The publication today of the official returns of wild salmon caught in Scotland last year makes for grim reading, for all those that hold this iconic species dear, as they are the lowest on record. Whilst the long hot dry summer of 2018 would no doubt have played a role in the low numbers caught the sad news is that fewer salmon are returning to our rivers. This is not just happening in Scotland but for many rivers right around the whole of the Atlantic. As these fish are a very good indicator of the health of our rivers and seas they are telling us that something is terribly wrong.
We, as a society, need to do much better if we are to ensure that wild salmon have a future.
If you want to find out more about what the Atlantic Salmon Trust and partners are doing to understand what is causing this decline then please have a look at our Missing Salmon Project and, get involved with helping to look after these threatened fish. Theories abound but this work will help us find out what is really happening to the salmon and then target what we can do to better look after them for future generations.