Well according to The Observer

Salmon numbers leap to reverse two decades of decline in UK rivers | Environment | The Observer

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http://www.saveoursavers.co.uk

Is actually true of some of the major rivers in Scotland as well.
Not only that, i.e. numbers have increased, but on east coast rivers, average weight has increased too.
Same can be said for sea trout returns (on east coast). size, and numbers of reported sea trout on tweed this year is awesome!
look at this weeks catches here.

FishPal - Scotland - Tweed - Catches


and that is just the reported ones this week.

follow links on dee and spey on same sight, and you will see what i mean over 5 year averages.
regards
bert

I think there's a lot of nonsense surrounding 'the demise of the salmon' in our waters. I read just a short few years ago that Tweed had returned best rod catches since records began, only to read the following year that catches were down and there was a crisis. It can't work both ways in 24 months. Load of tosh some of the **** we get fed.

Remember those figures well, however they were actually true!
Tweed had 22000 rod caught Salmon for the year, but the actual total rod caught figure for salmon in scotland dropped by 15000 from previous year!
Shows how figures can be manipulated.
Tweed had a bonanza, every where else was poor!
regards
bert

I know there are lots we don't quite know about yet, goings on at sea, sea temps rising, over fishing on salmon food sources, etc etc etc.... But I believe, as with all animals on this planet, that the numbers fluctuate in natural cycles.