Fishing groups have until March 31 to submit applications to the "wild fisheries fund". The purpose of the program is to help save Scotland's wild salmon.
As Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland said, "Scotland's salmon farmers want to play their part in finding solutions, engaging constructively with the wild fish sector and taking meaningful action to save wild salmon."
The wild fisheries fund is part of a commitment by Scotland's salmon farmers to support the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of wild salmon populations and has a budget of £145,000.
Several factors have complicated the situation for these fish. Habitat loss and rising river temperatures – mainly due to climate change – have affected wild salmon and sea trout populations across the UK and, in particular, on the Scottish coast.
Thus, projects receiving grants will aim to halt the decades-long decline in wild fish numbers through habitat protection, predator protection, and restocking programs.
Jon Gibb, co-ordinator of the Salmon Scotland wild fisheries fund, said that "the wild fisheries fund represents a rare and exceptional opportunity to access vital funds to improve their local rivers and lochs."
The project was born out of the salmon farming companies who set up the fund to play to find solutions and engage constructively with the wild fish sector.
It is not the first edition of the program. Earlier referred to as the "wild salmonid fund", over £190,000 has already been invested since 2021 in projects. These have covered ideas from restoration to reduce bank erosion to in-channel cover for juvenile salmon.
Salmon Scotland represents every company farming salmon in Scotland along with companies from across the Scottish salmon supply chain, championing the sector's interests. Farm-raised salmon directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland and a further 10,000 jobs are dependent on it. The organization works "to help create the conditions for the long-term, sustainable growth of the sector and to give more consumers, at home and abroad, the chance to enjoy this world-renowned, low-fat, healthy protein".
