30/05/2026
1 June is International Wild Salmon Day
Today we’re sharing some of the ways Tweed Forum is helping to create the conditions for Atlantic salmon to survive and thrive right across the 5,000 km2 Tweed catchment.
Tree planting
Planting native trees along riverbanks provides dappled shade that cools the water during warmer month. This reduces stress for these cold-water fish and improves survival rates. Trees also help mitigate flooding, which can wash away salmon eggs and young fish, by slowing down overland flow and increasing infiltration into the soil. They also stabilise riverbanks, reduce erosion and improve water quality. We’ve planted 1.6 million trees across the catchment so far!
Peatland restoration
Healthy peatlands play a crucial role in the river system. Restored peatlands act like sponges, absorbing heavy rainfall to reduce flash flooding and slowly releasing cleaner, cooler water into streams during droughts. This helps to maintain the steady river systems salmon need.
Boosting Biodiversity
By restoring habitats and increasing biodiversity, we’re also supporting the insects that young salmon rely on as a food source.
Migration barriers
We work to remove barriers to migrating fish such as weirs and caulds.
The River Tweed and its tributaries, like the Ettrick, Teviot, Till, Whiteadder and Leader and Gala Waters, are very special but also vulnerable to land use pressures and more extreme weather events. Working with partners right across the catchment, we’ll continue to deliver the right nature-based measures in the right place and the right scale to make a difference and give our Atlantic salmon the best chance of survival.
FishPal Tweedbeats
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