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 com...
Jul 25, 2025•49 min
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. ‘...
Dec 09, 2024•31 min
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....
Jun 04, 2024•37 min
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...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Hatcheries. It’s a contentious issue amongst the salmon angling community and with numbers of salmon continuing to drop, more and more anglers are asking can and should it be introduced to their river? For this week’s episode of The Last Salmon, we wanted to find out more about the pros, cons, nuances and science behind it and are joined by David Summers, Fisheries Director of the Tay Fisheries Board, where they run the very successful Kelt Reconditioning Project and Professor Phil McGinnity at ...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Simen Saetre is the co-author (along with Kjetil Ostli) of ‘The New Fish: The Truth about Farmed Salmon and the Consequences We Can No Longer Ignore’ and joins Jim & Daire on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to talk about their years of research into the salmon farming industry and the shocking information they discovered along the way. #thelastsalmon #fightforthewildsalmon The Last Salmon is a new podcast hosted by renowned actor, Jim Murray, and award-winning producer, Daire Whelan, w...
May 03, 2024•43 min
Matt Harris is the angler you want to fish with and hang out with in the hut or bar afterwards. He has a lifetime of stories of fish caught, every one as good as the last, but despite having thrown a fly in practically every corner of the globe, it’s still the Atlantic salmon that holds a special place in his heart. He talks to us about his favourite places and battles won – and lost - with the mighty Atlantic salmon, as well as his ongoing efforts to help fight for their future. Pour yourself a...
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, wanted to live life and do things his own way. In his 80s now and having given Patagonia away to help save the planet, Yvon is more likely to be found near a river bank fly fishing and he joins us to talk about his love of the sport and what anglers need to do help the plight of the salmon and of the planet. But he's also critical of anglers and their lack of action in helping to save the fish. 'Fishermen are not true advocates of fish,' he says. 'Surfers an...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min
He’s the Swedish salmon maestro who fished 250 days a season in his younger years, but he’s more than an expert salmon angler, he’s an ardent conservationist who says he will never stop fighting for the wild salmon. Mikael Frödin joins us on the latest episode of The Last Salmon with revealing insights into the perilous state of the salmon which he believes could be gone within two decades if current fish farming practises are not stopped. He also talks about his memorable days of 30lbs fish and...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 19 min
We take a brief departure from all things Atlantic salmon to focus on their second home - the ocean. Charles Clover is one of the pre-eminent environmental journalists of our time, author of the eye-opening and best-selling, ‘The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat’ and most recently, ‘Rewilding the Sea: How to Save our Oceans’. He is also co-founder of The Blue Marine Foundation, one of the leading global, marine conservation NGOs and he joins us to explain wh...
Apr 05, 2024•58 min
Scotland. It’s the traditional heart and home of fly fishing for salmon. The Spey, Dee, Tay and Tweed are rivers synonymous the world over when it comes to salmon fishing. But, long gone are the days when salmon catches were guaranteed and getting onto certain beats were next to impossible. In the midst of the Atlantic salmon crisis, Daire and Jim speak to Robert Mitchell and Colin Bull, two Scotsmen immersed in salmon throughout their lives. Robert Mitchell, has been a salmon fishing ghillie on...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr
Alexandra Morton is a warrior and a shining light who has fought and won her battle against fish farms. She has committed her life to saving the wild salmon in her local area of Broughton Archipelago on Canada’s pristine British Columbia coastline. She joins Jim and Daire on the latest episode of The Last Salmon to talk about her life of activism, why everyone needs to join in the fight to save the salmon and how success like hers can be achieved. #thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon For reg...
Mar 22, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Paul Whitehouse, the comedic legend, and John Bailey, the wizard behind the scenes of Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing, join us on The Last Salmon podcast. With their outspoken views about scientists and what actually should be done to help their beloved fish, Paul and John bring a lifetime of fishing experience – as well as their wit and humour - to this week’s episode, including the welcome return of Rowley Birkin (KC) to the conversation. #thelastsalmon #FighttosavetheWildSalmon For reg...
Mar 15, 2024•54 min
On this, the first episode of Season 1 of The Last Salmon podcast, hosts, Jim Murray and Daire Whelan, find out how the massive escape of farmed salmon in Iceland’s waters in the autumn of 2023, led to huge public protests at the damage being done to the wild salmon and their country’s pristine, natural waters. Actor, angler and passionate conservationist, Jasper Pääkkönen, and Iceland’s Programme Director of The North Atlantic Salmon Fund, Elvar Fridriksson, join Jim and Daire to explain what h...
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr 12 min
