Salmon making comeback after 250 years
SALMON have been found in a tributary to one of Scotland’s most famous fishing rivers for the first time in 250 years.
Conservation groups have hailed the discovery of the young fish in a catchment area of the River Dee as ‘excellent news’.
The Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and River Dee Trust say the success follows the construction of a fish pass last year near Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, to allow migratory salmon access to the Culter Burn.
During a recent survey upstream on the river, a total of 22 salmon fry were found.
Pamela Esson, field officer for the River Dee Trust, said: ‘The discovery of the salmon fry is exciting news for the Dee and we should see some of these juveniles returning to the river in three to four years’ time.
‘We are delighted to have found these fry and are l ooking forward to finding more juvenile salmon populations in the catchment over the next week or so.’
The young fish were found around eight miles above the Culter fish pass, which has opened up 76 miles of habitat for migratory salmon and sea trout to re-establish their natural populations. It is hoped that the new pass could bring an additional 1,500 salmon back to the Dee each year.
Mark Bilsby, a director of the board and the trust, said: ‘Getting this fish pass built has been a massive effort and to know the fish are using it and now colonising so far upstream is excellent news for them and all involved in this project.
‘2015 has been a very challenging year on the river with poor numbers coming back from the sea, so for the fish to be making use of the Culter Burn is incredibly encouraging and bodes well for the future.’