Salmon Breed in River Don for First Time in Over 200 Years
Atlantic salmon are breeding again in the River Don — for the first time in more than two centuries.
The Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) has confirmed the discovery of a wild-born Atlantic salmon in the river, the first evidence of successful spawning since salmon were wiped out by pollution and manmade barriers in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The young fish, known as a parr, was found during an electrofishing survey in Sheffield this month by DCRT staff and volunteers — marking one of the most significant milestones for the river’s recovery in living memory.
For over 25 years, fish passes have been installed across the Don to reconnect the river and allow salmon to return. Although adult salmon have been spotted making their way upstream in recent years, no one knew for sure if they were managing to spawn. Now we do.
Salmon need clean, well-oxygenated water and just the right kind of gravel to lay their eggs. The appearance of this young fish shows that the river is now good enough for salmon to complete their full life cycle — something that hasn’t happened here in generations.
The journey to this point began over 35 years ago. Chris Firth MBE, co-founder and trustee of DCRT, witnessed the first signs of recovery when salmon returned to Doncaster’s centre after water quality started improving. The Don used to be ecologically dead — full of pollution and blocked by concrete. Things began to change with the Crimpsall rock ramp in Doncaster, and later, the Masbrough fish pass in Rotherham, which opened in 2020. That final link joined up a whole chain of fish passes built through partnership between charities, government and private organisations.
“For almost my entire life I had to witness the misery of this once prolific salmon fishery. Its recovery is beyond my wildest expectation — and the discovery of this salmon parr is the culmination of my life's work.”
– Chris Firth MBE, Trustee and Co-Founder, DCRT
But there’s still more to do. If young salmon born in the Don are to return in future years to spawn, they must be able to migrate safely downstream to the sea. This part of their journey is often forgotten. Juvenile salmon — called smolts — struggle to pass over shallow-topped weirs, making them easy targets for predators like herons and otters. One key next step is to cut deeper “notches” into weirs, creating safer routes to the sea.
Rivers also need places where fish can rest and hide. At Salmon Pastures in Sheffield, DCRT has added boulders and large woody debris to protect young fish from predators. These features don’t just help salmon — they support all river wildlife.
The Trust is now turning its attention upstream. The next major barriers are two weirs at Oughtibridge. Removing or modifying them will be vital to open up more historic spawning grounds and help secure the long-term recovery of salmon in the catchment.
DCRT will continue surveying the Don to find out whether this is an isolated event — or the beginning of something extraordinary.
A spokesperson from the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership said: “This is incredible news and is testament to the many years of hard work with partners to address the barriers on this catchment. It shows that our ambitious plan to address all artificial barriers by 2043 to allow free passage for fish, such as the iconic salmon, is going to have a huge benefit to the rivers of Yorkshire.”
The team will be demonstrating the electrofishing technique that led to the discovery at the Wardsend Bioblitz on 27th August 2025 — a free public event with opportunities to learn more and see river life up close.
The DCRT is a Member of the Rivers Trust movement. To find out more or support DCRT’s work, visit: www.dcrt.org.uk