Salmon numbers in the Waitaki River are not recovering like the populations in some other central South Island east coast rivers.
Central South Island Fish and Game Council has just released the latest statistics from its annual salmon angler survey and salmon spawning counts, and the Waitaki River has not fared well.
Part of that has been put down to the loss of spawning areas in the Hakataramea River, which the council blames on increased irrigation over recent years.
Other rivers, such as the Rangitata and Opihi, have shown improvements in the number of salmon caught and spawning counts over the past two seasons.
From peaks in the 1993-94 and 1996-97 season, when more than 3000 salmon were caught in the Waitaki River, numbers have fallen.
The only exception was in the 2003-04 season, when about 1100 salmon were landed.
Last season, the anglers survey established about 700 salmon were caught.
"Of the major east coast [of the South Island] salmon fisheries, the Waitaki has shown the least improvement for anglers," council officer Mark Webb said.
