Salmon

SalmonLike the otter that preys on it, the salmon sits high up in the food chain and is an indicator of river health. Salmon are truly incredible creatures. When newly hatched, salmon swim from upland burns right out to sea, then return to exactly the same burn as adults to spawn before they die.

Heavy industry and pollution on Tyneside greatly affected the life cycle of the salmon, but in recent years the situation has improved due to tighter pollution controls and the decline of heavy industry and mining on Tyneside. Tighter controls on farm chemicals (such as sheep dip and fertilizer) going into rivers have also helped, as sheep dip is an insecticide which has a great effect on invertebrates in rivers that fish feed on.

The Tyne is now considered by many to be the best salmon river in England and the Breamish and the Harthope, part of the River Tweed catchment in the National Park, have healthy salmon populations.