Salmon Scotland to allocate funds to help address declining wild fish stocks – Baird Maritime

Report on Scottish Wild Salmon Conservation Funding and Sustainable Development Goals

Initiative Overview

• A funding round, now in its fifth year, has been established to support wild salmon and sea trout populations in Scotland, with a closing date of March 31, 2026.
• Grants are accessible to all river catchment organizations throughout Scotland.
• A strategic focus is placed on geographical areas where aquaculture operations and wild salmon fisheries coexist.

Ecological Context: Population Decline

• The initiative addresses the significant, decades-long decline in wild salmon and sea trout numbers across the UK.
• Identified drivers of this decline include habitat loss, rising river and sea temperatures, and pressures on migration routes.
• Marine survival rates have fallen critically from approximately 25 per cent 30 years ago to a current rate of between one and five per cent.

Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • The project’s core objective is the conservation and sustainable management of marine and freshwater species, directly supporting target 14.2 to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems.
   • By funding efforts to reverse population decline, the initiative contributes to the restoration of vital fish stocks.

2. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The focus on river catchment organizations directly addresses the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems, aligning with target 15.1 concerning the conservation of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems.
   • The initiative aims to halt biodiversity loss by mitigating threats such as habitat degradation within these catchments.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The program directly responds to the adverse effects of climate change, specifically acknowledging rising water temperatures as a primary threat to salmonid populations.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • This funding mechanism exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership, uniting various organizations to achieve shared environmental and sustainability objectives in line with SDG 17.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

   The article addresses issues connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to its focus on environmental conservation, biodiversity, and the impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems.

   • SDG 14: Life Below Water

     This is the most prominent SDG, as the article’s central theme is the decline of wild salmon and sea trout populations. It discusses threats to these marine and anadromous species, such as pressures on migration routes and a drastic drop in marine survival rates.

   • SDG 15: Life on Land

     Since salmon and sea trout are anadromous species that spawn in freshwater rivers, their survival is intrinsically linked to the health of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. The article explicitly mentions “habitat loss” and “rising river temperatures” as key drivers of their decline, directly connecting the issue to the conservation of river catchments, which are land-based ecosystems.

   • SDG 13: Climate Action

     The article directly attributes the decline in fish populations to “rising river and sea temperatures,” which is a direct consequence of climate change. This highlights the impact of global warming on specific ecosystems and biodiversity, making climate action a relevant goal.

2. Specific Targets Identified

   Based on the article’s content, several specific targets under the identified SDGs can be pinpointed.

   • Targets under SDG 14 (Life Below Water)

     • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… and take action for their restoration. The funding initiative for river catchment organisations is a direct action aimed at restoring and protecting the habitats essential for salmon and sea trout, whose numbers have been significantly impacted.

   • Targets under SDG 15 (Life on Land)

     • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services. The article’s focus on “river catchment organisations” and addressing “habitat loss” in rivers directly aligns with the conservation and restoration of inland freshwater ecosystems.
     • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and… protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The falling numbers of wild salmon and sea trout represent a loss of biodiversity, and the funding program is an urgent action to halt this decline and protect these species.

   • Targets under SDG 13 (Climate Action)

     • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The decline of salmon populations due to “rising river and sea temperatures” is a climate-related hazard impacting biodiversity. The efforts to support these populations can be seen as an attempt to strengthen the resilience of these ecosystems and species to climate change impacts.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   The article provides both explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

   • Explicit Indicator

     The article provides a clear, quantifiable indicator of the problem: the marine survival rate of salmon. It states that “Marine survival has dropped to between one and five per cent, compared with around 25 per cent 30 years ago.” Progress on conservation efforts could be measured by tracking an increase in this survival rate over time.

   • Implied Indicators

     • Wild salmon and sea trout numbers: The article’s opening statement that these numbers “have been falling for decades” implies that the population count is a key metric. An increase or stabilization of these numbers would be a primary indicator of success.
     • Extent of habitat loss: By identifying “habitat loss” as a driver, the article implies that the area of restored or protected river and coastal habitat could serve as an indicator of progress.
     • River and sea temperatures: The mention of “rising river and sea temperatures” as a cause suggests that monitoring these temperatures is a crucial environmental indicator to understand the pressures on the fish populations.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 14: Life Below Water	14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems and take action for their restoration.	Marine survival rate of salmon (Explicitly mentioned as having dropped from 25% to 1-5%). Wild salmon and sea trout population numbers.
   SDG 15: Life on Land	15.5: Take urgent action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats and halt the loss of biodiversity.	Rate of habitat loss in river catchments (Implied). Population trends of threatened species (salmon and sea trout).
   SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.	River and sea temperatures (Mentioned as a key driver of decline).

Source: bairdmaritime.com