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Publication - Progress report

Wild salmon strategy implementation plan: annual progress report 2024

Published
30 May 2025
From
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, +3 more … Director of Agriculture and Rural Economy, Director of Environment and Forestry, Director of Marine
Directorate
Marine Directorate, +3 more … Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate, Environment and Forestry Directorate, Offshore Wind Directorate
Topic
Arts, culture and sport, Communities and third sector, Economy, +6 more … Energy, Environment and climate change, Farming and rural, Law and order, Marine and fisheries, Public sector
ISBN
9781836916420

The second annual progress report under the Scottish wild salmon strategy implementation plan covering progress in 2024.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

2024 Catch Statistics

In 2024, Scottish rod fisheries reported a total of 46,978 wild-origin salmon, comprising 29,002 multi sea-winter (MSW) salmon and 17,976 one sea-winter (1SW) salmon.

The rod catch shows an increase of 42% compared to 2023 but is still the sixth lowest on record (since 1952) and is 114% of the previous five-year average (Figure 2). Although this increase is welcome it is too early to determine its importance as it is not unusual for there to be some relatively good years within the overall pattern of decline. The 2024 catch will be used to update the assessments of conservation status in summer 2025.

At 98%, the proportion of rod-caught salmon that were released is the highest since records began in 1994. This is also the highest rate of catch and release in the North Atlantic, and we welcome that anglers follow mandatory and voluntary measures to help conserve stocks.

The Official Statistics publication can be found at: Salmon and sea troutfishery statistics 2024.

Figure 2: Annual number of salmon caught by rod since 1952, and annual number of salmon caught by rod and released since 1994 (thousands). Data source: 2024 Scottish salmon and sea trout statistics
Line chart with two lines: one showing total rod catch of salmon increasing since 1952 to 2010 and decreasing since; the other showing released rod catch increasing from 1994 to 2010 and declining since. The total rod catch and the released rod catch lines are converging.

Contact

Email: SalmonandRecreationalFisheries@gov.scot

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