Dwindling Salmon Stocks in Scotland

The BBC has reported anglers in Scotland are being urged to put back all the salmon they catch in a bid to conserve stocks.

All the major Scottish rivers are showing significantly reduced stocks, according to the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB).

Anglers are keen to keep the fish they catch - with only 70% being returned to the water after being landed. Salmon fishing is an important revenue stream for the area.

The AFSB hopes that calling on anglers to return salmon to the water will give them time to spawn later in the year, and asked members of regional angling clubs not to start fishing until right upto the end of June.

Although the measures are voluntary, the AFSB warns that depleted stocks need time to recover, and that any recent improvements can be remarkable short lived if the forces of nature work against the fish.

Full BBC Story