The status of salmon in Scotland: 2026

Although some stocks are still in good conservation status overall, salmon numbers are declining in many parts of Scotland. Between 2011 and 2025, there were significant consistent patterns of decline in estimated salmon numbers in 76 stocks. These stocks are spread across Scotland and include those classed as good, moderate and poor conservation status (Figure 3). Of the 70 areas without a significant decline, 57 still had fewer salmon in 2025 than in 2011 (Figure 4). The remaining 27 stocks showed no consistent pattern in the number of salmon.

Figure 3: The location of stocks of salmon assessed as being in good, moderate, or poor conservation status in 2026 where a significant, consistent patterns of decline in the number of salmon was detected between 2011 and 2025. 

Figure 4: The location of stocks of salmon assessed as being in good, moderate, or poor conservation status in 2026 and where no significant, consistent patterns of decline in the number of salmon was detected between 2011 and 2025. 

Across Scotland, the total number of salmon returning to coastal waters has declined since estimates began in the 1970s. In the early 1970s, around 1 million salmon returned to the Scottish coast. In recent years, this has fallen to around 300,000 (Figure 5). A similar decline has been seen across the wider North Atlantic (Figure 6). The available evidence suggests that the decline is, at least partly, driven by changes in ocean conditions linked to climate change coupled with local pressures.

Fisheries managers have reduced deliberate killing in response to the decline in salmon numbers. Coastal net fisheries no longer take salmon and almost all salmon caught by anglers are released (98% in 2025). These measures meant that, even though fewer salmon returned to the coast, an increased proportion of those salmon entered rivers and spawned. As a result, the estimated number of salmon surviving to spawn in Scottish rivers increased until 2010. However, more recent figures show that spawning numbers have also declined, reflected in the decline in conservation status (Figure 2). In response, a range of management measures, alongside fisheries regulations, have been introduced and are now brought together under Scotland's Wild Salmon Strategy.

Figure 5: Estimated number of salmon returning to the coast together with estimates of the number surviving to spawn in Scotland. Data source: Marine Directorate, The status of salmon in Scotland.

Figure 6: Estimated number of salmon returning to the coast together with estimates of the number surviving to spawn in the North Atlantic. Data source: ICES Working Group on North Atlantic Salmon, 2026.