Wild salmon catches dive to record low in Scotland

Catches of wild salmon in Scotland have hit a historic low, new official figures reveal.

The statistics for the 2023 season came after the Atlantic salmon was officially “red-listed” as endangered alongside species such the Amur tiger, blue whale and giant panda.

Catches tend to fluctuate from season to season but scientists believe they are now on a worrying downward trajectory. Anglers landed a modern record high of 111,000 salmon as recently as 2010.

However, the latest figures reveal that anglers landed just 32,477 of the fish in last year’s season, fewer than at any time since records began in 1952.

Most anglers release the salmon that they catch rather than take them home to eat. This is currently mandatory on 112 of Scotland’s 173