I
Ian Cloke
Guest
SCOTLAND'S leading salmon experts and marine scientists yesterday joined forces in calling for urgent government funding for vital research into the fate of wild Atlantic salmon stocks at sea.
There has already been extensive research into the freshwater life cycle of Scotland's salmon stocks, but scientists claim research to shed some light into the problems confronting salmon at sea has been minimal.
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Seymour Monro, the executive director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST), said: "
Any research at sea is very expensive but it is vital that projects such as the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation's Salmon at Sea (Salsea) programme are properly funded. UK governments must give such research a much higher level of priority - both in terms of financial support and research vessel time."
Ken Whelan, the president of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), announced last year that the mysterious deaths of wild Atlantic salmon would be tackled in a major study. He said: "We simply must solve the mystery of why so many Atlantic salmon are dying at sea."
An Executive spokesman said: "The Scottish Executive commits a substantial amount to salmon research and will continue to work with NASCO partners and AST in the Salsea project."
There has already been extensive research into the freshwater life cycle of Scotland's salmon stocks, but scientists claim research to shed some light into the problems confronting salmon at sea has been minimal.
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Seymour Monro, the executive director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST), said: "
Any research at sea is very expensive but it is vital that projects such as the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation's Salmon at Sea (Salsea) programme are properly funded. UK governments must give such research a much higher level of priority - both in terms of financial support and research vessel time."
Ken Whelan, the president of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), announced last year that the mysterious deaths of wild Atlantic salmon would be tackled in a major study. He said: "We simply must solve the mystery of why so many Atlantic salmon are dying at sea."
An Executive spokesman said: "The Scottish Executive commits a substantial amount to salmon research and will continue to work with NASCO partners and AST in the Salsea project."