A campaign is under way to boost numbers of Atlantic salmon through focused conservation efforts.

The Wye and Usk Foundation is seeking to collect £20,000 via its Big Give Earth Raise Campaign to finance the ‘Reading the River’ initiative.

This scheme involves tracking young salmon and trout across the Wye and Usk river basins to inform essential restoration activities.

The organisation has already secured almost £14,000 through matched funding provided by the Garfield Weston Foundation, though additional contributions are required to meet the complete goal.

A foundation spokesperson stated that the initiative would finance the collection of information enabling the Wye and Usk Foundation to implement appropriate measures in appropriate locations.

Findings from the monitoring will establish which sections demand river habitat restoration most urgently.

Atlantic salmon numbers in the Wye and Usk have decreased dramatically during the past ten years, with recorded catches tumbling from more than a thousand fish each year to under one hundred.

Information gathered through the scheme also assists habitat enhancement work, encompassing fencing, pleaching, liming, gravel replacement, and removing obstacles to fish movement.

Contributions can still be submitted via the foundation’s Big Give online portal.