A PILOT project aimed at protecting Atlantic salmon will see hundreds of fish tagged and released back into the water.

Researchers hope to increase understanding of the routes they take and the conservation measures needed to protect them.

Running for up to 15 weeks, the Scottish Government research project will see up to 750 salmon caught and acoustically tagged off the north coast of Scotland with a network of receivers deployed around the country to detect where those fish then go.

The scientific study will seek to find out how coastal fisheries link to different rivers, as well as increasing understanding of salmon homing behaviour and breeding spots.

Alan Wells, chief executive of Fisheries Management Scotland said the project was the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Scotland.

“We are encouraging all anglers in Scotland to be on the lookout for tagged Atlantic salmon,” he said. “By removing these externally placed acoustic tags and returning them to Marine Scotland, anglers can play a crucial part in increasing our understanding of the coastal movements of salmon.”

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham added: “We know Atlantic salmon can migrate thousands of miles from home rivers to high seas feeding grounds and back to spawn. Exactly how they find their home river again remains a mystery “While a number of historic tagging studies have shown that fish captured in coastal nets at one location have then been recaptured in nets much further around the coast, our knowledge of how they came to that point is still very limited.

“This new study will look to provide us with further insight into this iconic species’ behaviour which will help to determine whether we are striking the right balance between conservation and the interests of those who fish for salmon and what further action might be needed to protect stocks for future generations.”