Projects

The Lochaber Gene Bank is a long-term project to protect the genetic integrity of the individual salmon stocks of 8 key rivers in the Lochaber region.

As the current leaseholders of the fishing on the River Creed on the Isle of Lewis, the Stornoway Angling Association (SAA) were delighted to receive financial support from the Wild Fisheries Fund for the repair of a crucial holding dam.

Led by the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust (LLFT), this ambitious habitat restoration project in Glen Fruin aims to protect one of the last viable salmon refuges in the Loch Lomond catchment.

The River Urr is a small river in Dumfries and Galloway which was known for good catch numbers in the past and in particular large “greybacks”, multi sea-winter salmon which ran the river late in the season.

With support from Salmon Scotland’s Wild Fisheries Fund, the River Ruel Improvement Association, Otter Ferry Seafish and Argyll Fisheries Trust are undertaking a pioneering project to set up a living gene bank for a small, threatened population of Atlantic Salmon on the West Coast of Scotland.

Further research on the stocking methods and successes on the River Carron in Wester Ross (undertaken by Bob Kindness) is planned for 2025.

Salmon Scotland’s Wild Fisheries Fund is supporting the River Ruel Improvement Association’s work to improve spawning and juvenile fish habitat on this west coast spate river.

Utilising green engineering techniques in concert with riparian tree planting the Doon DSFB and Ayrshire Rivers Trust will protect key spawning grounds on the River Doon.

Due to large-scale declines in salmon populations across the Lochaber region, many rivers are looking for solutions to halt the decline and help their salmon fisheries.

The Tournaig trap in Wester Ross has been operating to monitor wild salmon and sea trout entering and leaving the little Tournaig River system by Loch Ewe since 1999.

A full-scale analysis of the impact of stocking on the River Carron.

To start a live wild salmon gene bank in the Argyll region (Otterferry Seafish) with a trial using fish from the River Ruel.

To mitigate against widespread acidity problems in the River Bladnoch catchment using novel techniques.

To build on the ongoing and widespread habitat improvement project on the River Eachaig in Argyll.

To improve the habitat on this small but important Hebridean system.

To continue the improvements to the spawning redds on the Carloway River.

Habitat improvement and protection on an important but degraded spawning tributary of the River Ayr.

To continue the previously funded work on this important Argyll river to protect the banks and fish habitat at a large catchment scale.

Freshwater habitat and riparian zone improvements on the River Ruel.

Atlantic Mariculture have developed a design for a 'kelp shelter' for sea trout, and intend to trial five of these structures at key points on known migratory routes within the Shiel and Moidart sea trout catchment area in Lochaber.

Loch Lomond Fishery Trust were given a grant to set up a community outreach programme involving education in fisheries conservation, angling and fish farming.

A habitat restoration project in a degraded but important Ayrshire spawning burn.

Freshwater habitat improvements and fish counting.

Green engineering to protect large bank of erosion on the River Eachaig.