Salmon farmers are the ones saving wild fish

But this success isn’t just about global sales — it supports thousands of jobs in coastal communities back here at home in Scotland.

While noisy, urban-based eco-warriors try to dismantle salmon farming, the very people they attack — our companies and our salmon farmers — are doing more than anyone to save Scotland’s wild fish.

Wild salmon is one of Scotland’s most iconic species, but its numbers have collapsed over the past few decades. Thirty years ago, around a quarter of young salmon returned from sea to our rivers. Now, in some areas, it’s as low as 1%. In 2023, wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland and across the UK was officially classified as an endangered species.

This keystone species faces serious threats both in rivers and at sea. The Scottish Government has identified more than 40 pressures, from rising river temperatures to pollution and predators like seals and birds.

The salmon is also a classic “indicator species”, travelling vast distances on its epic oceanic migration. And the message it is bringing home is deeply troubling.

Yet anti-salmon farm campaigners insist on blaming aquaculture. That argument doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The biggest threat to wild salmon isn’t fish farms — it’s the worsening state of our rivers.

We recognise that the sector enjoys its strong reputation and success partly due to our nation’s wild salmon heritage. That’s why we are proud to have set up the Wild Fisheries Fund to invest £1.5m in real solutions.

So far, around £475,000 has helped restore key river habitats, including fixing the leaking Fincastle Dam on West Harris, improving access to critical spawning grounds. The latest £230,000 funding round will support further habitat restoration, predator control and restocking efforts.

Overseeing the fund once again is Jon Gibb, a Fort William fisheries manager who has spent years building strong ties between salmon farmers, fisheries and angling groups — turning collaboration into real conservation results.

Now in its fourth year, the fund is currently seeking applications from Scottish river management organisations, recognising that the rapid decline in salmon numbers is no longer confined to just a few rivers but is happening across the Scottish mainland and beyond.

Applications are open until the end of March, and we look forward to seeing the next round of projects come to life.

Among last year’s projects was the pioneering West Coast Gene Bank. Tighnabruaich-based Otter Ferry Seafish was awarded nearly £50,000 to help deliver a live gene bank with the Argyll Fisheries Trust and the River Ruel Improvement Association, boosting threatened wild populations and creating a “blueprint” for river restoration.

Elsewhere, Galloway Fisheries Trust received £22,700 for an innovative project using scallop shells to improve water quality in the River Bladnoch. Inspired by US studies, 700 tonnes of waste shells from a local seafood processor will be used to neutralise acidity, which threatens fish stocks. More than 200 tonnes will be placed in burns to slowly release minerals, while the rest will be crushed and spread on forestry roads, where rain and vehicle movement will aid their breakdown.

These aren’t headline-grabbing stunts beloved by anti-salmon farming campaign groups but they are exactly the kind of practical, science-led actions that will make a difference.

Scottish salmon farmers will continue playing their part in finding solutions. Many are anglers themselves and understand the importance of a healthy, shared environment where fish can thrive. Alongside financial support for conservation, they are sharing world-leading expertise in hatching and rearing salmon that can thrive at sea.

The same knowledge that makes Scottish salmon a global success is now helping to restock wild fisheries. The sector is already working constructively with the wild fish sector to support re-stocking, proving that collaboration is key to reversing the worrying decline in wild salmon numbers.

Conserving fish – and rural communities

Meanwhile, activists who loudly proclaim their green credentials are funnelling their money into one thing: trying to ban salmon farming altogether. It’s a bizarre strategy.

If they succeed, it won’t save a single wild fish. It will cost jobs, damage local economies and wipe out the only sector actively funding wild salmon conservation.

Scottish salmon farmers aren’t just funding conservation projects — they’re also driving investment into the wider rural economy. Scotland’s salmon sector directly employs around 2,500 people in rural and coastal areas, with the wider supply chain supporting another 10,000 jobs.

These are highly skilled, well-paid roles that sustain families, schools and local businesses in some of the most remote parts of the country.

Unlike campaigners, who offer nothing but noise, the people working in aquaculture are delivering real solutions.

They are helping deliver fish passes, restoring habitats and funding cutting-edge conservation projects. They are creating jobs and bringing investment to communities that need it most. And they are producing a healthy, sustainable source of protein that the world wants more of.

Scottish salmon farmers are getting on with the job, despite the noise from those determined to undermine them. The demand for high-quality, sustainable seafood is only increasing, and Scotland is perfectly placed to meet it. Every fresh fillet that leaves our shores carries with it the hard work, skill and dedication of people who care deeply about the environment they work in. Every salmon sold abroad is helping to save wild salmon here in Scotland.

So, while activists chase headlines, Scotland’s salmon sector is delivering results. It’s time to back those making a real difference.

Originally posted on Fish Farmer Magazine for our CEO Tavish Scott's monthly column on 18/03/2025