Environment Agency Hatches Plans for Devon's Salmon Rivers

Environment Agency

Devon is rightly famous for its wild salmon – with fish returning each year from Oceans as far afield as the Faroes and Greenland to spawn in the county’s rivers. Recently however, there has been a huge decline in the numbers of salmon returning to our waters. There are many different causes including pollution, over fishing, silting up of streams and poaching.

To combat these threats to the fish and conserve Devon’s salmon population, the Environment Agency is publishing ‘Salmon Action Plans’ (SAPs) for all the county’s salmon rivers. Although the plans are primarily aimed at securing the well being of salmon stocks, improved catches and angling opportunities will benefit Devon’s rural economy.

Each SAP takes a detailed look at all the issues affecting the health of the salmon stock on a particular river. The plans are based on a survey of the physical features of the entire river system that influence the salmon population, for example: water abstraction, pollution, flow rates, fish farms, weirs and obstructions to migrating fish.

Each SAP then sets out a specific action or initiative to address each issue. The plans and actions published have gone through a public consultation with interested parties such as riverbank owners, fishery managers, farmers and wildlife groups.

The Environment Agency aims to encourage partnerships with organisations and individuals on each salmon river to help implement the actions in the SAP to bring about improvements to the fishery.

"We are very grateful for the contribution made by all those who responded during the consultation phase and we look forward to working with our partners to protect and conserve this wonderful fish" said Steve Douglas of the Environment Agency.

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