Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Delivery Group minutes: September 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Nanjika Nasiiro, Marine Directorate (Chair)
• Claire Speedie, Marine Directorate
• John Armstrong, Marine Directorate
• Steven Dora, Marine Directorate
• Vanessa Brown, Marine Directorate
• Blair Hunter, Marine Directorate
• Anna Bragg, Marine Directorate
• Nora Hanson, Marine Directorate
• Alan Wells, Fisheries Management Scotland
• Mark Bilsby, Atlantic Salmon Trust
• Jamie Stewart, River Tweed Commission and the Tweed Foundation
• Jamie Ribbens, Galloway Fisheries Trust
• Roger Knight, Spey Catchment Initiative
• Alison Baker, Angling Scotland
• Roy Richardson, Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Alexa MacAuslan, Northern District Salmon Fishery Board
• Sarah Robinson, Scottish Wildlife Trust

Apologies

• Caro Cowan, Marine Directorate
• Linsey Mason-McLean, Scottish Forestry
• Colin Bean, NatureScot
• Fiona Simpson, Crown Estate Scotland

Items and actions

Welcome and apologies

The chair, Nanjika Nasiiro, introduced herself as the new Head of Protected Species and Nature Positive within the Marine Directorate, and welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting, which took place on 28 May 2025, were approved.

• action 5.1 – Marine Directorate to alert Delivery Group to when future minutes will be published, so members can publicise

Review of actions from the previous meeting

The chair updated on delivered and outstanding actions, in particular:

3.2 Action on SEPA estimating additional salmon smolts per year associated with areas of opened-up habitat. SEPA will assess further though timeline dependent on internal fish ecology team capacity. Action carried forward.
4.1 Action for SEPA to update on how environmental data can be made available for fish management organisations. SEPA are investing in new data/digital structures which will help to deliver this. Agreed that action be marked as delivered. SEPA will return to Group to further update and discuss in future agenda item.
4.2 Action for fish predation to be discussed by Science and Evidence Board (SEB) marked as Delivered. SEB will consider the impact of predatory fish on wild salmon, as part of their planned review of pressures on salmon. Marine Directorate took further action to explore how Delivery Group can engage with NatureScot’s review of wider species licensing system (new Action 5.2). SEB chair took action to provide Delivery Group with table of SEB priorities (new Action 5.3).
4.3 Action for FMS to explore use of virtual dashboard for Annual Progress Report remains as ongoing.  
4.4 Action to explore value in the Marine Directorate’s Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) team reporting on progress of fish disease at future meeting marked as Delivered. Agreed further scoping of how to deliver Implementation Plan Action 1.25 is needed. Marine Directorate agreed to do this (new Action 5.4).
4.5 Action on consideration of diadromous fish in offshore wind applications and how to ensure this within the consenting process remains ongoing. Members of the Group noted continued concern that wild Atlantic salmon interests are not being sufficiently considered in offshore wind consenting processes. Marine Directorate agreed to invite NatureScot and Offshore Wind colleagues to a future meeting.

• action 5.2 – Marine Directorate to investigate how Delivery Group can engage with NatureScot’s species licensing review
• action 5.3 – Science and Evidence Board to draft a table of the priorities agreed by the Delivery Group for work going forward
• action 5.4 – Marine Directorate to prepare scoping paper on how to deliver Implementation Plan 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”

Science and Evidence Board Update

Updates were provided from the SEB on the following topics:

Stocking

The Delivery Group accepted the SEB paper that was presented on recovery stocking. The Group agreed that this paper should now be published as science advice from the SEB and should be read together with the Delivery Group’s general consensus (from the February 2025 meeting) that for general management application, smolt-adult supplementation should not be used, except for science in low-risk situations. This would not affect existing projects already started.

The SEB advice paper on recovery stocking is accessible now.

It was noted that this represented only part of the wider review of stocking under Action 1.27 of the WSS Implementation Plan (“Publish research on the risks and opportunities of stocking, complete a review of the current stocking policy and adopt a revised stocking policy”); Marine Directorate was factoring the completion of this (including public consultation) into its work planning. Group members noted the importance of communications upon the publication of any revised stocking policy. 

Predation

SEB presented an overview summary paper reporting on science informing the impacts of seals and fish-eating bird predators to inform future Delivery Board discussions on control of predators. The paper was produced with input of science advisors to predator licensing bodies. The Delivery Board was content that the paper provided the information required and authorised publication.

The SEB advice paper on bird and seal predation is accessible now.

• action 5.5 - Marine Directorate to publish SEB’s Papers on Recovery Stocking and Predation (now published and accessible above)

Large wood (Beavers)

The Delivery Group discussed prioritisation of next work by the SEB. It was agreed that there needs to be an urgent consideration of advice on potential impacts and management of beaver dams because of inconsistencies in views of NatureScot's Salmonid-Beaver Group and a group of charities who plan to release advice on salmon management. It was agreed that the SEB will consider large wood additions by beavers in 2025 and large wood additions by people in the following year.

4th Reporting Cycle of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)

The Marine Directorate provided an update on the new NASCO reporting cycle and the requirement for Parties and Delegations to each submit a Conservation Commitment Report (CCR), on which progress will be reported until 2032. The Group discussed potential stressors and actions to form the basis of the CCR. The Group agreed to discuss further at an ad-hoc meeting in November 2025.

Update on preparatory work for commissioning a report on the environmental and socio-economic benefits arising from healthy wild salmon populations

Marine Directorate gave an update, noting that Fisheries Management Scotland had completed a short grant-funded project to help define the scope of the study. The report would adopt a natural capital approach and Marine Directorate had recently met with (i) the Environment and Forestry Directorate’s Natural Capital Policy and Valuation team and (ii) the Environmental Analysis team and work on the tender document was ongoing. Marine Directorate proposed that a small sub-group of the WSS DG be established to oversee progress and FMS and the Atlantic Salmon Trust noted interest in contributing to this.

Policy Framework and Financial Review Group update

FMS presented a range of recommendations from the Task and Finish Group reviewing the current policy framework in their paper on “A Modernised Framework for Scotland’s Wild Fisheries: Finance, Capacity and Governance for the Future”. The recommendations included the need to broaden funding sources for local management, build an online catch repository system and a recommendation to have more flexibility around District Salmon Fishery Board triannual elections. The Delivery Group agreed to provide comments on the paper by end October and publish the paper, once finalised. After which, the Marine Directorate agreed to consider the final recommendations of the paper and aim to provide an initial response at a future meeting.

• action 5.6 – Delivery Group to provide comments on the paper, “A Modernised Framework for Scotland’s Wild Fisheries: Finance, Capacity and Governance for the Future” by 31st Oct
• action 5.7 - Marine Directorate to consider recommendations once the paper “A Modernised Framework for Scotland’s Wild Fisheries: Finance, Capacity and Governance for the Future” is finalised and provide initial response at future meeting

Management of Delivery Group going forward

The Marine Directorate proposed several administrative proposals to the management of the Group, to which members agreed:
•    future meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of every three months
•    the Group will aim to agree meeting minutes within two weeks of each meeting and publish shortly thereafter. 
•    the Group will consider and agree publishing relevant papers.
•    the Group were content with current membership. Additional attendees could be invited in future, when required. 

Any other business and agreement of actions and decisions

Penalties for fish poaching offences

FMS referenced the Enforcement Committee paper that was presented to the Delivery Group in October 2024. FMS noted that they are now seeking to bring forward amendments through Stage 2 of the Natural Environment Bill (currently progressing through Parliament), to increase particular penalties for wild salmon offences. The Group agreed that the paper ‘Input from the Fisheries Management Scotland Enforcement Committee’, previously shared with the Delivery Group at the October 2024 meeting, will be published along with these minutes. The Enforcement Committee paper is accessible now.

River Basin Management Plan and water scarcity

It was noted by FMS the importance of water scarcity being addressed within the next RBMP. Marine Directorate agreed to engage with SEPA and internal colleagues on this issue.

• action 5.8 – Marine Directorate to engage with Water Environment colleagues on water scarcity concerns

Galloway Fisheries Trust (GFT) raised that they believe the replanting of commercial conifers on deep peat is preventing water quality recovery. Future meetings between FMS, SEPA, GFT, Forest Research and Scottish Forestry are planned, with a member of Marine Directorate Science suggested to attend this to provide advice on fish impacts. 

Actions taken from this meeting:

5.1 - Marine Directorate to alert Delivery Group to when future minutes will be published, so members can publicise.
5.2 - Marine Directorate to investigate how Delivery Group can engage with NatureScot’s species licensing review.
5.3 - Science and Evidence Board to draft a table of the priorities agreed by the Delivery Group for work going forward.
5.4 - Marine Directorate to prepare scoping paper on how to deliver Implementation Plan Action 1.25.
5.5 - Marine Directorate to publish SEB’s Papers on Recovery Stocking and Predation (now published and accessible within these minutes)
5.6 - Delivery Group to provide comments on paper “A Modernised Framework for Scotland’s Wild Fisheries:  Finance, Capacity and Governance for the Future” by 31st Oct.
5.7 - Marine Directorate to consider recommendations once the paper on “A Modernised Framework for Scotland’s Wild Fisheries:  Finance, Capacity and Governance for the Future” is finalised and provide initial response at future meeting.
5.8 - Marine Directorate to engage with Water Environment colleagues on water scarcity concerns.