 The deal will also promote the fish farming industry |
A new deal designed to help protect wild salmon numbers has been signed by fish farmers, fishery boards and trusts in Lewis, Western Isles. The Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation said it would see better co-ordination of parasite treatments and leave some cages fallow.
It covers an area around Loch Roag and is the 15th project of its kind.
The signing was witnessed by Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development Rhona Brankin.
Two fish farming companies, Marine Harvest Scotland Ltd and Fjord Seafood Scotland Ltd, are involved.
The deal will also promote the fish farming industry.
Sea lice
Other agreements, which receive funding from the Scottish Executive, cover lochs including Torridon, Eribol and Ewe.
A similar arrangement in Lochaber claims to have seen a huge increase in fish returning to rivers such as the River Lochy where rod catches went up from 35 in 1998 to almost 1,300 last year.
The Loch Roag scheme will also look at the possibility of using wrasse, a variety of fish, as a more environmentally-friendly method of controlling sea lice.
Contingency plans will be drawn up to better contain the potentially damaging impact escaped farmed salmon can have on wild fish.
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