Wild salmon strategy implementation plan: annual progress report 2024

Theme 1: Improving the condition of rivers and giving salmon free access to cold, clean water (27 actions)

Action 1.1 - Improvements will be made to 40 wastewater treatment works to address water quality issues

Ongoing

Studies and projects to deliver required improvements were on track during the reporting period with 12 Water Quality licence reviews issued. Of the 40, 12 licences have been varied, 5 have been ruled out and 23 are still to be processed.

Action 1.2 - Improvements will be made to 24 unsatisfactory intermittent sewage discharges to address water quality issues

Ongoing

The target was amended to 25 unsatisfactory intermittent sewage discharges (or Combined Sewer Overflows or CSOs) during the reporting period; preparatory work continued and licence variation applications by Scottish Water are expected in late 2025; 2 CSOs were identified as requiring no action.

Action 1.3 - Improvement actions will be identified that prevent deterioration of water bodies in close proximity to forestry and logging activities

Completed

The revised UK Forestry Standard 2023 (UKFS) came into operation on 1 October 2024 with subsequent revision to UK Forestry Practice Guide on Managing forest operations to protect the water environment to reflect the changes in buffer stipulations within the revised UKFS.

Action 1.4 - Work with farms and land managers in 57 priority catchments to ensure compliance with regulatory standards

Ongoing

Further to the previous report, work is ongoing in 36 catchments, was completed in 14 and has yet to commence in 7. During 2024, SEPA completed 467 initial farm compliance visits and 179 revisits to non-compliant farms; 3 Fixed Monetary Penalties were issued to farms falling back into non-compliant status.

Action 1.5 - Effective regulation and management will be used to prevent water bodies deteriorating from good to less than good

Ongoing

SEPA continued to protect the water environment through application of the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) and input to Land Use planning.

Action 1.6 - Develop a strategic approach to water scarcity based on the lessons learned

Ongoing

SEPA continued to work closely with the Scottish Government and other partners over the reporting period to develop policy for managing water resources now and in the future, building on Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan.

Action 1.7 - To deliver improvements as required in flows and levels impacted by hydropower schemes by reviewing licences

Ongoing

As in 2023, the focus in 2024 has been to continue to agree priorities and a timeline with operators to ensure the measures are delivered by the 2027 target date.

Action 1.8 - Develop and implement an integrated approach to riparian management to improve the climate resilience of rivers, water quality, river morphology, and the availability of habitat networks

Completed

The UK Forestry Standard Practice Guide on Creating and managing riparian woodlands was published in August 2024. This guidance sets out good practice to safeguard the water environment while improving water quality, biodiversity and climate resilience benefits.

Action 1.9 - Enhance the Forestry Grant Scheme to deliver better community engagement, improved biodiversity and increased value for money, including improved support for tree planting around rivers and streams

Completed

Completed as reported in 2023/24. Scottish Forestry continues to operate the Woodland for Riparian Benefits target areas where 175,000 hectares of riparian land are eligible for enhanced grant rate from the Forestry Grant Scheme.

Action 1.10 - Aid the recovery of salmon habitat through peatland restoration to improve water quality and reduce particulate organic carbon as part of the Scottish Government's Peatland Restoration Programme

Ongoing

The Peatland ACTION partnership has been working to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2030. Good progress is being made towards that ambitious target with a total of around 75,000 hectares to date, including over 10,000 hectares in 2023-24 - the highest ever amount in a single year.

Action 1.11 - Minimise conflict between salmon recovery and beavers through a considered and dynamic approach to beaver translocations, including the development of support for management, mitigation and research within the context of Scotland's Beaver Strategy 2022 – 2045

Ongoing

The Fish and Fisheries subgroup of the Beaver Advisory Group progressed a number of work areas and considered the suitability of a beaver dam assessment methodology for salmon, trout and other species which could inform the need for mitigation or management of individual beaver dams.

Action 1.12 - Expand our Protected Areas to at least 30% of the land surface and improve their condition, ensuring that they contribute to the ecological functioning of river catchments that support salmon

Ongoing

Progress was made by NatureScot on the Big Biodiversity Layer which will highlight areas of Scotland that are important for biodiversity and so prioritise for inclusion in 30x30. This will include data from the freshwater environment including fish species.

The publication of the Big Biodiversity Layer will also include the publishing of the work carried out under the 'Rivers for Conservation' project being led by NatureScot.

The designation of three new Special Areas of Conservation for Freshwater Pearl Mussel is in the Scottish Government’s wider programme for 30x30.

Action 1.13 - Easement or removal of 84 active barriers (including those that support hydropower, public water supply and distilleries) to allow fish migration

Ongoing

During 2024, 31 active barriers were scoped, 19 were screened out as requiring no action and 12 were passed on to the design and licencing stage. Works to ease fish passage on 2 active barriers was completed. Since the start of the third cycle of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP3), 58 active barriers have been added to the work programme.

Action 1.14 - Easement or removal of 94 historic barriers (including redundant weirs associated with historical industrial activity) to allow fish migration

Ongoing

During 2024, 22 historic barriers were scoped, 17 were screened out as requiring no action and 5 were passed on to the design and licencing stage. Works to ease fish passage on 3 historic barriers was completed. Under RBMP3, 23 historic barriers have been added to the work programme.

Action 1.15 - Undertake a review of 66 barriers not covered by an impoundment licence under CAR (including bridges and culverts owned by local authorities and others) to ensure they allow fish passage

Ongoing

During 2024 15 asset barriers were scoped, 13 were screened-out as requiring no action and 2 were passed on to the design and licencing stage. Works to ease fish passage on 1 asset barrier was completed. Since the start of RBMP3, 49 asset barriers have been added to the work programme.

Action 1.16 - In the above barrier related work, secondary impacts on salmon (such as predation and poaching), will be considered by engagement with stakeholders and in project planning and implementation

Ongoing

SEPA is continuing to engage (through FMS) on barrier prioritisation with a view to taking secondary impacts on salmon into account.

Action 1.17 - Undertake a review of the risk to fish migration of the canal network and associated management structures

Ongoing

Scottish Canals commissioned an independent environmental fish passage specialist consultant in November 2023 to undertake a review of the risk to fish migration of canal operations and associated water management structures by 2025. The outcome is due in the first quarter of 2025/6.

Action 1.18 - Continue to administer wildlife licencing for specific purposes relating to predator conflicts with wild salmon under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010

Ongoing

Over the reporting period, NatureScot and Marine Directorate continued to administer wildlife licencing for specific purposes relating to predator conflicts with wild salmon under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2011.

Action 1.19 - Undertake a review of fish-eating bird licencing policy with a view to ensuring balanced consideration of the conservation status of predator and prey species, within the context of a wider review of the approach to wildlife licencing. This will be underpinned by research to improve the scientific evidence base, including the collection of bird population data, improved understanding of their impact on salmon populations and the effectiveness of control methods

Ongoing *

Scottish Ministers asked NatureScot to commence a review of wider species licensing system in January 2024 as set out in the Shared Policy Programme and this was progressed over the reporting period. The review’s Terms of Reference are published.

The review will set out to:

• ensure that the law is being applied correctly and that lethal control is only licensed where the conditions required for such a licence are demonstrably being met;
• assess the potential to apply the principle of full cost recovery to species licensing;
• assess the potential to introduce a public register of licenses to improve transparency, bearing in mind data protection and safety of licence holders.

The conclusions will be subject to external review.

Action 1.20 - Complete a review of the operation of the seal licensing system under the terms of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010

Ongoing

Work on the review commenced during this reporting period and the report is expected to be published by 30 September 2025; direct and proactive engagement with FMS and its members has helped embed sector-specific expertise and operational insight into the review process.

Action 1.21 - Support efforts by fisheries managers to protect salmon from seal predation by continuing to investigate, develop and test non-lethal methods of control, thereby improving our understanding of the effectiveness of these measure

Ongoing *

Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADD) have been deployed in a number of Scottish rivers to deter seals from predating wild salmon and sea trout. A report on the effectiveness of these devices in different locations has been collated by FMS, with the results shared with the Marine Directorate.

The Scottish Government continues to support research to develop and test an automatically triggered detect and deter system which combines an ADD with a sonar seal detection system. Trials during winter 2024-25 will be reported on in summer 2025.

Action 1.22 - Implement the Scottish Plan for Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) surveillance, prevention and control, and secure wider support measures to enable effective INNS removal for species that may impact salmon and its supporting habitat

Ongoing

This action is ongoing as per last year’s report i.e. the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) has entered its second phase from 2023-2036, supported by Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund. NatureScot continues to lead the SISI on behalf of the project partnership (made up of ten fishery Trusts and Boards and the University of Aberdeen). The largest invasive non-native species control project in the British Isles, the project controls American mink and a suite of invasive non- native plant species over an area of some 29,500 km² (approximately 1/3 of mainland Scotland). These actions help to support the restoration of riparian habitats in catchments supporting the Atlantic salmon and the removal of a semi-aquatic predator that has Atlantic salmon as part of its diet.

Action 1.23 - Develop and improve monitoring and mitigation strategies for future invasions of pink salmon

Ongoing

A lower level (than 2023) of eDNA-based surveillance was carried out in 2024 to monitor the distribution of ‘even year’ pink salmon coordinated through the Pink Salmon Task Group; water samples were collected by SEPA, NatureScot, Scottish Government, FMS, and members of various District Salmon Fishery Boards. Sample analysis undertaken by the Scottish Government detected pink salmon eDNA in 10 out of 32 rivers demonstrating presence of fish in these rivers in 2023 and full findings of pink salmon eDNA detections from both 2023 and 2024 will be published in due course. Planning for eDNA surveillance over 2025 is underway. The FMS reporting tool continues to allow sightings of pink salmon to be recorded.

Planning is underway within the Scottish Pink Salmon Task Force (chaired by SEPA) for monitoring pink salmon during 2025; this new monitoring round will expand on the number of sites included in the 2023 round. Most notably, this will include sites within the Northern Isles, which were absent in 2023.

A new NASCO Working Group on Pink Salmon has been established and UK representation on that Working Group has been provided by NatureScot staff. This group aims to develop an international collaboration framework between countries affected by the expansion of this species into areas occupied by Atlantic salmon.

Action 1.24 - Promote public awareness campaigns on avoiding the spread of invasive non-native species, including biosecurity and disinfectant measures such as 'Check, Clean, Dry'

Completed

Further to this target being met in 2023, the working group established to develop a Scottish-specific Angling Pathway Action Plan has completed its task and the plan, which will address pathways of introduction and spread of non-native species, will be subject to public consultation soon.

Support from the Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has been provided to fisheries managers to purchase disinfectant for rod fisheries and design and distribute biosecurity messaging.

MFS has also funded FMS and partners to develop a series of posters and signage to raise awareness of biosecurity risks, practical prevention measures, pink salmon, and other invasive species. These resources are open access and free to use, and can be downloaded, printed, and shared both digitally and in hard copy to support local awareness and action.

Action 1.25 - Establish a new task and finish group focussing on wild fish disease to investigate the research gaps, prevent introduction and spread of disease, and increase public awareness of biosecurity

Ongoing *

Members of FMS continue to support a PhD at the University of Aberdeen entitled “Detailed Analysis of Fish Pathogenic Oomycete Isolates from Scottish Rivers”. This project is investigating the pathogenic fungus Saprolegnia with a view to providing clear guidance to fisheries managers. Any reports of Saprolegnia through FMS are automatically shared with the Fish Health Inspectorate prompting further investigation where appropriate.

FMS and the Fish Veterinary Society jointly held a workshop to provide an introduction to fish health for fisheries managers. This was with a view to increasing knowledge and improving understanding of fish health and disease issues facing Scotland’s wild salmon and sea trout.

Action 1.26 - Update the Gyrodactylus salaris (Gs) Contingency Plan to ensure Scotland is prepared in the event of an outbreak

Ongoing *

Scottish contingency plans for Gs are currently in their 4th edition and were last revised in March 2011. A review of the Gs plan commenced in September 2022 and whilst a significant amount of progress made in 2023, the review is still in progress.

The existing Gs contingency plan published in 2008 remains active and was most recently tested in 2015 through a joint exercise involving UK government and a wide participation of internal and external stakeholders.

Action 1.27 - Publish research on the risks and opportunities of stocking, complete a review of the current stocking policy and adopt a revised stocking policy

Ongoing *

The Wild Salmon Strategy Science and Evidence Board submitted a paper on recovery stocking to the Delivery Group in December 2024. Consideration is ongoing, to help guide the Scottish Government’s policy on stocking.