Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Delivery Group minutes: September 2026

Attendees and apologies

• John Mouat, Marine Directorate (Chair)
• Nanjika Nasiiro, Marine Directorate (Deputy Chair)
• Claire Speedie, Marine Directorate
• Steven Dora, Marine Directorate
• Anna Bragg, Marine Directorate
• Ken Reid, Angling Scotland
• Wendy Kenyon, Atlantic Salmon Trust
• Fiona Simpson, Crown Estate Scotland
• Alan Wells, Fisheries Management Scotland
• Julia McCarthy, Fisheries Management Scotland
• Alexa MacAuslan, Northern District Salmon Fishery Board
• Jamie Stewart, River Tweed Commission and the Tweed Foundation
• Sarah Robinson, Scottish Wildlife Trust / Scottish Environment Link
• Roger Knight, Spey Catchment Initiative

Apologies

• Alison Baker, Angling Scotland
• Mark Bilsby, Atlantic Salmon Trust
• Jamie Ribbens, Galloway Rivers Trust
• Colin Bean, NatureScot
• Linsey Mason-McLean, Scottish Forestry
• Roy Richardson, SEPA

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

The Chair welcomed Members and confirmed that both he and the Deputy Chair would share responsibility for leading these meetings moving forward.

Members noted that they were disappointed that the meeting lacked substitute attendees for key organisations involved in delivery. They noted that representation supports focused discussions and attendance is vital to maintain flow of information into the Group for constructive discussions and collaborative engagement. The Chair noted the expectation for all Members to send a deputy or substitute if they cannot attend.

The Chair updated Members on the publication of the Programme for Government (1st September), the reiterated commitment to continue to work with partners to implement action under the Wild Salmon Strategy, supporting wild salmon and the businesses that depend on them and the First Minister’s focus on delivery that is being prioritised across the Scottish Government. Based on this, the Wild Salmon and Recreational Fisheries Team (WSRF Team) are looking at efficiencies to focus on delivery, including how to report on annual progress and how often to meet as a Delivery Group. The Group discussed how often was valuable to meet and agreed to reduce the frequency from 4 to 3 meetings per year. The WSRF Team will confirm dates for 2027.

Minutes of the previous meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed, pending sign off from the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board and Scottish Canals.

Review of action log

The Chair updated on delivered and outstanding actions:

• 3.2 - Marine Directorate to invite SEPA to consider and report back to the Delivery Board the potential to estimate additional salmon smolts per year (or production of large parr) associated with areas of opened-up habitat. WSRF Team advised that Marine Directorate science colleagues are engaging with SEPA and waiting for a dataset from SEPA. Full analysis will follow receipt of this and the further work on this action will be brought to the February 2027 Delivery Group meeting. Action remains open.
• 4.3 - Explore option of a virtual dashboard to improve accessibility and engagement for the annual report - to consider how this might operate. Fisheries Management Scotland (FMS) updated as action owner, that they are considering resource options for this and agreed to meet with Scottish Environment Link (SEL), Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) and WSRF Team to take forward. Action remains open.
• 6.1 - Scottish Wildlife Trust to explore what cross-sector groups exist to build connections and explore funding opportunities with. Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) updated on particular stakeholder groups that would be beneficial to engage with and FMS and SEL agreed to reach out to Scottish Lands and Estate specifically to explore opportunities for working together going forward. Action delivered and marked as closed, but new action for further engagement.
• action 9.1 - FMS and SEL to reach out to Scottish Land and Estates to discuss opportunities for partnership working
• 6.2 - Marine Directorate colleagues to consider future engagement opportunities for industry representatives to attend Delivery Group meetings and propose to Delivery Group. FMS noted intention to have a session to consider engagement with different sectors at their upcoming Conference. Members agreed to close this action but noted that the need for engagement with relevant sectors should be considered when developing future implementation plan iterations. Action closed.
• 7.2 - Delivery Group members to provide positive case studies from 2025, relevant to Implementation Plan Actions for the Annual Progress Report. Chair confirmed that has been delivered. Action marked as closed.
• 8.1 - Scottish Canals to provide a response to comments submitted by Ness District Salmon Fishery Board on the Fish Migration Optioneering Study report.
• 8.2 - Scottish Canals to consider how the report and stakeholder comments can be used to inform a structured next-stage process / action plan for fish passage improvements, including in the River Ness / Caledonian Canal system. Engagement continues with Scottish Canals on both Action 8.1 and 8.2. Actions both remain open.
• 8.3 - Delivery Group and other key stakeholders to be given a further opportunity to comment on annual progress report, in case there are additional site-specific issues that were not captured. Action marked as closed.
• 8.4 - Draft APR to be issued to members for comment. Action marked as closed.
• 8.6 - Recirculate logo and guidance for users for any final comments. Logo and guidance were recirculated, and no further feedback was received. Members confirmed action marked as closed.

Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan: Annual Progress Report 2025

The Chair noted that additional feedback on the draft Annual Progress Report had been received from some Members, including AST, who remained concerned that:

• Based on evidence of progress to date, particular actions would not be delivered on time in the coming years and using the term ‘on schedule’ to report on progress might therefore be disingenuous or perceived to be; and
• there could be opportunities for presenting additional evidence and links in the report on how particular actions were positively helping wild salmon populations.

It was recognised that it is challenging for the Group to comment on whether particular actions were on schedule, when the context of delivery can change during the lifespan of this Implementation Plan, running over several years. Therefore, there was agreement to remove from the draft Report’s status indicators, reference to whether or not actions that are due to be delivered in the coming years are on schedule.

The WSRF Team noted the Group’s suggestion of opportunities for stronger links to evidence outcomes for wild salmon and it was agreed to continue to capture these opportunities for future annual reporting.

The Chair reiterated that this draft report is a factual account of progress during 2025, as opposed to a forward look of whether actions will be delivered on time. However, the Team noted members’ concerns with delivery timescales for particular actions and agreed the need to consider those actions further, to ensure the Group understand the path to delivery (as would be discussed in the following agenda item).

In particular, the WSRF Team agreed to engage further with colleagues regarding progress on water quality; barrier easement and removal; water scarcity; commitments for protected areas; and while the Group agreed to maintain the marking of Action 1.8 of the Implementation Plan as ‘Complete’ [as agreed in the 2024 Annual Progress Report], the Group agreed to further consider how to ensure a fully integrated approach to riparian management in the development of any future implementation plan iteration.

Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan: Review of Outstanding Actions

The WSRF Team presented an overview of an Implementation Plan Tracker to monitor delivery progress, as a Group and flag any issues of concern requiring additional input to drive delivery.

River water levels and reports of water scarcity was raised as an increasingly urgent concern. The Group noted the need for strategic thinking about future resilience of Scotland’s water, including but not limited to SEPA’s current approach to curtailing abstraction during extreme low flow. The WSRF Team agreed to raise these concerns with other Government and SEPA water scarcity leads.

• action 9.2 - WSRF Team to raise concerns on water scarcity and the current approach for assessing when to curtail abstraction during extreme low flow with relevant Government and SEPA water scarcity leads

Wild Salmon and Recreational Fisheries Team Updates

Members were reminded of the 4th September deadline to respond to the conservation assessment for salmon consultation.

The WSRF Team continue work to develop a Conservation Commitment Report (CCR) for submission to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) by the end of November deadline. No public consultation exercise will be carried out; however, Ministerial input is currently being sought, and the Group will be updated on further progress.

Science and Evidence Board Update

Progress on SEB activities has been delayed due to temporary reallocation of the chair to other duties within SG. Nevertheless, the review of potential impacts of beavers on salmon is near completion and will either be submitted for further formal peer review or published as a report online. It is anticipated that a follow-up meeting to a SEB workshop held this year on use of large wood as a potential tool for local salmon restoration will produce recommendations.

Any other business and agreement of actions

The WSRF Team provided a brief update on the progress of the socio-economic report, which the Group acknowledged.

Actions taken from this meeting:

9.1 - FMS and SEL to reach out to Scottish Lands and Estates to discuss opportunities for partnership working

9.2 – WSRF Team to raise concerns on water scarcity and the current approach for assessing when to curtail abstraction during extreme low flow with relevant Government and SEPA water scarcity leads