How a simple scheme stopped an annual salmon slaughter at Blairgowrie

Victorian mill weirs on the River Ericht at Blairgowrie can be a hazard for juvenile salmon when the water is too low | Heartland Media and PR

When the interests of humans and wild animals clash, there’s usually only one winner. However, such conflicts don’t always have to be a zero-sum game. With a little thought, it’s often possible to ensure both sides get what they need.

For years, young salmon had been dying in large numbers when drought reduced the level of the River Ericht so that they were unable to pass through mill weirs at Blairgowrie. The problem was made worse by companies taking river water – perfectly legally and for legitimate reasons.

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However, a conservation project by the Tay Rivers Trust has just resulted in a second year in which there were no recorded fatalities for this reason. It introduced a ‘traffic light’ system in which water users are asked to voluntarily reduce extraction when the river is low. A mill lade can also be opened to enable the young fish to bypass the weirs.

Salmon, an iconic Scottish fish species, are officially classed as endangered amid a worldwide extinction crisis. If we don’t find more ways for humans and animals to co-exist, planet Earth may start to feel like a decidedly lonely place.