"Salmon are in decline around the world, from overfishing, disease and climate change. In Scotland, conservationists believe that forest restoration could be key to their survival."
"James Mackay is 67 years old. He started work as a salmon netsman in Sutherland, on the north coast of Scotland, when he was 21. With his crew, he would harvest around 3,000 wild salmon in a season, using traditional techniques that had changed little in centuries. "It was like a historical heritage that was going on in the community for many years," he says.
A great many years, judging by archaeological excavations on the flood plains of the River Dee in Scotland's Aberdeenshire. Archaeologists believe hunter-gatherers camped here 7,000 years ago to make use of the fish the river provided.
And fisherfolk haven't been the only ones to thrive on its rich stocks.
'Salmon have been incredibly important in our history for the sustenance of Scottish people,' says Edwin Third, operations manager for the River Dee Trust. 'And so many other animals rely on them, from seals to fish-eating birds to freshwater pearl mussels. They were once such an abundant resource and fed so many things.'"
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