Wildlife

Atlantic Salmon: River Restoration for Wild Fish Welfare

Atlantic salmon populations have collapsed in many rivers and welfare depends on river quality, migration barriers, and disease from fish farms.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon returns to UK rivers declined by 50 percent between 1970 and 2015
Salmon face mortality from sea lice emanating from coastal fish farms during migration
Barriers including weirs and culverts block salmon migration to spawning grounds
River acidification and high water temperatures increasingly affect salmon welfare
Salmon can be caught by anglers in UK rivers under licence with catch and release common

Welfare Considerations

Wild Atlantic salmon welfare is compromised by multiple stressors across their lifecycle. Sea lice infestation from fish farms causes skin damage and systemic infection. Migration barriers cause injury as fish attempt to pass obstacles. High river temperatures in summer cause physiological stress and increase vulnerability to disease. Catch and release angling, while better than killing, still causes stress and potential injury.

What You Can Do

Support the Atlantic Salmon Trust and Wild Trout Trust river restoration work
Campaign for fish passage provision at all weirs and culverts in salmon rivers
Advocate for regulatory reform of sea cage salmon farming to reduce lice impacts
Support monitoring programmes that track salmon population health and returns
Encourage adoption of best practice catch and release guidelines among salmon anglers