Leaping salmon like a fish out of water

Several visitors have been at the weir in Shrewsbury over the last week or so, trying to catch a glimpse of the salmon as they try to jump.

The spectacle is usually seen a bit later in the year, around October 23, but there's nothing too fishy about their early arrival. Chris Bainger from the Environment Agency said it is because of the hot weather we have experienced that they are migrating earlier before spawning, but he also said it is concerning to see the fish wasting their energy at a time of year when they won't be feeding.

Due to low salmon numbers in the river, a catch and release only by-law was introduced in June, and has now been extended to the end of 2020.

A video taken by Alexandra Poole

Chris said: "I know it's a great spectacle, but I don't really want to see them jumping. It means they're on the wrong side of the river. I want them to go upstream. We have a fish pass on the other side of the weir, but they sometimes struggle to find it."

A campaign called Unlocking The Severn has introduced several fish passes to the 158-mile river, and aims to give species a better habitat to survive and thrive.

Chris added: "We need to do as much as we can to support those fish." He urged people to do what they can to keep rivers clean, including not flushing items like wet wipes.