Official statistics released this morning record the weakest salmon returns in modern Scottish records, with total catches in 2025 falling to their lowest level since the series began in 1952. Sea trout figures show a similar pattern, with total catch the second lowest on record, continuing a long-term decline that has been evident for decades.
The data, published by the Scottish Government’s Chief Statistician, indicates that reported rod catch of salmon stood at 28,020 in 2025, the lowest figure recorded. That total represents just 68 per cent of the average seen over the previous five years and marks a sustained fall from a recent high of 111,405 recorded in 2010. The figures point not to a single poor season, but to a continuing reduction in the number of wild salmon returning to Scotland’s rivers.
Fishing effort has also declined. Reported rod days for salmon fell to 192,859 in 2025, down five per cent from the previous year. That reduction suggests a modest contraction in activity alongside the falling catch, though it does not fully account for the scale of the decline observed in fish numbers.
One measure moving in the opposite direction is the rate at which fish are released. In 2025, 99 per cent of spring salmon caught by rod were released, while the release rate for all rod-caught salmon reached 98 per cent, the highest recorded since data collection began. These figures reflect a well-established shift in angling practice towards conservation, though they also underline the scarcity of fish being encountered.
Net fisheries show a similar contraction. The net and coble fishery reported its lowest retained catch since records began, while fixed engine fisheries recorded their sixth lowest. Farmed fish made up a small proportion of the total catch, accounting for 1.6 per cent of reported salmon.
Sea trout figures reinforce the broader pattern. The reported rod catch of 13,025 fish is the lowest on record, continuing a long-term trend of decline that has been observed since the 1960s. Release rates for sea trout reached 92 per cent in 2025, the second highest level recorded, suggesting similar conservation behaviour among anglers.
The underlying dataset is extensive. The 2025 figures are drawn from 1,993 returns submitted from 2,160 issued forms, representing a 92 per cent response rate. This is slightly below the 93 to 95 per cent range seen in the previous decade but remains sufficient to provide a reliable national picture. The time series itself extends back to 1952, with catch and release data added in 1994 and more recent measures of fishing effort incorporated from 2023 onwards.
The statistics do not attempt to explain the causes of the decline, but they sit within a wider body of research pointing to pressures on wild salmon populations across the North Atlantic. What they do show, clearly and without qualification, is that Scotland’s most closely watched migratory fish species are now being recorded at historically low levels.
The figures are presented as official statistics and produced in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, providing a consistent and long-running record of change. What they reveal this year is not a sudden shift, but the continuation of a trend that has been building for more than a decade.
