action is needed to secure the future of wild salmon.

wild salmon declaration

The purpose of the Declaration

Wild salmon are in crisis. Human impacts including climate change, unsustainable fishing practices, poor water quality, the over abstraction of rivers, in-river modification, the spread of invasive species, genetic introgression, parasites and pathogens all threaten their future.

This Declaration calls for urgent action and a renewed sense of purpose to arrest the decline and accelerate the recovery of wild salmon. The declaration was started by the Missing Salmon Al liance in an effort to bring together conservationists to save wild salmon.

Who should sign the Declaration?

We welcome any individual or organisation signing the Declaration. It especially looks to engage policymakers, businesses and individuals who have the power to affect positive change for wild salmon at scale, across both the Atlantic and Pacific.

As a signatory to this Declaration, we call upon governments and all organisations involved in the conservation of wild salmon, businesses, conservation organisations, and financial institutions to take strong and bold action to:

Deliver strong policies, actions, and funding to address the range of human pressures that threaten wild salmon and ensure wild salmon have free access to cold clean water and healthy rivers and oceans – the conditions they need to thrive.
Enable action to conserve, protect and restore rivers at a catchment scale and at a pace that is commensurate with the urgency of the crisis.
Deliver coordinated action to prioritise evidence gaps in understanding the decline in wild salmon populations.
Recognise the vital importance of the leadership of Indigenous Peoples, whose resilience and stewardship hold the key to restoring balance and safeguarding this shared resource.
Urgently address the dramatic decline in salmon sea survival rates through actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, including warming oceans and shifts in prey species, and manage human pressures that may impact wild salmon, including; bycatch of wild salmon by the inshore and ocean pelagic fishing fleets, aquaculture, and marine energy infrastructure.
Develop and implement effective public and private funding mechanisms (including natural capital markets) that will support urgent efforts to deliver the necessary actions detailed in this Declaration.

wild salmon declaration

* By signing this Declaration, you consent for your information to be shared with our overseas partners in the Missing Salmon Alliance, and also commit to dialogue with a Wild Salmon Connections partner to discuss urgent actions to support wild salmon restoration.

Wild Salmon Connections Partners include: The Missing Salmon Alliance (Atlantic Salmon Trust, Angling Trust & Fish Legal, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fisheries Management Scotland, Rivers Trust), Pacific Salmon Foundation, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Norwegian Salmon Rivers, and Long Live the Kings.

A better future for wild salmon is possible. We must choose to make it so.