The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) was recently featured on ITV News for its long-standing work monitoring the iconic wild Atlantic salmon. Over the past 50 years, GWCT has been studying salmon populations to better understand their lifecycle and the challenges they face.
Wild Atlantic salmon are now in serious decline, with UK populations down by 80% and at risk of disappearing entirely within the next 30 years. Thanks to GWCT’s research, we now know what actions are needed to help restore their habitats and give them a fighting chance.
In Dorset, GWCT has started working with farmers from the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) who farm near the River Frome, one of the UK’s most closely monitored salmon rivers. Together, EFG farmers and GWCT are implementing practical, catchment-scale solutions to improve water quality, reduce runoff, and create healthier river environments for salmon to thrive.
Read more about how EFG farmers are helping protect wild Atlantic Salmon and the work GWCT has been doing: https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/news/2025/september/collaboration-is-key-to-stop-the-extinction-of-wild-atlantic-salmon/
View the ITV News video https://www.itv.com/watch/news/scientists-fear-the-rapid-decline-of-salmon-in-the-uk/95r2qt6