Rod alert! 50,000 salmon escape from Scottish farm – as anglers in the South are asked to report any they spot in English rivers

Salmon that escaped from a Scottish farm have found their way into English rivers.

Almost 50,000 got free when their cages in the Firth of Clyde were damaged by a storm in August. 

Most remained in nearby waters but six have turned up 150 miles to the south. They were caught on the Ehen, Esk and Derwent rivers in Cumbria.

Salmon that escaped from a Scottish farm have found their way into English rivers

Polly Burns, of Fisheries Management Scotland, said: ‘This is terrible news. These salmon are from Norwegian stock so are genetically different from the indigenous salmon. Plus, they are bred to be fat and good for eating.

‘They don’t have the genetic characteristics so their offspring are less likely to survive. 

'We are asking anglers in England to use the same reporting system anglers are using in Scotland to keep catch records of these farmed fish.

‘If a farmed fish is caught it should be humanely dispatched.’ 

Almost 50,000 got free when their cages in the Firth of Clyde were damaged by a storm in August

Escaped farmed fish can damage the genetic integrity of wild populations. They can also out-compete them for food and habitat.

They have deformed or shortened fins, gill covers and snouts, and heavy pigmentation. 

They also have more spots than would usually be found on wild salmon.

Brian Shields of the Environment Agency said: ‘We want to see as many wild fish spawning as possible to benefit future fish generations which is why want to make sure these farmed fish can be removed from our rivers, within the law, to prevent future damage to the wild stocks.’