Salmon fishing: proposed river gradings for 2026 season
Seeking your views on the proposed river gradings for the 2026 salmon fishing season. Submit your views by 7 September 2025.
Closed
This consultation closed 7 September 2025.
View this consultation on consult.gov.scot, including responses once published.
Consultation analysis
The status of wild Atlantic salmon in Scotland
It is widely acknowledged that wild Atlantic salmon are in decline across their North Atlantic range. Earlier this year we published our second Progress Report detailing the progress made towards the Implementation Plan to our Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy.
In the proposed conservation statuses for the 2026 season, 115 out of 173 stocks (66%) have been assessed to be in poor conservation status. These figures form part of a long-term trend in the decline of salmon populations over the past few decades. Further details on the status of Scottish salmon stocks are available on our website.