John Armstrong - The state of Scotland’s salmon

John Armstrong
John Armstrong has studied fish from deep-sea to Scottish lochs with a strong focus on supporting fisheries management and conservation. He directed the Pitlochry Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory before commencing his current role as chair of the Wild Salmon Strategy Science and Evidence Board and advisor to Scottish Government.
In this presentation, John discusses the alarming decline of Scottish salmon populations. John highlights the downward trend in the number of salmon returning to Scotland's coasts and the associated decrease in spawning fish. Efforts to mitigate this decline through reduced exploitation have been exhausted, leading to continuing declines in spring rod catch and the size of the fish. The talk also emphasises the importance of conservation efforts, detailing the work of the Scottish Government and Fisheries Management Scotland in collecting data and implementing measures to combat the decline. John stresses the need for urgent action, collaboration, and the use of best available evidence to address the pressures on salmon populations effectively.