NGO write to the Environment Secretary about the plight of the Atlantic Salmon

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The NGO have written to Defra Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner, highlighting our concerns about the alarming decline in the number of Atlantic Salmon in England’s rivers.

The Atlantic Salmon has recently been reclassified as ‘Endangered’ in Great Britain by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with populations having drastically decreased by 30-50% since 2006. This trend is projected to worsen, driven by multiple factors including habitat loss, climate change, offshore salmon farming, and critically, predation pressure.

In light of these concerns, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation recently conducted a survey that highlights the significant impact that predators, both avian and mammalian, are having on salmon and trout populations. Predators such as otters, cormorants, goosanders and seals, pose a growing challenge to the survival of juvenile salmon (smolts) as they migrate to the sea. Adult salmon are also being predated as they return to the rivers in our estuaries and low down in the systems. This combination of smolts and adult fish being predated creates additional pressure on an iconic endangered species.

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and the Atlantic Salmon Trust have echoed these concerns, pointing to both predation and broader environmental challenges such as poor water quality and barriers to migration. Efforts are urgently needed to address these issues by improving river habitats, regulating predator populations, and ensuring free passage along the salmon's migratory routes.

Evidence-led initiatives including habitat restoration and predator management offer hope for reversing these alarming trends. The findings from the Missing Salmon Alliance also highlight the importance of mitigating predation as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect the species.

It is not only the Atlantic salmon that is suffering from these issues but also our native brown trout and many other species of non-migratory fish.

As such, we have asked for Mr Zeichner’s support in raising awareness of this issue and advocating for measures that can enhance the survival of Atlantic Salmon in England’s rivers. The NGO have also specifically urged the government to consider increased funding for river restoration projects, stricter controls on predatory species, smolt release in salmon fisheries and policies that support sustainable fishery management.

We look forward to hearing from Mr Zeichner. Furtger information on our recent fisheries survey can be found here: https://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/articles/fisheries-survey-indicates-a-need-for-concern-over-the-effect-that-predation-has-on-uk-fish-stocks

Note to Editors:

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation: The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. The NGO defends and promotes gamekeeping and gamekeepers and works to ensure high standards throughout the profession. The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that keepering was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. Today, the organisation has are around 13,000 members.
www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk