The Last Salmon

We Put Mowi on the Spot 15.06.2026 1h 27min

Here on The Last Salmon we’re as sceptical of salmon farming as you can get without needing therapy but we also think it's important that we hear their side of the story. And their big wigs are usually so publicity shy that they make vampires look sociable. Mowi are the biggest player in the salmon farming industry in the world and Ben Hadfield is the MD of Mowi Scotland and the CEO of Mowi Canada, Faroes and Ireland. We’re going at it head on with Ben. Reality versus the industry spin and whether any of it holds up. And make sure you stay until the end, because commitments were made directly to us — commitments that we will return to and hold Mowi accountable for in 12 months’ time. The Last Salmon is in partnership with Loop Tackle, driving change for wild fish and wild places. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and activist, Jim Murray MBE offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

The Fight for Wild Salmon: Lessons from Around the World 01.06.2026 52min

On Wild Salmon Day, Jim Murray returns with the first episode of Season 3, bringing together three leading voices from across the North Atlantic to discuss the future of wild Atlantic salmon.Joining Jim are Marina Gibson from the UK, Matt Hayes in Norway, and Vala Arnadottir from Iceland for a candid conversation about what their countries are getting right when it comes to salmon conservation – and what they're getting spectacularly wrong.From catch-and-release and fish handling to aquaculture, pollution and public awareness, this special episode explores the challenges facing one of the world's most extraordinary migratory species. The panel debates how anglers have become guardians of wild salmon, the importance of protecting spawning habitat, and why the fight to save salmon must reach beyond the angling community.The discussion also examines how cultural attitudes towards salmon differ between countries, whether fish farming remains the single biggest threat facing wild stocks, and what each of us can do to help ensure future generations experience the wonder of a wild Atlantic salmon.The Last Salmon is in partnership with Loop Tackle, driving change for wild fish and wild places.The Last Salmon, presented by actor and activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Season 3: Driving Change for Wild Fish & Wild Places 31.05.2026

Season 3 of The Last Salmon returns on #WIldSalmonDay June 1st.Jim Murray is back with more guests, more insights, more controversy - and more solutions to drive change.We’ve even invited the fox into the hen house when Mowi’s Scotland MD, Ben Hadfield, sits down with Jim.But that’s all still to come....The Last Salmon is in partnership with Loop Tackle, driving change for wild fish and wild places.

Why This CEO Is Investing in Nature 16.01.2026 47min

Alex Taylor is an avid outdoorsman, conservationist, and author of ‘The Longest Cast: The Fly-Fishing Journey of a Lifetime.’ But he is also CEO of Cox Enterprises, one of the largest private companies in America that generates $22 billion in annual revenue. With such power comes a lot of responsibility and influence and he has directed investments toward sustainability-focused businesses, committing more than US$2 billion to sustainable businesses focused on clean technology. So, how can he help save the wild Atlantic salmon? Cox acquired Loop Tackle in 2024 to ‘lead the market in innovation and in connecting customers with more experiences deeper into nature’ and he joins me on the final episode of Season 2 of The Last Salmon to tell me how he – and his companies – can make real and lasting changes to help save the salmon. Image: https://www.asf.ca/ The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Repost: No farmed salmon at Christmas - or any other time - with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 19.12.2025 23min

As it’s that time of year again, we’re reposting our episode from December 2024 with chef and sustainable food activist, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, for a special Christmas episode of The Last Salmon podcast explaining why farmed salmon should not be on your Christmas dinner table this or any year. ‘We need to hold the industry to account and provide people with alternatives,’ says Hugh. ‘The way you spend your money is a vote. Consumers have the power to affect change.’ Hugh is also critical of celebrity chefs and the media who promote and use farmed salmon.‘Once chefs have the opportunity,’ he tells Jim. ‘And it’s often a very well-paid opportunity, to appear on television and talk about food, sell their books and promote their various businesses, that increases their responsibility to think about the quality and sustainability of the produce that they’re using and that they’re communicating to the public about.’ Hugh has a long record of opposition to farmed salmon that is unsustainably produced and he tells Jim why a bass will be coming out of his freezer for Christmas instead. Plus he has some great tips and recipe ideas for alternatives for the dinner table this Christmas. Image: RiverCottage.net The Last Salmon, presented by actor, artist and activist, Jim Murray, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

One Minute to Midnight: Saving England’s Chalk Stream Salmon 12.12.2025 1h 12min

Once abundant in England’s crystal-clear chalk rivers, our chalk stream salmon now teeter on the edge of extinction. The chalk stream salmon is one of the rarest fish on earth and yet, after 2 million years they are at one minute to midnight. There are a myriad of pressures and problems pushing them to the brink but there is urgent work underway to help bring them back and Charles Rangeley-Wilson, the acclaimed angling writer and river conservationist joins me on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to tell me about his love of the chalk stream salmon and why Project White Hart could be our last great hope to rekindle a salmon run that has shaped our culture, landscape, and imagination for centuries. To find out more about Project White Hart, visit:https://projectwhitehart.com/ The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Breaking with the industry: the Mowinckel stand against salmon farming 28.11.2025 45min

Frederik W. Mowinckel is unique amongst those who oppose salmon farms. It was his family who were some of the original salmon farmers in Norway that gave rise to the global, toxic industry, but the Mowinckels are now some of the most outspoken critics of its practices, especially that of Mowi who used the Mowinckel surname for their company name. Frederik speaks to Jim on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to talk about his activism, the damage being done by salmon farming companies and why it doesn't have to be this way. The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon. Image: https://www.instagram.com/smith_corin/

Peter Rippin: the pioneering Englishman in Iceland 14.11.2025 55min

Continuing our journey across the Atlantic, this week we’re in Iceland, a land synonymous with countless stunning salmon rivers. Peter Rippin, is a pioneering Englishman who throughout his career, has been setting up and running fishery operations throughout the world. Peter currently runs the East Ranga in Iceland, a very productive salmon river and unique in that it is solely a hatchery river run for angling. Based in Iceland for the past twenty years, Pete is perfectly placed to give his insights into the successes and failures of Iceland’s salmon angling industry, and where it might be heading in the context of declining salmon numbers.Image: www.EastRanga.com The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Scale of Change & the Battle to Save Canada's Atlantic Salmon 31.10.2025 39min

Over this side of the Atlantic you probably haven’t heard of Hooké or its founder, Fred Campbell, but I liken him to a Canadian Yvon Chouinard, someone who has committed their life to the outdoors whilst also running a successful business. And like Patagonia’s founder, Fred Campbell, is someone truly obsessed with protecting nature and the wild salmon. To highlight the salmon’s precarious state, Fred has helped produce, Scale of Change, a new documentary to try and instil a sense of urgency and action to anyone that cares about the wild salmon. He tells me about the impetus behind the documentary, why Atlantic salmon on the eastern seaboard of North America are under threat and how Northern Canada is one of the last bastions of truly great salmon runs that must be protected. Watch the Scale of Change documentary at:https://www.scaleofchange.org/ The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Guido Rahr & the Stronghold Strategy 18.10.2025 1h 2min

Every so often you meet someone whose life is so remarkable and whose love of and determination in saving nature leaves you in awe. I think of the campaigner, Alex Morton, from Season 1 on the Last Salmon, who has been responsible for getting the open pen salmon farms shut down in British Columbia, or the late Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and conservationist. This week’s guest on The Last Salmon, is someone who has spent his life in the cause of salmon conservation and who has been at the forefront of creating salmon strongholds across the Russian Far East, and in the Pacific North West. Guido Rahr is President and CEO of the Wild Salmon Centre in Portland, Oregon, and I speak to Guido about the concept and strategy to creating salmon strongholds, finding out what lessons we can learn for the Atlantic salmon in the process. Image: https://wildsalmoncenter.org/ The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

The Decline of the Baltic salmon 06.10.2025 46min

Just a few years ago the Baltic salmon were thriving, with huge numbers of fish running the pristine waters of Sweden. Once thought to be on the brink, the salmon bounced back and were being celebrated as a success story. However, something drastic has changed and the Baltic salmon are once again in decline. Emilie Bjorkman and Lars Munk are fanatical salmon anglers who’ve committed their lives to the cause. They needed to find out what was causing its demise, documenting it in a film this year called, Free Falling. Emilie and Lars join me on this episode of The Last Salmon to talk about the significance of the Baltic salmon, how their hopes for the fish have been badly hit, and what they intend to do about it. Watch Free Falling at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Ujs1Ykfac The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Matt Hayes, Ann-Britt Bogen & the Gaula's future 19.09.2025 1h 11min

Norway. The legendary land of the giant salmon has been struggling of late, not least in the face of so many salmon farms throttling its beautiful coastline, but fishery and lodge owners are fighting back, trying to do what they can to preserve the wild salmon in Norway. Ann-Britt Bogen from Gaula Fly Fishing Friends, and Matt Hayes, one of the UK’s most famous anglers who now lives full time with his wife and family running a salmon lodge in Norway, join Jim to tell him how the 2025 salmon season played out on their beloved and prestigious Gaula river, their efforts at introducing new regulations and a new mindset towards catch and release and why, despite it all, if you want to catch a big salmon, there is still nowhere else quite like Norway.The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Ben Goldsmith & How Rewilding Can Help Restore Nature 05.09.2025 57min

Rewilding. It’s about taking a step back and leaving nature alone. But, in the 21st century how can it be achieved? Ben Goldsmith certainly believes it can – and must be done - and he is one of its foremost champions. It was through tragedy however, after the death of his teenage daughter, Iris, when she was just 15, that, in grieving, Ben found solace and hope through the embrace of nature. And ever since, he has been on a mission to increase rewilding initiatives throughout the UK and. abroad, and he has his own podcast, Rewilding the World, highlighting the success stories on these shores and around the world. Ben joins Jim on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to explain how rewilding can help save the wild salmon and some of the practises that need to be put in place for it to happen.For more from Ben visit:https://www.youtube.com/@BenGoldsmithRewilding The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. Image: https://atlanticsalmontrust.org The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Stephan & Marina Dombaj: Risking it all for the salmon 22.08.2025 41min

Midst the doom and gloom about the future of wild salmon, we have to believe - and have faith - that our collective actions – be it through conservation efforts, awareness campaigns, political lobbying – can and will have an effect. And it is for the long term, for the next generation, that we really have to be thinking about wild salmon and for the sport of fly fishing for salmon itself. This week on the Last Salmon I’m joined by two fanatical lifelong fly anglers who are not only hugely influential, but they have taken the brave move to run a salmon fishery in the north of England at the famous Bywell. So why do it? Why risk it all? For the husband and wife team of Stephan Dombaj and Marina Dombaj née Gibson, they care and believe so much in the future of the salmon that this is their way of trying to protect the species they love. And it’s not just about the fishing, as they explain, it’s about showing the next generation why fighting to save the wild salmon is so important…… The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance. Image courtesy of: https://www.instagram.com/bywellsalmonfishing/ The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Will the Outer Hebrides be the UK's Salmon Stronghold? 08.08.2025 57min

We know salmon numbers are down and we know there’s an existential threat endangering their very future, but this week on the Last Salmon, Jim Murray finds out why the Outer Hebrides could be the UK’s salmon stronghold. Jim speaks to the chair of the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust, Richard Davies, who believes that their engagement with fish farms on the Isle of Lewis has resulted in helping the survival of wild salmon there. As listeners to The Last Salmon podcast know, salmon farms are polluting the environment and causing irreparable damage to wild salmon stocks and that currently they have very little interest in doing anything to help. However, Richard is one of the most passionate salmon conservationists we know and he will do anything to help save the wild salmon in the Outer Hebrides and beyond, so we had to speak to him and to hear his side of the argument - and of course hear more about the incredible fly fishing place that is the Outer Hebrides.Richard also pays tribute to two old fishing friends, Kenny and Arthur, who are no longer with us, and who epitomised the kindness and determination of good fly anglers and good people.To find out more about the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust go to:https://www.outerhebridesfisheriestrust.org.uk/And to see Richard's incredible salmon footage visit:https://www.instagram.com/racdavies_photos/The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance.Image courtesy of: Richard Davies The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Rob Macfarlane: Rivers are alive and should have rights 25.07.2025 49min

Is a river alive? What a question….it throws up so many if, buts, maybes, but most importantly, why not? Rivers helped save me, and I truly believe they are our lifeblood, our circulation, our healing waters. But they also need saving now in these troubled times of extraction, industrialisation and pollution. To kick off Season 2, we’re taking the big picture view when it comes to rivers, and we’re asking shouldn’t the rights of nature be respected in our laws and constitutions? If a limited company can have legal rights why then can’t our rivers? Without our rivers, without due care, without oversight…..well, we all know what can and is happening in terms of water quality and how that is affecting us all, not least of all the wild salmon. So to help with some of these existential questions, celebrated nature writer, Rob Macfarlane joins me to discuss how he set out on journeys around the globe, from Ecuador to India and Canada, and finally to his own home waters in Cambridge, to ask is a river alive?The Last Salmon Season 2 is supported by The Missing Salmon Alliance.Image: Richard Davies via https://www.instagram.com/racdavies_photos/ The Last Salmon, presented by actor and salmon activist, Jim Murray MBE, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Season 2 Trailer 19.07.2025 1min

Wild salmon are in a perilous state. But we can’t and won’t give up.The Last Salmon with Jim Murray is back for another season, launching July 25th, addressing the problems and hearing from all sides of the argument, to find the solutions to help save our wild salmon.It’s not too late, the salmon haven’t give up, and nor can we.The Last Salmon, presented by actor, artist and activist, Jim Murray, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and for regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

Christmas Special: Keeping farmed salmon off the table with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 09.12.2024 30min

Chef and sustainable food activist, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, joins Jim Murray for a special Christmas episode of The Last Salmon podcast explaining why farmed salmon should not be on your Christmas dinner table this or any year. ‘We need to hold the industry to account and provide people with alternatives,’ says Hugh. ‘The way you spend your money is a vote. Consumers have the power to affect change.’ Hugh is also critical of celebrity chefs and the media who promote and use farmed salmon.‘Once chefs have the opportunity,’ he tells Jim. ‘And it’s often a very well-paid opportunity, to appear on television and talk about food, sell their books and promote their various businesses, that increases their responsibility to think about the quality and sustainability of the produce that they’re using and that they’re communicating to the public about.’ Hugh has a long record of opposition to farmed salmon that is unsustainably produced and he tells Jim why a bass will be coming out of his freezer for Christmas instead. Plus he has some great tips and recipe ideas for alternatives for the dinner table this Christmas.Image: RiverCottage.net The Last Salmon, presented by actor, artist and activist, Jim Murray, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon. For regular updates, follow the show at Instagram.com/TheLastSalmon.

The fight goes on and angler voices are needed now more than ever 04.06.2024 37min

For the final episode of the first series of The Last Salmon, Daire and Jim revisit Iceland and the issue of the regulation and future of salmon farms which Iceland’s politicians are currently drafting new legislation for. Elvar Fridriksson, Iceland’s Programme Director of The North Atlantic Salmon Fund, and Jasper Pääkkönen, actor, angler and passionate conservationist, rejoin Daire and Jim with an update, and they tell of legislation being watered down and politicians ignoring the public will. ‘The fight must go on,’ is their impassioned plea and they urge people to sign the petition at LetsUndoThis.com to help in the fight to save the wild Atlantic salmon. #thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmonImage: nasf.is The Last Salmon, presented by actor, artist and activist, Jim Murray, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.

‘We don’t have time, we need to intervene now.’ Ken Whelan addresses ranching as a possible angler solution 17.05.2024 1h

Internationally renowned fishery scientist, Ken Whelan, issues a call to action on the latest episode of The Last Salmon. He says that ranching can and will work to help improve salmon numbers in relation to supporting a rod fishery for anglers and he explains to us the background to its successful development and implementation – albeit with caveats and cautions. Likening it to racehorse breeding, he points to the Burrishoole ranching programme and the work of Dr. David Piggins and says this is the model that can be followed for supporting a rod fishery in lieu of wild stock. Whilst wild fish conservation measures must continue to be carried out, drastic and innovative action is needed, says Ken, if we are not to see entire salmon stocks disappear. Image: Burrishoole Fishery #thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon The Last Salmon, presented by actor, artist and activist, Jim Murray, offers hope and solutions to the tragic story that is unfolding for an iconic species in crisis - the wild Atlantic salmon.