The Atlantic salmon has long been revered as the ‘King of Fish’. Admired for its beauty and strength, it has long captured our imagination and provided food and fishing for centuries. Its economic value is estimated at £100M per year across the UK and Ireland. It is an indicator of high quality water habitat.
The Atlantic salmon is a truly international fish and has an intergovernmental organisation – the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) – devoted to its conservation and restoration. Ireland (through the EU) and the UK are members of NASCO and that brings benefits and obligations.
The Institute has today (5th May) released a Position Statement on Atlantic Salmon Conservation which concludes with a call for urgent action to conserve and restore salmon populations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Position Statement can be read below
The statement has been sent to the respective Fisheries Ministers for the governments of the UK and Ireland.