Professor Melanie Smith Highlights River Dee Salmon Recovery on BBC Springwatch
Professor Melanie Smith, former Vice Principal at UHI Inverness and now Research Director at the Atlantic Salmon Trust, recently appeared on BBC Springwatch to showcase her role in the ambitious "Save the Spring" initiative - a 20-year programme focused on restoring the River Dee’s iconic spring-run Atlantic salmon.
Launched in late 2023, "Save the Spring" is a collaborative effort between the River Dee Trust, the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, and the Atlantic Salmon Trust, with academic support from the University of Stirling and Institute for Biodiversity and Freshwater Conservation at the UHI Inverness. The programme focuses on two main strategies:
- Habitat Restoration
This strand focuses on re-naturalising river channels, creating riverside woodlands, and restoring peatlands and wetlands to build climate resilience and improve the freshwater environment. - Endangered fish repopulation
A pioneering pilot project where juvenile salmon (smolts) are reared in controlled conditions until adulthood, then released to spawn in the wild - boosting depleted wild populations with enhanced survival prospects.
Professor Smith continues to maintain strong links with UHI Inverness through research collaborations and knowledge exchange, demonstrating the vital role of academic institutions in environmental restoration and conservation.
To learn more about the "Save the Spring" programme, you can watch the segment featuring Professor Smith on BBC iPlayer.