The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is an iconic but critically threatened species in UK rivers. Declining populations reflect complex welfare and conservation challenges spanning freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats.
Salmon endure extreme physiological demands during spawning migration. Fish that encounter impassable weirs, low dissolved oxygen, warm water, or excessive sea lice burdens face prolonged suffering before death. Research indicates salmon are sentient — they show stress responses, nociception, and learning behaviour. The welfare case for improving river connectivity, reducing agricultural runoff, managing sea lice near aquaculture sites, and maintaining minimum river flows is therefore strong. Catch-and-release angling, while less harmful than killing, still causes physiological stress — best practice protocols (minimising air exposure, using barbless hooks, quick release) meaningfully reduce welfare impact.