SOS: save our wild salmon

Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish

The wild Atlantic salmon, kingpin and 'natural royalty' of the river, is officially an endangered species in Britain. Stocks recorded by the Environment Agency in England and Wales crashed from 20,000 in 2017 to an all-time low of 5,399 in 2023. Salmon lead a perilous life: after one to three years in the river in which they were born, they set out to sea on a 2,000-mile round trip to feeding grounds in the North Atlantic, dodging predators all the way. Those that do make it back to their natal waters face further hazards on the run to spawning grounds upriver. However, for all of the past century, millions did succeed in the heroic quest: British rivers from Devon to Scotland teemed with agile, silvery fish, flinging their powerful bodies over waterfalls and weirs. Many were caught—6,000 in one year on the River Wye alone—but many made it through to produce the next generation.

As stocks decreased, it was made illegal to catch a wild salmon in Wales; in England, 95% of landed fish are released. Yet numbers are still falling remorselessly. Only 225 salmon were recorded on the Wye last year; the local salmon association blames agricultural run-off, mostly from chicken farms.