Salmon fishing: proposed river gradings for 2023 season

We sought views on the proposed river gradings for the 2023 salmon fishing season and on a regime to enhance catch and release rates to 100%, either through the use of voluntary or mandatory measures. The consultation opened on the 10 August and closed on 9 September 2022.

There were 211 responses to the consultation from individuals (77%) and organisations (23%). Nearly half of respondents (47%) supported the proposed river gradings while a third (33%) objected to them and a fifth (20%) had no specific view for or against the gradings. A few respondents (7%) indicated that they believed the proposed grade assigned to a specific river was incorrect and should be changed.

Nearly half of respondents (46%) supported a 100% catch and release policy in some form, although only a minority (18%) supported the use of mandatory measures to achieve this. Over two thirds of respondents indicated that they would like to see action taken on other pressures impacting wild salmon populations  including predation (53%) and fish farms (41%), either in parallel with or instead of changes to the catch and release regime. A number of respondents indicated a range of potential impacts of a 100% catch and release regime, including deterring anglers from the sport (39%) and the economic impact on businesses that benefit from angling (26%). The majority of respondents (41%) felt that the introduction of a 100% catch and release policy, either through voluntary or mandatory measures, should be reviewed annually.    

The views given on the proposed river gradings have been used to inform the process of finalising the gradings for the 2023 fishing season, which will be used in the annual amendment to The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016.

Whilst no specific plans for the introduction of a 100% catch and release policy were laid out, this consultation sought the views of stakeholders on encouraging voluntary measures or introducing mandatory measures to achieve a 100% catch and release policy. An additional aim was to highlight how post-catch mortality can be reduced by adhering to catch and release best practice. There are no plans to change the existing approach to catch and release, however the views received will help to inform policy development in the future. Actions that contribute to further the protection and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon populations will be set out in the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan.