All of us get those irritating phone calls at dinner time asking for a donation to a worthy cause, or bristle at the 1000s of trees felled to make the envelopes and paper for begging letters that come through the door. I don’t know about you, but in this climate of penny counting, I am being more careful about where and to whom I give my money. Well here is a noble cause backed by plenty of science with your interests at heart: the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Salmon Recovery Project.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly the Game Conservancy Trust), they are a charitable organisation undertaking research into game and wildlife management techniques (they also do the best breakfast at the CLA Game Fair). So when the folks at GWCT got in touch to tell me about the new project they are undertaking to help the recovery of the wild salmon, I knew where I’d be spending my charitable penny.
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Atlantic salmon numbers are in a decline so steep it could best be described as a free fall: throughout the fish’s range in northern and central Europe, its numbers are down by 70% in 30 years. The GWCT is aiming to understand what has caused the decline, and how it can be reversed. As a keen fisherman (and as many of you may not know, a fisheries scientist with a MSc in aquatic resource management), I am only too keen to better understand this magical fish, the issues affecting it, and how I can play a role in its recovery. I’ve hit the big yellow button on the GWCT website…will you?
