Poorly run and badly sited open-net salmon farms put wild salmon at risk from parasites and diseases. Farmed fish that escape these open-net pens threaten the genetic integrity of wild salmon and further compromise their future survival. 

Open-net salmon farming is fundamentally unsustainable. 

We campaign to remove open-net salmon farms from the coastal waters that surround Scotland. 

Find out more about our campaign to save Atlantic salmon from the impacts of open-net salmon farming. 

Almost everything we do on land has an impact on our waterways and the wildlife they support, including Atlantic salmon. Today, our rivers and oceans are being destroyed by pollution from:  

• Untreated sewage pumped illegally into rivers and oceans across the UK daily. Sewage reduces the quality of water by stimulating the growth of algae which starves freshwater species, like Atlantic salmon, of oxygen.
• Excess sediment, nutrients and chemicals that run off farmland and straight into our rivers, lakes and streams.
• Chemicals that leach into the water from sewers, roads and the land. Chemical pollution can cause lethal harm to river life and is increasing with the impacts of climate change and more frequent, heavy rainfall.

Click on the links below to find out more about the pollutants devastating the habitats Atlantic salmon depend on:  

Sewage pollution

Agricultural pollution

Chemical pollution

Water in rivers is at serious risk. To meet human demand, more water is being taken from rivers than can naturally be replaced. Climate change, and longer periods of drier weather, alongside population growth mean the problem is escalating. Flow is the master variable in rivers. Removing the flow of water means pollutants become more concentrated, barriers become impassable and temperatures increase. Our rivers are at serious risk of not having enough water to support wildlife including Atlantic salmon.  

Chalk streams are at the frontline of this crisis. Too much water is being taken from these unique habitats, as internationally rare as coral reefs or rainforests. 

Find out more about the impact that low volumes of water has on Atlantic salmon. 

Man-made barriers including weirs and dams prevent migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon from moving up and down rivers. This interruption to river connectivity means the salmon are unable to complete their journey between fresh and marine water which is an essential part of their life cycle.