SCOTLAND’S “burgeoning” seal population is threaten-ing the future of wild salmon, according to the head of a conservation charity. 

Robbie Douglas Miller, chairman of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, has put himself on a collision course with other campaigners who want a ban on killing seals.
Although they are officially protected, salmon farmers are allowed an exemption to shoot seals attacking their stock and in October figures from the Scottish Government showed then more than 100 seals had been shot so far last year to protect the industry.

Mr Douglas Miller said there was “a lack of under-standing of the impact of predation by seals and “increasing numbers of fish-eating birds”.

In his first newsletter to supporters, Mr Douglas Miller, the former chief of Edinburgh department store Jenners, said he was “all too aware of the complex and emotional issues that surround the decreasing numbers of our favourite fish and the scale of the problem to reverse this trend.”

“The AST’s vision is for salmon and sea trout to return to and breed from their natural rivers of origin in sufficient quantity and quality to ensure stocks of both species are held at sustainable levels of abundance,” he said.

“Difficulties remain with not understanding the impact of predation by fish-eating birds and a burgeoning seal population – all enjoying protection by law.”

Since the 1970s the numbers of salmon and grilse – those wild salmon that have spent one winter at sea – returning to spawn in rivers have dropped by more than 50 per cent.

“International scientists recognise global warming and changing sea conditions reduce the number of salmon returning to spawn. It is a shame the AST has conveniently ignored this and the robust work going on between salmon farmers and local wild fisheries groups to restore and restock failing rivers.”
The decline is regrettable, particularly given the poor status of the rivers in West Highlands and Islands.”