Forty salmon have been tagged to monitor their progress down the River Dee.
It’s the second phase of a salmon smolt tracking project that started in 2021, with the aim being to glean information about how the fish make it down the Ken-Dee valley.
The work is being led by Galloway Fisheries Trust (GFT) with support from Galloway Hydro Scheme owners Drax, Galloway Glens, Glasgow University, Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, SEPA and Forestry and Land Scotland.
Senior biologist at Galloway Fisheries Trust, Jamie Ribbens, said: “The 2021 study produced some very interesting results regarding how salmon smolts travel down the Dee system on their way to the estuary.
“This further study aims to understand in more detail how the fish are behaving under different conditions to investigate what could be done to ease their migration and thus maximise the numbers of smolts able to leave the Dee successfully.
“We need everyone working together to restore the salmon population in the Dee.
“It is good to be working with Glasgow University again on this important study and we appreciate that both Drax and Galloway Glens have continued to supported the research.”
The journey of the 40 tagged salmon is tracked using 33 receivers installed along the river bank, with GFT and Glasgow University teams analysing the data.
In 2021, more than half the tagged smolts made it to the inner estuary and there are plans for the study to be repeated next year.
Salmon smolts are relatively small and vulnerable to predation by larger fish such as pike, fish eating birds such as goosanders and mammals such as otters.
The longer they spend on the migration the more vulnerable they are, with the project looking at their mortaility and how long it takes them to complete their journey – which includes navigating obstacles such as dams.
Galloway Hydros manager, Martin McGhie, said: “Gaining a better understanding of how species such as salmon interact with our hydro-electric scheme is a key factor in helping us improve the ecology within the Ken-Dee catchment.
“The 2021 smolt tagging trials provided a fascinating insight into the journey the smolts take on their journey down through the river system.
“We are delighted to help fund further and expanded research which will hopefully build on the first trial and provide greater understanding of this process.”
Galloway Glens project officer, Nick Chisholm, said: “It’s great to see that a little bit of support from our National Lottery Funding and inspirational leadership from the Galloway Fisheries Trust allow us to unlock some of the salmon’s travel
itinerary.
