Statement from The Rivers Trust in response to news of worst salmon stock assessment results in English history
The Environment Agency has today published the results of the salmon stock assessment for 2023, with the worst results on record.
07/10/24
The Environment Agency has today published the results of the salmon stock assessment for 2023, with the worst results on record. Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust, said:
“These results demonstrate the urgency with which we need to address the many pressures on freshwater ecosystems at a strategic scale. Salmon populations are unusual in that they are a factor of the health of both rivers and the oceans, but many of the marine issues are outside our control. What we know is that salmon need access to cold, clean water and a suitable habitat to complete their lifecycle. There is a pressing need to increase dramatically the scale of work going on to remove barriers to fish migration, reduce pollution from agriculture, sewage, roads and mines, and to restore natural features and flows. These magnificent fish are in danger of becoming extinct on many of our rivers where they were once abundant, which would be a disastrous legacy to leave the next generation.”
The full report Salmonid and freshwater fisheries statistics for 2023 can be found via the Environment Agency: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/salmonid-and-freshwater-fisheries-statistics-2023/salmonid-and-freshwater-fisheries-statistics-for-2023