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a) Producer.

b) Decomposer.

c) Primary consumer.

d) Secondary consumer.

e) Tertiary consumer.

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For my part, I contributed to the conservation efforts this time around by being far too busy to get a single days fishing on a proper salmon river, so can only rely on the view expressed by others on this one!

If there are fewer parr, this should be a grave cause for concern for all salmon anglers, as it means declining numbers of salmon can be anticipated for several (even many) years to come.

This piece of news comes fresh on the heels of another press released story which is perhaps in the opposite vein: the salmon farming company Loch Duart Ltd has secured investment to make a £3.7m investment in three sea lochs. More on this story here.

It is worrying to note that almost all research I have seen into the decline of wild salmon numbers points to salmon farming as a contributory factor to a greater or lesser degree. While I appreciate that Loch Duart are actively farming in the most evironmentally friendly (and fish friendly) way they commercially can – and commanding a higher price as a result – it is increases such as this over the past 20 or so years which have coincided with a lack of wild salmon recovery.

Many rivers are now as clean as they have been for many years, yet salmon are not thriving. Fish are regularly loused and poorly conditioned.

If the experiences of the author from the Highland Times aren’t isolated, there may well be fewer juvenile salmon in our rivers than ever before.

Is it now time for some action to put this situation right, before Atlantic salmon are no longer a feature wihin British river systems?

The objector to proposed developments in Aberdeen, research biologist Tony Hawkins, claimed that salmon were at significant risk of a negative impact.

Further, he said that as the site in question is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) that any development which causes “significant deterioration” to habitats is against European guidelines.

It remains to be seen what decision is made here, but it is certainly a very interesting argument – and one which shows how far we have come in the past hundred or more years. I read a lot of old fishing books, and one thing that really sticks out is the numbers of salmon that used to be in my local river, the River Ure, until over-industrialisation decimated the species to approximately zero. Refilling the river with salmon has been a painfully slow process, and one which has met only limited success.

The book which details this best is called Gun, Rod and Rifle, and one passage in particular, which describes how the river was only ‘clean’ on Monday mornings, when all the mining in the locality had been on a weekend break is a particularly poignant reminder of how to do everything wrong.

Of course, what is proposed in Aberdeen is significantly less harmful than widespread lead mining – but the very fact salmon are being considered here must be good news for local fishermen and fishing related businesses.

Not to mention the otters!