MSPS back wild salmon controls

Measures to control the killing of wild salmon have been backed despite concerns they are based on “flawed” science.

Holyrood’s Environment Committee was considering regulations drawn up by the Scottish Government that set out where salmon can be killed and where they must be returned to the water during the 2018 Scottish fishing season.

The conservation measures were first introduced in 2016 amid the threat of proceedings by the EU for breach of the habitats directive for the protected species and the decline in salmon numbers in Scottish rivers.

The updated regulations propose to extend mandatory catch and release to a higher number of rivers than in 2017 and have been criticised by some angling groups.