The collapse in the number of wild salmon in England and Wales is deeply dismaying. These fish are widely regarded as wonders of the natural world because of their extraordinary life cycle. This takes them thousands of miles out into the North Atlantic Ocean, before they return to our rivers – swimming and leaping upstream – to spawn.
Climate change and failures of marine conservation have contributed to the decline in numbers across their entire range, which extends from Russia to Portugal. But in Britain, the poor state of rivers is another obstacle to the species’ survival. As well as a warning of the global threat to biodiversity, their dwindling numbers are a reminder of the price paid for the repeated breaking of environmental law.
Until 2017 at least 20,000 salmon were recorded every year in more than 40 rivers including the Tyne, Wear and Eden. From 6,952 in 2022, the total fell to an estimated 5,399 last year (anglers, who log each fish they catch, return them to the water afterwards). Other popular species have also experienced precipitous declines over this period. This summer’s butterfly numbers were the lowest recorded since the annual Big Butterfly Count began, while swallows have declined by about a quarter. In each case, a combination of agricultural methods and climate change is to blame. But the threat to salmon is important for what it reveals about the failed stewardship of rivers, and the way in which regulations designed to protect vital habitats are flouted as a matter of course.
Water pollution has a higher profile as a political issue than ever before, thanks to repeated sewage spills and criminality by the water industry. On 3 November a coalition of environmental charities will hold a March for Clean Water. But its organisers are not calling for new laws. The Environment Act passed three years ago set a target of 2030 for halting the decline in wildlife. Numerous existing rules ought to prevent agricultural pollution, such as the runoff from poultry factories that has led to the steep decline of the River Wye in Wales. Ofwat, the industry regulator, already has powers to direct the kinds of investment in infrastructure that ought to prevent leaks and build resilience to heavy rains and drought.
The problem is enforcement – or rather the lack of it. This is the predictable result of huge cuts to budgets, meaning fewer and less frequent checks and inspections, combined with a policy under the last government of prioritising economic growth over environmental protection. This led to a system whereby advice is the primary form of action taken by the agency when breaches are found.
Salmon, of course, cannot advocate for themselves; nor can the rivers, beaches and deep oceans where harmful fishing practices are another reason why the species is vulnerable. If politicians do nothing, nothing will change. The water bill introduced to parliament by Labour last month promises a tougher approach to water company executives. But, as yet, there is no sign that the government plans to invest in the organisations and people that are urgently needed to protect wildlife and their habitats – including the clean gravel riverbeds where salmon lay eggs. This majestic fish deserves so much better.
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