Atlantic salmon

Wild Atlantic salmon populations are at historically low levels and scientific advice recommends that no catch takes place.

In line with advice from the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) the conservation status of stocks is assessed on a river by river basis, except those areas where fishery catch cannot be assigned to individual rivers. The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 regulates the killing of Atlantic salmon in inland waters, managing stocks on an annual basis by categorising their conservation status.

The conservation status of each stock is defined using the probabilities of meeting the conservation limit over a five-year period. Rather than a simple pass or fail stocks are allocated to one of three grades each with their own recommended management actions. Grade 1 rivers (29 proposed in 2023) are rivers in which exploitation is sustainable and no additional management action is currently required. Grade 2 rivers (31 proposed in 2023) are those in which management action is necessary to reduce exploitation and the need for mandatory catch and release will be reviewed annually. Grade 3 rivers (113 proposed in 2023) are those In which exploitation is unsustainable and management actions are required to reduce exploitation for a year. In 2023, only 1 river has improved its grading, while 20 have moved down a grade.

In general terms the Regulations: prohibit the retention of salmon caught in coastal waters; permit the killing of salmon within inland waters where stocks are above a defined conservation limit i.e. those rivers accorded grade 1 or 2 status for the fishing season; require mandatory catch and release of salmon in areas which fall below their defined CL following the assessment of salmon stocks i.e. grade 3 rivers.

Statutory conservation measures ensure that no salmon is taken in Scotland before 1 April each year. ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, fishing should only take place on salmon from rivers where stocks have been shown to be at full reproductive capacity. Mixed-stock fisheries present particular threats, and should be managed based on the individual status of all stocks exploited in the fishery.

Wild salmon in Scotland are managed by Marine Scotland. There are a variety of management measures in place, including a ban on selling rod caught salmon.

The North Atlantic Salmon Commission (NASCO) has responsibility for managing salmon stocks at the international level. ICES provides scientific advice to NASCO on salmon stocks since it was established in 1983. Despite management measures aimed at reducing exploitation in recent years, there has been little improvement in the status of stocks over time.

In Scotland salmon fishing is governed by detailed legislation, imposing a variety of controls on all types of fishing. The Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill is the primary legislation for management of fisheries in Scotland. Part 2 of the Bill deals with salmon and freshwater fisheries and largely amends the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003, particularly in relation to governance by District Salmon Fisheries Boards (DSFBs) and management of salmon fisheries.

The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards is the representative body for Scotland's 41 District Salmon Fishery Boards (DSFBs) including the River Tweed Commission (RTC), which have a statutory responsibility to protect and improve salmon and sea trout fisheries. District Salmon Fishery Boards and Fishery Trusts remain the foundation of effective fisheries management in Scotland. Many of the fish caught by anglers using rod and line are voluntarily released. Catch and Release in the rod fishery has served to reduce levels of exploitation, notably in the early months of the year. In some local cases catch and release has been implemented on a statutory basis.

In 2009 in England and Wales, the Environment Agency introduced carcass tagging to restrict the potential for illegal salmon trade. The Salmon Carcass Tagging (Scotland) Regulation 2016 introduced mandatory tagging in Scotland, bringing it in line with the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Under these regulations the only source of wild Scottish Atlantic salmon which may be purchased are those caught from net and cobble fisheries in Category 1 or 2 (inland) waters. It is an offence to sell rod caught wild Scottish Atlantic salmon. The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 prohibits the retention of salmon caught in coastal waters.

There is limited knowledge on the impacts of salmon fishing on the environment and wider ecosystem.

All salmon fishing and sea trout fishing rights in Scotland, including in the sea, are private, heritable titles, which may be held separately from any land. Historically, they have fallen into one of three broad categories: fixed engine fisheries - are restricted to the coast and must be set outside estuary limits; net and coble fisheries - generally operate in estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers; and rod and line fisheries - generally operate within rivers and above tidal limits.

Although taken by anglers with rod and line, river anglers cannot sell their catch. Because numbers of wild salmon are declining, many of the fish caught by anglers are now returned to rivers unharmed so that they may go on to spawn. This practice is known as catch-and-release.

Salmon fisheries are thought to have only minor impact on the marine ecosystem. However, the exploitation of salmon in freshwater may affect the riverine ecosystem through changes in species composition but there is limited knowledge on the magnitude of these effects.