Trap record salmon [PS: a fish farm escapee?] caught at Tournaig

Posted: Monday 1 September, 2008 @ 17:19:16

Through much of July and August, water levels in the Tournaig river were too low to allow salmon and sea trout to enter from the sea. Then, after several days with heavier rain, water levels rose. Four fish were taken in the trap on 28th August, comprising a trap record salmon of 85cm in length (about 15lb / 7kg in weight [PS: initial scale reading indicates that this was an escaped fish-farm fish]), and three grilse including the one shown which has a clipped adipose fin and may be a returning Tournaig fish (to be confirmed by genetic analyses).

The Tournaig trap project was set up in 1999 to record numbers of salmon and sea trout entering and leaving the little Tournaig River system near Poolewe. Further information about the project can be found in the WRFT Review May 2008, by clicking here. The Tournaig Trap Project is being supported in 2008-09 by Marine Harvest Scotland Ltd. (Photos by Ben Rushbrooke who is seen holding the salmon in picture taken by Peter Jarosz.)