Wild Scottish salmon catches fell 41% year-on-year in 2025 to 28,000, the lowest since 1952, marking an existential threat to the species. Rising sea temperatures, blocked spawning rivers by weirs/dams, and salmon farming’s genetic and disease impacts are cited as key drivers. Campaigners warn farmed salmon interbreeding and lice outbreaks are accelerating population collapse.

The decline—70% since 1999—has pushed less than 20% of Scottish rivers to unsustainable wild salmon levels. While industry body Salmon Scotland denies direct causation, citing "unsupported allegations," the Scottish Greens demand a farming moratorium until welfare reforms. Fisheries Management Scotland urges stricter lice monitoring and farm escape prevention.

A 2023 IUCN reclassification of British Atlantic salmon from "near threatened" to "endangered" underscores urgency. A 1.6% farmed-origin rod catch statistic (2025) fuels debate over balancing aquaculture’s £1B annual economic contribution against ecological damage. Government reports dismiss "widespread" farm mortality issues, but advocates push for tailored nets and vaccines to reduce deaths.

With rural coastal jobs dependent on salmon exports, stakeholders clash over conservation versus livelihoods. Fisheries Management Scotland recommends rod licensing reforms, while the Greens’ May 2025 parliamentary bid highlights political tensions. The crisis epitomizes conflict between industrial aquaculture and biodiversity preservation in Scotland’s fragile ecosystems.