The return of the wild salmon

The number of wild salmon in a Highlands river in Scotland has been increased, thanks to a three-year project which has had “positive results”.

The scheme resulted in the release of about 54,000 farm-raised fish into the River Lochy in Lochaber.  Now there are plans to release more salmon smolts.

Numbers of salmon caught have increased from 32 in 1998 to 1,500 in more recent years.  The May to July period is when some of the largest salmon are caught, with an average weight in June of more than 16 lbs.

The released smolts run almost immediately from the river to the sea.  They return to the river one or two years later in order to breed.

Monitoring has shown that the numbers of eggs laid by female salmon for fertilisation in the river had increased by almost one million per annum over the trial. Moreover, an extra 400 spawning salmon had returned each year.

The project is a joint effort between salmon fishing giant Marine Harvest and the local angling association.  Marine Harvest has been raising the fish for restocking at one of its farms.

The number of salmon caught by rod on Scotland’s west coast has dropped by 42% between 1970 and 2010, while the east coast has seen a roughly similar increase of 38% in that time.  Salmon farms may have something to do with the shift: the west of Scotland has large numbers of salmon farms, while the east has none.

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