The Demise of Loch Maree

Jeremy Paxman endorses the seminal Loch Maree film. If the recommendations in the Scottish Parliament's Rural Economy Committee's recent damning report on salmon farming are adopted in full, then the outlook for Loch Maree's sea trout (and wild fish generally in the west Highlands and Islands) will be considerably improved.

However, sea trout stocks in Loch Maree collapsed in 1988, one year after the start of salmon farming in Loch Ewe, the sea loch into which Loch Maree drains via the River Ewe.

There are many concerns related to farmed salmon in Scottish waters including, an increase in sea lice, salmon becoming increasingly resistant to sea lice, escaped salmon interacting with wild salmon creating genetic mutation and the unknown impact of an expanding industry.

Picture / film credits:

James Merryweather

Gairloch Heritage Museum

NJFF-Hordaland/Gisle Sverdrup (under water sea trout footage)

Alv Arne Lyse (sea trout pictures and farmed salmon)

In 2019, the International Year of the Salmon (IYS), Wildfish asked Sir David Attenborough for his views on the need to protect all populations of wild salmon. The following video gives a very clear message to Governments across the Northern Hemisphere that they need to act now if we are not going to lose the ‘King of Fish’ for ever!

Wildfish will continue its current work on salmon farming reform and water quality, both vital issues affecting the health of wild salmon populations.