A dinghy on the shore at Inchcailloch with The Cobbler high above Arrochar.
by BILL HEANEY
The Scottish Government has proposed that 123 out of 173 (71%) salmon stocks in Scotland will be designated as Grade 3 (Poor) conservation status for the 2027 fishing season.
This reflects a continued long-term decline in wild Atlantic salmon populations, with the number of Grade 1 (Good) stocks dropping sharply to just 22.
Loch Lomond and its tributary rivers, including the Endrick and the Fruin, have been classified as “poor,” which means anglers will be legally obliged to take part yet again in a “catch and return” scheme.Notably, the River Dee, where anglers include King Charles, has lost its “good” ranking for the first time, marking a historic downgrade for one of Scotland’s “big four” salmon rivers.
Proposed Status Overview (2027 vs. 2026)
| Conservation Status | 2026 Season Count | 2027 Proposed Count | Legal / Management Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 (Good) | 32 stocks | 22 stocks | Exploitation is sustainable; no added restrictions. |
| Grade 2 (Moderate) | 26 stocks | 28 stocks | Action required; catch-and-release highly promoted. |
| Grade 3 (Poor) | 115 stocks | 123 stocks | Exploitation unsustainable; mandatory catch-and-release. |
Key River Grading Changes
The Scottish Government Marine Directorate has outlined 21 downgrades and 3 upgrades for the 2027 season.
Notable Downgrades to Grade 3 (Mandatory Catch-and-Release) include the Clyde, while the River Etive has been upgraded and no longer requires mandatory catch-and-release.
East Coast vs. West Coast Dynamics
While 71% of individual river stocks are graded as poor, the broader volume of fish tells a slightly different story. Scotland’s massive east coast rivers hold roughly 73% of the total countrywide salmon population.
Because several of these larger systems maintain better output, the majority of actual salmon remain in the remaining Grade 1 and Grade 2 rivers, even though the total number of healthy rivers is shrinking.Â
The official public consultation on these provisional gradings remains open via the Scottish Government Consultation Hub until September 4, 2026.
The entire Loch Lomond system is designated as Poor Conservation Status (Grade 3) for the 2027 salmon fishing season. Under Scottish Government rules, this means mandatory 100% catch-and-release is in effect for all parts of the catchment.Â
The overarching grading applies uniformly across the network due to how the government manages migrating fish.Â
Why the Whole System Shares the Grade
The Scottish Government Marine Directorate calculates conservation status based on the health of specific spawning tributaries. Because migrating salmon traveling to different spawning grounds mix in the lower entry points, the lowest grade in the system is legally applied to everything else.
- The Driver (Endrick Water SAC): The Endrick Water is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) that has been struggling and is firmly assessed as Poor/Grade 3. [1, 2, 3]
- The Interconnected Catchments: The Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association (LLAIA) manages the wider system. Because scientists cannot distinguish which passing fish are headed for the vulnerable Endrick or healthier grounds, the Poor ranking is automatically applied to:
The Scottish Government’s 2027 Proposed Conservation Regulations explicitly state that even though the River Leven on its own was biologically assessed as Moderate, it has been downgraded to Poor to protect the overlapping Endrick Water.
Meanwhile, the conservation charity Wildfish said urgent action was required to save the salmon. Nick Underdown, its Scotland director, said: “These figures expose a slow-burn national crisis and should set alarm bells ringing.”
He added: “As salmon rivers, including the great ones such as the Dee, continue to be downgraded, this is a moment for John Swinney’s government to upgrade environmental protections on its list of political priorities.“Scotland’s wild salmon are facing catastrophic decline, with multiple pressures, both at sea and in our lochs and rivers. The Scottish Government can no longer sit on its hands.
“If the decline of the Dee does not force a fundamental rethink of Scotland’s approach to restoring wild salmon, it is difficult to imagine what will.”