Colossal Scottish Salmon Runs
By Jock Monteith 10th February 2020
At what point does our wild Scottish salmon resource start attracting significant funding like we see was pumped into the superb new 140 million pound Macallan Distillery on Speyside or other investments in the past like Billy Connolly's cartoon movie 'Brave' which attracted several million from Visit Scotland or the £4 million plus for re-introducing native tree destroying beavers back to Scotland.
Massive Economic Payback With Salmon
If there was a huge payback in the Big Yin's movie as indicated here to the estimated tune of £120 million then why on earth can Scottish salmon fishery management or Government not unify and see the £1 billion pound 'potential' of the Scottish wild Atlantic salmon asset that can simultaneously play on over 400 of the most picturesque movie screens! Our 'poke it with a stick' managed asset is a 'sitting duck' for a detailed 10 year battle plan where the scientists take a much needed 'back seat' (or are fired!) and allow 'common sense' and 'proven science' to take over to re-establish the huge wild Atlantic salmon stocks that Scotland once benefitted from. What we see today after decades of being trusted with these positions of 'national trust' is the true end result of the current management's ability & brain power as this is 'exam results' time where the majority have clearly failed!
Naturally 'Genetic Intact' River Stocking
I'm not talking here about something similar to destroying the wild brown trout fisheries of Scotland like with what was allowed in the 70's & 80's via the introduction of non native rainbow trout. I'm talking here about giving 'Mother Nature' a much needed 'helping hand' to counteract the 'definite' increase of 'in river' & 'suspected' oceanic predation/mortality levels by utilising God given natural 'genetically intact' (to keep science happy!) juvenile wild salmon numbers to counteract the various stock depleting factors that have diminished the natural wild Atlantic salmon runs as already proven on many fisheries across the world including Scotland. This juvenile stock can be taken from re-conditioned kelts so not to diminish wild spawning fish numbers not that would matter much these days given the decimation of 'in river' juvenile stock via much increased predation levels. At release time these wild ranched juveniles could be systematically released near the estuaries to minimise their exposure to 'in river' predation.
A Note For The Scientists To Consider
Mr Scientist please note all this chat about individual breeding populations (although easily enough adhered to) completely defies the evolutionary laws of gravity as cross splicing of genes is required to strengthen genetic integrity and all species including ours evolved through this naturally occurring concept. If you isolate any gene pool it's only likely going to weaken the general integrity of the species and if you're in any doubt about this perhaps you should have your own DNA examined to track your genetic lineage! Where was the consideration or effective resistance on your concept anyway when the plans for non native salmon stock commercial fish farms were on the table with the inevitable and easily envisaged escapee scenario possibility?
The Value Of Increased Biodiversity
Increased Scottish wild Atlantic salmon stocks bring about vastly improved 'biodiversity' angles that benefits fresh water pearl mussels, lampreys and many other species of protected and endangered Scottish wild life. Wild Atlantic salmon stock smolt ranching needs to be taken seriously as there's zero benefit to Scotland's economies or its 'biodiversity' in sporadic & inconsistent salmon runs if protecting our 'natural heritage' and attracting huge economic value is important to the nation which it certainly should be. Natural hill loch fed outdoor moving water irrigated clay ponds with enhanced natural feeding, natural shading and screened off protection from predation where these juveniles feel all weather & light conditions comes to mind to maintain ecological resilience and fitness.
Salmon Management Egos
Sure you're going to get people arguing with their nonsensical opinions and their massive yet 'defeatist' egos! 'We're all doomed' like Fraser out of Dad's Army! You're going to also have an embarrassment issue to overcome when Scottish salmon river hotels are once again sold out and the car hire companies at the Scottish airports have no hire cars left for not moving sooner on this! I still cannot believe that the boffins still have the nerve to point the finger at 'ocean mortality' as there's always been 'ocean mortality' while not even after decades have the river management been able to tell you what the current or historic outgoing smolt migration numbers even were nor are they likely to be ever able to! A child could however work out that there's a far greater chance of a better return from 1,000,000 juvenile salmon going to sea than what you'd receive from 10,000 or 20,000 regardless of what's happening out there!
Step Down If You Don't See It
If you're an official who is opposed to the concept of wild smolt ranching or refuses to see the value of the concept even though it's been proven in Scotland, Iceland and other areas of the world then fine but please do the nation & the future of the industry a favour and step down. No official has the right to play about with the jobs of thousands of professional career ghillies through AGM 'smoke screening' or self preservation techniques and nor does anyone have the right to get in the way of the massive economic benefits that are just around the corner for the entire nation. We have a huge opportunity here to not only invest adequately in the future of wild Scottish Atlantic salmon heritage but to be global forerunners at developing naturally simulated wild stock ranching techniques and release timings that 'compliment & enhance' natural stocks and bring about the rebirth of the once huge Scottish salmon runs that were so 'gloriously' present not that long ago.
Atlantic Salmon Curriculum Vitae
There's not a salmon fisher anywhere in the world who would care if the fine specimens they'd just landed originated from wild ranched stock or were reared naturally in the river and salmon do not carry CVs anyway! I now hear rumours that all hatcheries in Scotland are to be shut down in the next 5 years which to my mind only indicates there's a deeper darker plan lurking in the shadows for the future of Scottish salmon fishing. I personally suspect this 'science based' guesswork theme has been used as a do nothing 'effective' stall tactic weapon against our industry by either the massively wealthy and influential Scottish aquaculture industry (so they can completely destroy wild Atlantic salmon stocks and kill off resistance for their massive ongoing expansion plans) or another more powerful hidden agenda organisation. You only have to look at the systematically released ongoing Scottish wild salmon stock disaster articles from the tabloids to ask yourself if this is just a coincidence or not! Are we really that stupid a species to think we cannot bolster any salmon river's stocks via already proven common sense large scale wild salmon juvenile ranching with maybe some basic level oceanic security thrown in!