MSA In Action
Turning Evidence into Action
With a ‘can'-do’ attitude, a plan, by working together, using an evidence based approach and having a clear sense of direction we can understand the decline in wild Atlantic Salmon. We want solutions, not problems and we must take action.
MSA Acting to Save
Wild Atlantic salmon are in crisis. With the GWCT and Atlantic Salmon Trust working on the science and the Angling Trust working on campaigning, together we can make a difference.
Action on the Ground
The Likely Suspects Framework, The Salmonid Management Round the Channel Project (SAMARCH), The SmartRivers Project and campaigning to reduce the pressures on wild Atlantic salmon all form the MSA’s vital inaugural program of work.
What is SAMARCH?
The SAlmonid MAnagement Round the CHannel Project (SAMARCH) is a four year research program comprising of four sub-projects that will tag and track salmon in the English Channel estuaries and transitional waters. SAMARCH is a €7.8m five-year project (2017-2022) part funded by the France England Interreg Channel programme. The project will provide new transferable scientific evidence to inform the management of salmon and sea trout (salmonids) in the estuaries and coastal waters of both the French and English sides of the Channel.
Within the SAMARCH project there are four technical work-packages - fish tracking using acoustic tracking technology, genetic tool development, Salmonid stock assessment models and training and engaging with the stakeholders in England and France to maximise the impact of the results generated.
The Moray Firth Tracking Project
The Objective
To take a whole region of salmon rivers around the Moray Firth and study the smolt migration to understand reasons for salmon mortality from the headwaters through the main stem, the estuary and up to 120km out to sea and to understand what we can do to mitigate mortality. This includes understanding the smolts dispersal pattern in the coastal zone of their migration.
The Methodology
Using acoustic tracking technology we have tracked 800 smolts over 7 river systems and they have been recorded on the receivers over 15 million times. This has provided a valuable resource to understand where the smolts went missing. From there, we focus on the ‘why’ and identify how we better look after them.
Where does this information go?
The findings from the Moray Firth Tracking Project all feed into a cutting-edge and evidence-based tool: The Likely Suspects Framework. By providing evidence-based research, this information can help inform river managers and policy-makers on how to better protect this iconic species and contribute to creating a future where our salmon can thrive.
Action News
