The TGA believes that good knowledge of fish numbers entering our river system is vital in the battle to save the Atlantic Salmon. There are some counters on the Tay System, the most notable being the counters on the fish ladder at the Pitlochry Dam fish ladder. We have voiced concerns about the accuracy of these obsolescent systems and in 2020 there were significant concerns that the counters were under-counting by a considerable margin. We have highlighted our concerns to both the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board and the SSE Ltd who own and run the counters. We will continue to monitor progress or otherwise in 2021.

We have also been working with Perth and Kinross District Council to try to have a community project funded via the overall Tay Crossing Project. This would involve a counter being placed in the lower river with the aim of counting all fish entering the system. The chosen contractor will be selected in the Autumn and community projects should be settled by the end of the year.