Sea Trout
Trout Couture
Ceramic/mixed media.
Artist: Karen Horsfall
Fish Profile
Brown Trout - Salmo trutta
Conservation status
Sea Trout is the common name given to Brown Trout who have similar characteristics to salmon in that they spawn in rivers and streams, before migrating to the sea as they grow up. They return back to their freshwater origins to spawn themselves.
The IUCN classify them as Least Concern on the Red List. However they point out the negative impact of pollution and barriers that hamper access to traditional spawning grounds. They also warn that climate change will be a huge threat in the future.
The closing statement of a 2023 Institute of Fisheries Management Symposium stated: ‘The evidence is clear: over the last decade, sea trout numbers have plummeted in rivers throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Barriers to migration, poor water quality, predation, marine exploitation, and climate change were identified as the main causes.’
Sea Trout are fish farmed as well as caught in the wild.