Full consultation on stocking of salmon rivers

What it asks

What the petitioner did first

1. 5 Mar 2020
   Public Petitions Committee

   New Petitions
   1 mention
2. 29 Oct 2020
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention
3. 13 Jan 2021
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention

1. Scotland499 53.2%
2. England199 21.2%
3. United Kingdom191 20.4%
4. Northern Ireland12 1.3%
5. Wales10 1.1%
6. Ireland4 0.4%
7. Germany4 0.4%
8. France4 0.4%
9. Afghanistan2 0.2%
10. Norway2 0.2%
11. 9 other countries11 1.2%

1. Simon Cook 18 Dec 2019
   As a salmon fisher for 40 years I have seen the decline in fish entering the rivers, hatcheries have been a great sucess in most cases
2. Donald Gow 18 Dec 2019
   I strongly agree that the situation of wild Scottish salmon deserves full parliamentary discussion before any further action it taken.
3. Graeme Lightbody 18 Dec 2019
   If nothing changes, nothing changes. If you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to keep getting what you're getting. You want change, make some.
4. Calum Raine 18 Dec 2019
   Good luck, Bob. Well said.
5. Allan Lumsden 18 Dec 2019
   In full support of the above
6. Tim Greenfield 18 Dec 2019
   Every avenue must be explored to preserve and increase the numbers of Atlantic Salmon in Scotland and indeed the whole of the UK.
7. John tullett 19 Dec 2019
   To ignore the people who work with rivers and salmon on a day basis over some science based policy is wrong. Science is based on certain facts in a short period , river knowledge has been built over years and passed through generations. Ignore at your peril and be the government who watched salmon die.
8. Jim wilson 19 Dec 2019
   Our fish on River Findhorn Forres, are being massacred by the seals
9. Bob Mason 19 Dec 2019
   It is vital to have more scrutiny of the policy, and more debate from both sides of the argument. The current policy will affect peoples livelihoods.
10. Ian Maxwell 19 Dec 2019
    Action is desperately needed to reverse falling salmon numbers. Let's make sure we listen to all points of view and get it right!
11. Alistair Huskie 19 Dec 2019
    Urgent action is needed to preserve stocks for a sport that has existed for hundreds of years, is supported by thousands of anglers who bring prosperity to hard pressed rural communities. Giving nature a boost at this time would be a great benefit and if done right there is no need for the genetic integrity of a river systems stock to be eroded. We should be looking at ways to boost stocks not leave them to recover in the face of multiple dangers. Marine Scotland is not being even handed in this matter. Questions must continue to be asked if MS is unbiased due to their tolerance of excesses in the Aquaculture Industry.
12. Jim McLanaghan 19 Dec 2019
    There is a real need to explore ALL avenues and leave several options open in order to assist the numbers to increase.
13. Stewart Scott 19 Dec 2019
    If the people who run this valuable resource get it wrong, how can we turn the return of this magnificent heritage ( Atlantic Salmon) around. What is there to lose with a trial period of hatcheries? My local river The Tyne in East Lothian had a hatchery for years. The river was full of fish. Since the hatchery ceased, the river is struggling to restock itself. Not helped by poaching which is not being pursued by the local authorities.
14. Gordon Hyslop 21 Dec 2019
    Save the Atlantic Salmon
15. Ian Vann 21 Dec 2019
    It is vital that policy decisions with respect to the salmon fishing industry take full account of the extraordinary expertise that exists in the ghillie community.
16. David Bamford 22 Dec 2019
    Marine Scotland Scientist are using data from Pacific salmon that is often done with little regard to the fishes river of origin. Comparing this to what is done in small hatcheries in Scotland is totally misleading and worst of all. BAD Science, by people who do know better!
17. Stephen Davies 23 Dec 2019
    Sticking provides help to river systems and are an invaluable way of protecting invaluable stocks
18. David Allan 23 Dec 2019
    Let's get this done and help save the salmon!
19. Janine Greenfield 23 Dec 2019
    I agree with Robert White
20. David Hartley 24 Dec 2019
    Be sure the science is right.
21. James McLanaghan 27 Dec 2019
    It really is time practitioners had a say rather than those who think they know best!
22. John mcmurray Wark 3 Jan 2020
    We need more hatcheries
23. James A Mackie 3 Jan 2020
    This Petition makes good sense. Civil servants rarely listen to local and practical experience. Very good restocking programmes can be seen on the River Carron in Wester Ross and on the River Lochy. Ovber fishing, especially with nets in the past has left a stock of small wild fish. Egg numbers spawned are in relation to fish size. Smaller fish less eggs. Climate change has a major part to play in the decreasng numbers of ssalmon returning to our waters. Recent studies have shown that the number of Smolts getting to sea is much smaller than previously thought. Nobody knows how many eggs and smaller fish are predated on by Trout and birds. Marine Scotlands idea that rivers can only be restocked with eyed eggs and unfed fry is a non starter if nobody knows the survival rates. The Canadian Ssalmon numbers are kept high by a high number of hatcheries where fish are kept in containment to nearer the time of smolting. Too often policies are put in place through personal opinions rather than real scientific research and the understanding of a situation known fro local practical knowledge and experience. Acroos the worls there are many examples of rare species being brought back from near extinction by breeding and release programs.
24. Arthur Preou 6 Jan 2020
    It's clear to all Salmon fisherman there are insufficient fish in the rivers to naturally maintain the salmon runs they need our help in stocking linked with Habitat improvements a schemes like the the River Tyne is a proven model
25. Iain Ross 6 Jan 2020
    I am 100% in favour of stocking salmon rivers from hatcheries
26. Mr James Forster 6 Jan 2020
    This needs to be discussed and considered. The Americans have been doing it in a bad way for many years, however methods in Iceland for stocking salmon is much better. It should all be part of a big plan. Managing the number of fish eating birds is an obvious necessity as many rivers are over run with birds that belong in the sea. Seals also need managing!!
27. Richard Doyle 7 Jan 2020
    If you don't have the stock you can't have the sport!
28. Allan Cuthbert 7 Jan 2020
    I wish you greater success than we had in Wales, where anglers were treated with contempt. Good luck
29. Jim Doyle 7 Jan 2020
    Anything that helps to bring back salmon to Scottish rivers. It worked for the Tyne.
30. David Downie 7 Jan 2020
    The Kielder hatchery on the Tyne has worked by stocking salmon parr which have been grown on to almost smolt size and released in late summer or in the autumn-they then migrate the following spring.
    We have been catching hatchery fish for years---genetic integrity?? at least 10% of a rivers run has been proved by scientists to come from other river systems. The Scottish Government need to act before the situation gets worse. More work needed on reducing the effect of predatory birds and seals..
31. Peter Creswick 8 Jan 2020
    If we don't give nature a helping hand at this point there will be no Salmon left to study. Hatcheries need to work along side the Scientist who have been resurching this decline in Salmon as long as I've been fishing in Scotland and that 40 years and every year the problem is worsening without any conclusion from the Scientest.
32. James Fleming 8 Jan 2020
    Leave the hatcheries to the people that know how they run them
33. Stephen Jones 8 Jan 2020
    About time
34. Richard Sagar. 8 Jan 2020
    I have watched the salmon and sea trout population of the UK decline. Over the past 60 years I have been fishing. It is time we did something to improve the situation I think this is any excellent way to boost stocks to their native rivers.
35. Nigel Geary 8 Jan 2020
    From a layperson venue the impact Kielder Hatchery has had on the Tyne has been outstanding. At what point does a river spiral to extinction due to inadequate egg deposition. The whole aspect of Salmon survival require a multi strategy attack. This includes better habit, predation controls and deposition support through hatcheries.
36. Simon Furniss 8 Jan 2020
    We must be able to use the tool of a hatchery to help get numbers up in the nurseries where numbers are low and stock above impossible falls, where the juveniles will not be competing with wild progeny.
37. Dougal Chalmers 8 Jan 2020
    Get to grips with the ever increasing seal population the increase in seal numbers in the last decade is ten fold and has to have a significant effect on salmon returning to spawn!
38. Andrew Figgins 8 Jan 2020
    Hatchery on river Cree doing great work and now getting returning hatchery fish proves to me unquestionably that well run hatcheries work and ARE the way forward
39. Tim Down 8 Jan 2020
    You need to do something otherwise you will lose the salmon fishing industry and the hotels and other jobs the provide for
40. Gary Price 8 Jan 2020
    A hatchery would have helped greatly in restocking the river Dee following storm Frank and perhaps the Tweed, both of which suffered massive losses of parr.
41. Tim Down 8 Jan 2020
    Salmon fishing is dying if you do not do something to help it I.e. hatcheries it will die and all of the other industries that rely on it will die with it
42. Brian Lawson 8 Jan 2020
    We must try to save the salmon
43. Donald Morrison 8 Jan 2020
    Listen to those who live and work on the rivers
    - they know best.
44. Marshall Garrett 8 Jan 2020
    Hatcheries have been a notable success both at home and abroad over a significant period. Witness Ori Viguffson's spectacular success in Iceland in the last 20 years.To ignore this potential source of broodstock would be stupidity of the highest order.
45. David Carrick 8 Jan 2020
    There has never been a time when it is so obvious that nature requires help. Stocking wild fish from wild stock is the only way forward. Habitat improvement will not bring the fish back. A sensible restocking program will!
46. Tom Borthwick 8 Jan 2020
    I feel that more action must be taken to protect our stock of salmon from the increasing numbers of predators preying on them,goosanders,mergansers,seals all having a devastating effect.I am pessimistic about the government tackling this in any meaninful way
47. thomas robert black 8 Jan 2020
    take salmon farming off the sea they can rear them on land !!!! save our wild fish
48. Lawrence Crompton-Howe 8 Jan 2020
    Absolutely agree with all comments, and whilst I believe that hatcheries will help with the increase in salmon within our rivers it must not be used as a means by the Government of balancing out decline or most importantly diverting attention away from the vastly damaging effects of the fish farms or uncontrolled increase in predatory species and under researched issues out at sea.
    Otherwise I fear we may simply be covering up the real problems with well intended effort, money, time and resource.
49. Graham Hey 8 Jan 2020
    Hatcheries appear to have worked elsewhere! (Iceland,Tyne....)
50. Graham Hey 8 Jan 2020
    Seems to have worked elsewhere (Iceland,Tyne....)