Technical, Logistical, and Economic Considerations for the Development and Implementation of a Scottish Salmon Counter Network

Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 7 No 2

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are culturally and economically important to Scotland. Salmon are now the target of large conservation actions due to growing concerns about their population status and the potential impacts of human activities on their productivity. To adequately assess the current and future status of salmon populations, accurate estimates of their population sizes are needed. In Scotland, electronic fish counter technology has been the cornerstone methodology used to accurately assess salmon population sizes. Marine Scotland Science (MSS) seeks to expand the current counter distribution to include new counter sites throughout Scotland. An expanded network will provide valuable information for salmon fisheries management, sustainable marine planning, the development of renewable energy, and the growth of aquaculture. Planning and implementing a counter network requires knowledge of the technical constraints, engineering requirements, operational protocols and economic costs. This report was commissioned by MSS to address a knowledge gap in the technical, logistical and economic understanding in the development of a Scottish salmon counter network. The overall objective of this report was to inform the future development of a fish counter network for Scotland.