Practical Fishkeeping reports that Professor Chris Todd,  of marine ecology at St Andrews University who has studied the fish population on an unnamed Scottish river for the last 17 years.

During this time the average grilse, (young fish returned to spawn after a single winter at sea) has dropped from 2.4kg/5.3lbs and 59cm/23" to a lightweight 1.7kg/3.74lbs and shortish 54cm/21" – a fall of one third in weight and a tenth in length. Perhaps more worrying, he notes a drop in the fishes' fat content of around 80%.

This is devastating news to both conservationists and fishermen as record numbers seemed to point to a revival of the species' fortunes, thanks to measures such as the ending of commercial fishing in the salmon's feeding grounds off West Greenland and the Faroes, as well as a catch and release program among anglers.

Professor Todd suspects climate change  is a factor, and by forcing the young salmon's planktonic food sources further north, he is concerned the species may be trapped in a vicious circle of smaller, thinner fish producing less and poorer quality eggs.

The research is part of the seven year, £5.5m SALSEA project on Atlantic salmon, results to be delivered at a conference in La Rochelle later this year.

Commercial good news
SalmoBreed Scotland Ltd, at 80 George Sstreet, Edinburgh, is a new company reports FishNews EU that promises to bring 'tailor-made' salmon eggs within the reach of all Scottish salmon farmers.

SalmoBreed AS, has been developing salmon selective breeding programmes in Norway since 1999, assembling a unique team of experts in genetics, fish health and fish husbandry, that now supplies around 20% of the market for Atlantic salmon ova world-wide. 

To satisfy ever increasing demand for specialised ova that produce salmon to meet the needs of both farmer and processor, SalmoBreed AS has newly established SalmoBreed Scotland Ltd to bring SalmoBreed's Norwegian operation expertise to the country.

SalmoBreed Scotland's freshwater stocks will be held in facilities operated by the University of Stirling’s fish farm at Howietoun, benefitting from not only SalmoBreed staff's expertise but also the University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture services.

The new company will also operate closed containment broodstock facilities in Argyll. SalmoBreed Scotland  will be developing co-operative working arrangements with the major Scottish salmon farming companies in relation to selection and production of broodstock, as well as spawning and incubation facilities.

SalmoBreed MD, OddGeir Oddsen was for many years MD,Pan Fish Scotland and Lighthouse Caledonia. "The industry here is well-placed for future expansion, and that means there is an increasing demand for high-quality eggs," he says. 

"Our track record in producing salmon eggs which are tailor-made for customers' requirements and our ability to offer both disease resistant strains and ones with favoured production characteristics will be at the service of the Scottish industry in due course.”