EIMR 2014 - Pentland Salmon Initiative Paper

This summary paper corresponds to the linked poster.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are iconic and economically important fish, but their migratory behaviour during passage through Scottish coastal seas is not well understood, and there are several key questions which need to be answered in order to predict possible interactions with marine renewable energy arrays. Do migrating salmon (adults and post-smolts) travel through marine renewable energy development areas? Will migrating fish actually encounter arrays of devices as they pass through these areas? What effects might these encounters have on migrating salmon, and what might be the consequences of these interactions for fish populations?

In response to these questions, the Environmental Research Institute has established the Pentland Salmon Initiative - a new partnership which aims to engage a growing number of organisations with interests or experience relevant to marine renewables and salmon migration, with a particular focus on the Pentland Firth. This site represents not only a potential bottleneck for migrating salmon but also a key site for the developing marine energy sector. We are actively seeking to build and extend collaborative programmes under four broad themes, which are outlined below.