North East rivers see dip in sea trout and salmon as counters falter

Counters monitoring sea trout and salmon in the River Tees, Wear and Tyne show declining numbers, with some counters non-operational or reading only estimates; the Environment Agency says it’s too early to draw conclusions but is continuing to monitor, repair equipment, and improve habitats to aid spawning. The Tyne is England’s best salmon river but could lose its 'not at risk' status by 2029 as egg deposition falls, and July counts were well below 2022 levels (Tyne 6,471 vs 11,845). The Tees recorded very low counts earlier in the year, while the Wear counter has been out of action since 2025. Unfavourable conditions and alternative migration routes may also be at play.