WildFish, Salisbury (2026)

23/06/2026

❗We've said it for years and we'll say it again. Open-net salmon farming is severely damaging wild fish populations and water-dependent wildlife in Scotland and across the globe. ❗

Sea lice represent one major aspect of the harm caused by this unsustainable method of food production.

Deadly parasites, sea lice, emanate from open cage farms, attaching to and feeding on young wild salmon and sea trout as they migrate from river to sea. These infestations weaken, wound and often kill young fish before they ever reach the ocean.

Without decisive action from the Scottish Government, salmon farming companies continue to operate with minimal accountability, pushing wild salmon towards the brink of extinction. Stronger, science‑led regulatory oversight of the Scottish fish farming industry is urgently needed.

Here at WildFish, we are committed to exposing the environmental harm caused by open‑net salmon farming and campaigning for meaningful evidence-led change that protects wild fish and their freshwater and coastal habitats.

✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our fight for the protection of wild fish ➡️ https://wildfish.org/ .

22/06/2026

⚠️ A sad and preventable pollution incident on the River Meon has left wild fish and other aquatic life in distress.

The River Meon is a rare and ecologically sensitive chalk stream in Hampshire, recognised for its unique habitat and Atlantic salmon populations. Once damage is done to rivers like this, the consequences for wild fish can be long-lasting.

This pollution incident, believed to have originated from a nearby residential development, led to excessive sediment entering the river. Sediment pressure smothers the riverbed and suffocates life.

The Environment Agency is so far missing in action. 😡

📣 If you see a pollution incident like this, you need to report it to the Environment Agency. The more of us who use our voices to raise these concerns, the better chance we have of being heard.

22/06/2026

Invasive species are among the major threats to global biodiversity. They are thought to contribute to around 60% of plant and animal extinctions. In UK waterways, they:

❌ Outcompete native species
❌ Destroy critical habitats
❌ Disrupt entire ecosystems

Early detection of invasive species is key to preventing their establishment. That’s where SmartRivers, our citizen-science programme, comes in.

SmartRivers volunteers collect data to monitor the occurrence and spread of invasive species in the rivers they sample. The information collected can be used to inform local conservation efforts and help reduce the impact of these disrupters on our rivers’ natural rhythm. 🪲

The signal crayfish, Chinese mitten crab and demon shrimp are just three of the invasive invertebrates that have been detected by our SmartRivers volunteers.

This , learn how you can join the SmartRivers community and help protect your local river 🔗 wildfish.org/project/smart-rivers.

20/06/2026

🚨 Join our call asking the BBC to banish farmed salmon from The Traitors breakfast table.

Here are 3 reasons it doesn’t belong there:

❌ Large numbers of parasitic sea lice pass through open-net salmon cages and spread to wild fish where they feed on their mucus, skin and blood and reduce their chances of survival at sea.
❌ Diseases plague open-net salmon farms, they pass freely into the wild and can introduce fatal pathogens to wild fish.
❌ Some chemicals used on salmon farms are lethal to other types of sea life – in particular lobsters, crabs and prawns.

Wild Atlantic salmon are now endangered, and their numbers continue to fall. The evidence is clear: open-net salmon farming is a major driving force behind this decline.

That’s why we’re calling on the BBC and Studio Lambert, the production company behind The Traitors, to show their support for wild fish by banishing farmed salmon from the TV show’s iconic breakfast table.

Farmed salmon doesn’t belong on any table - even one where deceit and deception is the norm!

Sign the petition now ➡️ https://act.wildfish.org/page/193427/petition/1.

Every signature counts. Thank you for standing with us in the fight for wild salmon and against the damage caused by open-net salmon farming.

📸: Hooded cloak sourced from Getty Images via Canva

18/06/2026

The game’s afoot. Traitors and faithfuls alike are congregating in the Highlands to film the next series of the BAFTA award-winning show: The Traitors.

But nestled amongst the iconic breakfast table, filled with pastries and fruit, a real traitor to Scotland’s environment lurks: farmed salmon.

⚠️ Wild Atlantic salmon are in steep decline and endangered in UK waters. Open-net salmon farms spread disease, parasites, and pollution into the waters that wild fish depend on, and escaped farmed salmon interbreed with wild populations, further weakening them.

Season four of The Traitors US begins airing today in the UK, with smoked salmon as a big talking point amongst contestants and fans. But behind the jokes over the last slice lies an environmentally damaging product.

We’re calling on the BBC and Studio Lambert Scotland to banish farmed salmon from The Traitors breakfast table.

Will you join us? Sign the petition now ➡️ https://act.wildfish.org/page/193427/petition/1.

⏰ It only takes 30 seconds.

📸: Hooded cloak sourced from Getty Images via Canva

17/06/2026

🚨 LATEST NEWS: The government has objected to a proposed rescue deal for Thames Water. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds spoke in the House of Commons about her concerns over Thames Water’s £10bn rescue proposal.

Justin Neal, WildFish's head of law, said:

"Reynolds speech is full of confusion. Thames Water is in a mess because successive governments don’t enforce or regulate to drive the investment required to treat sewage, not dump it.

A super regulator sounds great. But it will be weak on the environment and won’t be the answer to the mess. That’s because the ill-judged government plan is to combine economic and environmental functions. That will mean conflict between economic and environmental drivers, with a government hell-bent on economic growth at any price. That means the environment always loses.

Reynolds mentions Operator Self-Monitoring (OSM) in the same breath as the super-regulator.

OSM was bought in by Labour in 2009 to save time and money for the Environment Agency. We have campaigned against it for years, including a proposed amendment to the Water (Special Measures) Bill. Ignored at the time, it looks like they have woken up and are taking it seriously. But we don’t need a conflicted super-regulator to end OSM!"

Source: BBC News

16/06/2026

From tracking environmental changes to detecting rare and invasive species, environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful data collection tool capable of delivering a more complete picture of what's living in our rivers than ever before.

Take Northern pike (Esox lucius), the apex predator of UK freshwaters, as an example. When hunting, this fish’s physical attacks will release the DNA of its prey into the surrounding water. Meanwhile, as water flows through its gills or along its body surface, its own genetic material constantly sheds into its surroundings. 🐟

All of these interactions create a genetic echo, reflecting the diversity of life. When processed, this fusion of genetic information can be disentangled and give us greater insights into diversity than ever before.

Later this year, eDNA will become an exciting addition to the SmartRivers toolkit through our partners at Trace Biomonitoring. We look forward to working with our volunteers to see what more we can learn about our rivers.

In our latest blog, our freshwater ecologist, Dr Sam Green and Science Director from Trace Biomonitoring, Dr Lewis Campbell, explore what eDNA is, how it works and why it’s such an exciting addition to citizen science 🔗 https://wildfish.org/latest-news/environmental-dna-a-new-data-collection-pathway-for-smartrivers/.

11/06/2026

🚨 In the news: Vets advise a ban on over-the-counter flea treatment for pets.

A panel of vets gave evidence to a House of Lords committee on Wednesday that over‑the‑counter flea spot‑ons, containing fipronil and imidacloprid, should be banned. They're calling for:

❌ An end to year-round preventative flea treatments
❌ A ban on the sale of spot-ons containing these toxic chemicals by anyone other than vets

Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux, the senior vice president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said: "We're using these products really routinely and I think if you ask most vets what they do with their own pets, we don't treat our own pets in the way some practices are selling these products."

⚠️ Why this matters: Fipronil and imidacloprid are now frequently found in UK rivers at unsafe levels. These chemicals are highly toxic and linked to declines in freshwater insects such as mayflies and dragonflies, which are an important food source for fish and birds. Both neurotoxins are already banned in agriculture because of their impact on pollinators and wider ecosystems.

🐟 Take action now: This evidence from vets strengthens the case for change. Join our call to the UK government for pesticide-containing pet protection products to be moved to prescription-only, as a first step.

We’ve created a simple template letter to make it quick and easy to respond ➡️ https://act.wildfish.org/page/192188/action/1.

You have until the end of the day today, Thursday 11th June. It takes just 30 seconds.

Source: BBC News

10/06/2026

⚠️ Fipronil and imidacloprid are two pesticides widely used in over-the-counter pet flea and tick treatments. Around 11 million dogs and 10.5 million cats in the UK received flea treatment in the last year. That's a lot of exposure to these toxic chemicals.

Research shows that pesticides from pet treatments can wash down drains through bathing pets, washing bedding, handwashing after contact, or when pets enter water.

These chemicals are highly toxic and linked to declines in freshwater insects such as mayflies and dragonflies, which are an important food source for fish and birds.

Join our call to the UK government for pesticide-containing pet protection products to be moved to prescription-only, as a first step.

We've created a template letter to make it easy for you to make contact 👉 act.wildfish.org/page/192188/action/1.

🚨 You've got until the end of the day on Thursday 11th June.

Let’s show the government there is strong public support for the protection of our rivers.

09/06/2026

📣 Leading chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder have written an open letter urging the salmon farming industry to show leadership at a pivotal moment for environmental recovery. Here’s their call to arms:

“Open-net salmon farming fuels pollution, diseases and parasites, all of which threaten wild salmon and the marine environment. It's time chefs took it off the table.

Wild salmon populations in Scottish rivers have dropped 70% since 2000. What was once a luxury treat is now mass-produced in polluting open-net farms along the Scottish coastline. In 2021, the Scottish salmon industry produced just over 205,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon; this is expected to double in the coming years, to produce 400,000 tonnes per year by 2030.

In the UK, we have an exciting variety of fish and seafood that local fishermen land every day. Yet, we only eat five species of fish regularly (cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns). The British public deserves better: to enjoy creative, memorable meals that don't come at the cost of our iconic rivers, seas and wildlife.

As chefs, we have both the power and the duty to protect marine ecosystems and the future of British seafood. By refusing unsustainable choices, we can set the standard for diners, suppliers, and peers.
[...]
We urge the industry to show leadership at a pivotal ecological turning point. Together, we can send a strong message to the government, certifiers, and consumers that farmed salmon does not belong on our plates.”

Has reading this got you craving a salmon-free menu? We’ve got you covered. Visit the Off The Table directory of over 250 food lovers – like Angela and Luke – who are serving up delicious, seasonal, and sustainable plates. 🍴

➡️ offthetable.org.uk/directory

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