Live Gene Bank Project, Otterferry Seafish, Argyll

The River Ruel is an important catchment for sea-run brown trout and Atlantic salmon on the Cowal Peninsular in Argyll and Bute. In common with many other fisheries in the region, the fishery catches of Atlantic salmon and numbers of juvenile fish in the river have fallen significantly in recent years. In combination with habitat improvement works and support of Salmon Scotland’s Wild Fisheries Fund the River Ruel Improvement Association is working with Otter Ferry Seafish Ltd. to develop a live gene bank for Atlantic salmon that can be used to improve the health of the salmon population and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation aquaculture in support of pressured population of salmon.

The project aims to establish a live gene bank at the hatchery facilities using wild salmon parr collected from the River Ruel which will be grown on to mature adult fish in the hatchery facility. The mature adult fish produced in the hatchery can then be used to support the wild population where and when necessary, with the aim of maintaining and improving recruitment of young salmon in the River Ruel and numbers of salmon smolts going to sea.

This trial will help inform future gene banking work in the Argyll region.