy implementation plan in 2023/24 to protect and restore wild salmon populations.

Supporting documents

Salmon Populations

The number of wild Atlantic salmon returning to Scottish coastal waters has declined since estimates began in the 1970s^[1]. Catches of salmon in Scotland have been recorded since 1952. The most recent statistics from the 2022 season showed the total reported rod catch of wild salmon was 42,204, the fourth lowest on record (Fig. 1). In total, 97% of the rod caught salmon were returned to the water, showing the continued effort from the angling community with regards to catch and release practices. In December 2023 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published its latest assessment which classified wild Atlantic salmon populations in Great Britain as endangered for the first time.

number of salmon caught by rods in Scottish waters from 1952 to 2022 and the number of those released, from 1994 to 2022. — Figure 1: A Annual number of salmon caught by rod since 1952, and annual number of salmon caught by rod and released since 1994 (thousands). Data source: 2022 Scottish salmon and sea trout statistics, Supplementary Tables, Table 1. B Estimated number of wild Atlantic salmon returning to the Scottish coast together with estimates of the number surviving to spawn in Scottish rivers. (source: returns to coast ICES WGNAS/Scottish Government; spawner numbers Scottish Government).

number of salmon returning to Scottish coastal waters from 1970 to 2022 and the number of those fish that survived to spawn. — Figure 1: A Annual number of salmon caught by rod since 1952, and annual number of salmon caught by rod and released since 1994 (thousands). Data source: 2022 Scottish salmon and sea trout statistics, Supplementary Tables, Table 1. B Estimated number of wild Atlantic salmon returning to the Scottish coast together with estimates of the number surviving to spawn in Scottish rivers. (source: returns to coast ICES WGNAS/Scottish Government; spawner numbers Scottish Government).

Contact

Email: SalmonandRecreationalFisheries@gov.scot

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Information

Salmon Populations

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