Wild salmon stocks have declined since the Industrial Revolution and are now almost wiped out in former ranges in Britain, from the Baltic to the Bay of Biscay and particularly in North America. Precise reasons for this decline remain disputed but undoubtedly include over-exploitation, and decline in the quality of both marine and freshwater environments. Ireland is now the only location where a commercial salmon fishery continues for a very limited period during June and July.
The Wild Atlantic Salmon hatches in freshwater and spends up to the first three years of its life in rivers, before heading out to sea where it undertakes an epic migration of several thousand miles. After a period of up to two years at sea, the fish finally return to the freshwater spawning grounds from where they originally came to breed.