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Escaped farm salmon

An escaped farm salmon

An escaped farm salmon - note the shape of the tail and fins (Ben Rushbrooke)

Escaped farm salmon have been recorded in WRFT rivers for almost 20 years. During the early 1990s, progeny of escaped female farm salmon were recorded in many of the rivers in the area demonstrating that female farmed salmon had successfully spawned.

Escapes of salmon from farms around Wester Ross are reported most years. In 2007, 24,000 salmon were reported to have escaped from a farm in Loch Ewe; within the same area 25,000 salmon escaped from nearby farms in 2003.

WRFT has monitored numbers of escaped farm salmon smolts leaving Loch Damh in 2000 and carried out studies of escaped farm smolts in Loch Tollie in 1999 and records escaped farm salmon in fish trap catches and through fish scale reading.

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  • Juvenile salmon production and nutrition in Wester Ross 2023
    This report summarises the results of the juvenile salmon survey in Wester Ross in summer and early autumn, 2023. The report focusses on contrasting the size and biomass of juvenile salmon at different sites. There was much variation in growth; some sites had high densities of larger parr; at other sites parr were small and thin. Important missing food items for parr at some sites may include caddis fly larvae, terrestrial insects, and surplus washed-out salmon eggs which in some rivers may have been of crucial importance for pre-smolt salmon parr. Is it time to provide supplementary food for juvenile salmon in some rivers? .  Posted: 05/02/2024 (1.65MB)
  • Finding Salmon and Sea trout around the Wester Ross MPA
    This presentation by Peter Cunningham introduces the main wild salmon rivers that flow into the Wester Ross MPA and describes some of the issues, including infestation by sea lice from poorly regulated open cage salmon farms, which threaten wild salmon populations and sea trout within the Wester Ross area. Can the wild salmon populations around the Wester Ross MPA be given additional protection?.  Posted: 27/10/2022 (11.01MB)
  • Billier, Geoffrey (2014) A study of macro-invertebrates and the feeding behaviour of juvenile salmon in the Little Gruinard River SAC, 2014
    Geoffrey Billier sampled macro-invertebrates and investigate the feeding behaviour of juvenile salmon in the Little Gruinard river, during a three-month internship for WRFT, as part of his studies at Ecole Nationale Sup?rieure Agronomique de Toulouse 'ENSAT'. This report provides much new information about the biodiversity of macro-invertebrates in the river, drift patterns (day & night) and the diet of salmon fry, parr and smolts.  Posted: 30/09/2014 (3.22MB)
  • Little Gruinard FMP April 2011 Part 1 & 2
    Little Gruinard River FMP April 2011.  Posted: 03/02/2011 (6.81MB)
  • Escaped farm salmon and wild salmon at Dundonnell, October 2009
    Higher resolution photograph of the two large male salmon from the Dundonnell broodfish tank, 30th October 2009. Photos of scales from each of the fish are also shown. Fish photo by Ben Rushbrooke. Thank you to Alasdair Macdonald and Dundonnell Estate for permission and support.  Posted: 18/11/2009 (2.59MB)
  • Land Use and Salmon Smolt Production in Wester Ross
    Presentation given by Peter Cunningham at the WRFT Ecosystem Fertility and Salmon Smolt Production Seminar on 30th November 2007. Describes growth of juvenile salmon in Wester Ross and how this relates to soil fertility and land management. Note large size of file!.  Posted: 05/09/2008 (22.41MB)
  • Otters and Salmon carcasses study 2002
    The findings of a study to investigate levels of mortality of salmon along spawning streams and what happens to their carcasses are reported in this report to project sponsors, the Atlantic Salmon Trust.  Posted: 18/07/2008 (3.12MB)