Industry fund backs wild salmon and sea trout recovery initiatives.
Scotland’s salmon farmers have awarded more than £230,000 this year to 10 conservation projects aimed at protecting wild salmon and sea trout.
The funding comes through Salmon Scotland’s wild fisheries fund, part of a £1.5 million commitment to support river restoration, habitat improvement, and scientific research. Since its launch in 2021, the fund has invested around £475,000 in projects across the country.
This year’s largest award, £72,000, will support the Drimsallie Hatchery live salmon gene bank in Lochaber. Other grants include £39,134 for the Otter Ferry Seafish live salmon gene bank on Loch Fyne, £30,625 to the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust for riverbank improvements on the River Fruin, and £25,000 to the Stornoway Angling Association for dam repairs on the River Creed.
Additional allocations include £17,541 for erosion mitigation and spawning ground protection on the River Doon in Ayrshire, £11,600 for juvenile salmon population screening in Lochaber rivers, £10,000 for habitat improvements on the River Ruel in Argyll, £9,547 for predator control on the River Urr in Dumfries and Galloway, £10,000 for conservation stocking research on the River Carron, and £8,485 for long-term monitoring at the Tournaig fish trap in Wester Ross.
The wild fisheries fund is coordinated by fishery manager Jon Gibb in Fort William, who works to link farmed salmon producers with the wider fisheries and angling community.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the initiative reflected the sector’s commitment to “supporting community-led projects that restore rivers, improve spawning grounds, and give wild salmon and sea trout a better chance of survival.”
The UK’s biggest food export, Scottish salmon generated more than £800 million in international sales last year, with the sector contributing £760 million annually to the economy and supporting around 10,000 jobs.
