CREE & NASF Together for Salmon

Aim

Building an extension to our wild salmon hatchery to create additional tank space, improved water supply & enhanced educational facilities.

Cree & NASF Together for Salmon

The Challenge & Our Solution

The River Cree in South-west Scotland has suffered severe acidification upstream from intensive non-native Sitka spruce plantations, causing salmon eggs and young fish to die prematurely.

In many upper river areas, wild salmon can no longer reproduce naturally.

Our Solution: We raise young salmon till they are mature enough to not be affected by the acidification and release them.

Our goal is to extend our existing wild salmon conservation hatchery building so we can:

• Raise more locally sourced wild salmon fry in larger tanks
• Upgrade the water system and improve survival rates on release
• Restore salmon populations where they have disappeared 
• Enhance education area and expand local youth conservation training programme

Our Goal – Double Your Impact

We have a £20,000 target to build the hatchery extension.

But thanks to winning the North Atlantic Salmon Fund ‘Orri’ award every £1 you donate will be instantly doubled.

Why This Matters

For generations, salmon have been at the heart of the River Cree — supporting wildlife, local livelihoods, and community identity.

Today, without intervention, they are at real risk. But our hatchery is making a difference and we are seeing the salmon fry we release return as adults after migrating out to sea. Our hatchery co-ordinator Murdo speaks of these returning fish as ‘his children coming home’.

Each year, we raise and release 200,000 wild salmon fry, giving the river a chance to recover. But as conditions at sea become more challenging, we need to upscale our efforts, to enhance salmon survival in the wild.

This project is about:

• Bringing salmon back to struggling parts of the river 
• Giving young people hands-on environmental learning 
• Protecting a species for future generations 

How the Money Will Be Spent

Your support will fund:

• Hatchery extension – more tanks, more capacity 
• Water system upgrade – improved survival rates 
• Education space – training for schools & volunteers 
• Youth & community programmes – expanding participation 

Who We Are

We are the River Cree Hatchery & Habitat Trust (RCHHT) — a community-led Scottish charity dedicated to restoring Atlantic salmon populations and delivering high quality education across the catchment.

• Over 50 active volunteers aged 8-89
• Strong partnerships with schools and local groups 
• A proven track record raising and releasing wild salmon 

We are already delivering results — now we need to scale up.

We’ll Share Progress on our Journey

We will promote the project through:

• Our Facebook page Click Here
• Instagram Click Here
• NASF Facebook page Click Here
• NASF Instagram  Click Here 
• NASF Web site Click Here

Rewards

Your support will be recognised through:

• Social media shoutouts and project updates, donors of rewards will be thanked
• Opportunities to see conservation in action on our social media feed, via the NASF newsletter
• Bespoke hatchery visits for donations exceeding £500 (when requested)
• A number of rewards including days out fishing, overnight stays, meals, pampering sessions, outdoor equipment and more.

Please donate today…

Help us restore wild salmon to all stretches of the River Cree and protect this river for generations to come.

Please share our story and help us achieve our funding target.

Thank you for your kind support.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made