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THE salmon population in a Wester Ross river has made a dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction following a programme of targeted stocking and close co-operation with the local fish farming industry.
The 2006 rod catch of salmon in the River Carron has been confirmed as the highest for at least 25 years.
The river's salmon rod catch declined inexorably during the 1990s to reach a low point of only five fish in 2000. The stocking of the river with juvenile fish of Carron origin began in earnest in 2001 and has continued each year since then. The rod catch of adult salmon rose sharply to 141 in 2004, followed by further increases to 166 in 2005 and 200 in 2006. The first adult salmon from increased natural spawning (in 2004) will not be expected to return to the river from the North Atlantic until 2007. If sufficient numbers return, the amount of restocking could then be reduced.
Bob Kindness of the Seafield Centre, who has masterminded and spearheaded the stocking programme, commented: "The evidence is now very strong that the recovery of the salmon stocks in the Carron is primarily due to the stocking programme at a time when local marine conditions have been more favourable for salmon survival, partly due to the co-operation of the local salmon farmers including the control of sea-lice. It should be remembered that nothing other than stocking has been done to improve the river itself".
A project, funded by the Tripartite Working Group (TWG), is now underway with Bob Kindness, to provide further information on the numbers of returning Carron salmon.
Shaun MacDonald, Chairman of the River Carron Improvement Association and co-proprietor of part of the river, noted: "There is no doubt that the restoration of our salmon stocks is largely due to Bob Kindness's hard work and expertise. We have also benefited from our close working relationship with the local fish farmers through the TWG programme. Here in Strathcarron and Lochcarron the fish farmers and the wild fish interests fully appreciate that both aquaculture and angling are very important to the local economy".
Alex Adrian, Technical Manager for Pan Fish Scotland Ltd, commented: "The recovery of the Carron salmon stock and fishery is an outstanding achievement on Bob Kindness's part, and we as salmon farmers in Loch Carron are delighted that our efforts in the control of sea-lice through the Area Management process have been acknowledged as helping to contribute to the creation of a local marine environment that has been conducive to this recovery. The primary aim of the Carron/Kishorn Area Management Agreement is the health of both wild and farmed stocks, and thanks to the efforts of Bob and the other members of the Group, we appear to be well on the way to achieving this."
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