Wild salmon strategy implementation plan: annual progress report 2024

Theme 6: Building an evidence base through coordinated scientific research and monitoring (8 actions)

A - Establish and operate a Scientific Advisory Board to coordinate and harmonise research and monitoring activities across science organisations and regulators

Ongoing

During this reporting period the Science and Evidence Board met on 8 August and 21 November with minutes recorded at the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan web page. The Board’s work included a review of the evidence on different methods of stocking for populations that are critically low (at risk of extinction) including redistribution of eggs and fry, kelt reconditioning and smolt to adult supplementation. The Board's report was sent to the Delivery Group in December 2024 and was discussed by the Delivery Group at its meeting on 28 February.

B - Produce an annual report on the status of salmon in Scotland

Ongoing

The 2024 Annual Report on the status of salmon in Scotland was published in August 2024.

C - Maintain regular monitoring using rod catches, fish counters, adult salmon sampling programme, sampling of juvenile salmon through the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS) and assessment of interbreeding of wild and escaped farmed salmon through the National Introgression Programme for Scotland (NIPS)

Ongoing

Monitoring programmes continued to generate vital data over the reporting period. Rod catch data is a crucial tool for monitoring salmon stocks. The analysis of juvenile abundance and water quality data collected under the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS) 2023 is complete, is being prepared for publication, and will provide a national picture of the status of juvenile salmon. Genetic samples collected during NEPS 2021 have been analysed and integrated with the NEPS survey design to provide more robust insights into regional variability in introgression through the National Introgression Programme for Scotland (NIPS). This work will be submitted for peer review in summer 2025. Laboratory analysis of genetic samples from NEPS 2023 is now complete and awaiting future data analysis.

Adult sampling funded by the Marine Directorate was coordinated by FMS across six Board/Trust areas (Argyll, Beauly, Galloway, Kyle of Sutherland, Tweed and Wester Ross).

Provisional catch statistics for 2024 were published on 28 February 2025 and confirmed Official Statistics were published on 14 May 2025. For the first time, the Official Statistics included information on rod fishing effort.

D - Continue to support the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre (SFCC)

Ongoing

The Scottish Government continued to support the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre (SFCC). The SFCC has provided evidence-based training and support to fisheries managers across Scotland.

E - Develop a coordinated approach to Fisheries Management Plans across Scotland supported by Scottish Government and funding from Crown Estate Scotland

Completed

This work was completed in 2024 and the Fisheries Management Plans are published on the FMS website. It was coordinated by FMS, delivered by the District Salmon Fishery Boards and Rivers and Fisheries Trusts with support from the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre and funded by Crown Estate Scotland and the Scottish Government.

F - Undertake an analysis of the environmental and socio-economic benefits arising from healthy wild salmon populations, ensuring their existence value is recognised

Ongoing

This action has been factored into work planning for the 25/26 reporting period and will be funded by the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland.

G - Undertake an assessment to determine possible gaps where achievement of RBMP targets may not provide adequate protection for salmon at local and/or national scale

Ongoing

Preliminary work to define the scope of this project commenced in early 2025 with further progress anticipated during the 25/26 reporting period.

H - Construct an extended fish counter network to improve salmon population estimates

Ongoing

Data from the new hydroacoustic cameras on the rivers Laxford and Deveron were used in assessing salmon stocks and developing the Conservation Regulations for 2025. These new counters compensated for the lack of data available for the North Esk and Dee (Kirkcudbrightshire).

The Marine Directorate and Helmsdale District Salmon Fishery Board invested almost £300,000 to refurbish the fish counter on the River Helmsdale and reinstate its collection of count data ahead of the 2025 season.

The Marine Fund Scotland awarded £143,000 to Stornoway Angling Association for installation of a fish counter on the River Creed and £230,000 to the Esk District Salmon Fishery Board for a hydroacoustic camera for the River North Esk.

A further £131,000 was awarded to FMS to develop two projects to create AI-based tools to aid in processing fish counter data. One tool focuses on sonar data at counters currently in use on the River Deveron and River Laxford, and the other focusing on refining Automated Video Identification of Marine Species (AVIMS) to process video data on the counter in Ayrshire. These projects are developed in such a way that the tools should be able to be used at other counter installations across Scotland.