Wild salmon stocks at ‘crisis point’ with lowest on record in England

Wild salmon stocks at ‘crisis point’ with lowest on record in England

Source: theguardian

7/25/2022

Credit: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Wild salmon stocks are at their lowest on record in England, a government report has found.

Officials said the number of fish was reaching “crisis point” with urgent action required, including removing barriers in waterways and improving water quality.

England’s rivers are traditional breeding grounds for the fish, and seeing them leaping through streams was a common sight some decades ago. But salmon are slipping closer to extinction in the wild.

Of the 42 salmon rivers in England, 37 have been classified as “at risk” or “probably at risk” by the Environment Agency.