Fisheries officer Tom Watts:
As I embarked on the journey up the river, it was plain to see why we have lost up to 70% of this incredible species over the last half century; intensive agriculture leading to silt run off, barriers to migration delaying obligate migratory fish and drought raising water temperatures past tolerable levels are all pushing our rivers towards a tipping point, driving the disappearance of this endangered species. These incredible fish are a fundamental component of our local history and identity in the southwest, the city of Exeter is named after from a local Celtic name for the settlement and the river ,‘Eisca’, meaning a river full of fish.
The salmon run aims to reconnect people with their river and the iconic species that call this river home. Many of the runners I spoke to throughout the day mentioned to me they didn’t know much about rivers or salmon until they decided to take part, hopefully through creative engagement events like these we can open rivers to a wider audience and raise awareness about the plight of the Atlantic salmon before it is too late.
Last year Dr. Dan Osmond also ran the whole 71km Ultramarathon and he documented the barriers to fish along the route. You can watch the video here https://youtu.be/6PC4emsjnAc?si=7vwc0ZLQX9kKjUVz
You can find out more about the Salmon Run here https://tidelines.uk/salmon-run/
