“Somewhere on their journey, wild salmon numbers are being decimated. For every 100 salmon that leave our rivers for the sea, less than five return – a decline of nearly 70% in just 25 years.” – AST
We have known for some time that salmon are facing big problems at sea and indeed they could become an endangered species in our lifetime. In order to quantify these impacts on the salmon population the Atlantic Salmon Trust have a project underway to tack smolts from rivers that open to the Moray Firth. 20% of salmon leaving UK rivers do so by this route. The insights gained should be transferable to other salmon populations around the UK.
If you wish to learn more and follow the progress of project there is more information on the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s website and in the project booklet.