Sir, – The article by Philippa Gerard comments on the disappearance of salmon in the Rivers Spey and the Dee.
The article concludes that responsibility for the loss is due to the warming climate, resulting in lower water hydrogen, which is essential for salmon returning to the rivers.
A long-term solution is being sought with the planting of trees to shelter the River Dee from the glare of the sun which absorbs carbon. Hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling are lost by failing salmon rivers which in other countries are more successful.
The solution to the disappearance of salmon has been solved in Iceland. Only one out of 200 salmon ova survive the hazards of the rivers in Scotland due to flooding, water quality and birds and animals of prey.
In Iceland the Rivers Ranga, and others, have their returning salmon stripped of ova and grown to smolts in two to three years before release in rivers for a short time before migration to sea.
Consequently the Scottish salmon rivers’ failure results in only one ovum in 200 surviving the river hazards of storms and predators, while those juvenile salmon relying on being hatched in salmon farms can almost guarantee survival to sea.
Mark Pattinson, Lochcarron, Wester Ross.
NHS target figures not fit for purpose
Sir, – There are times when a government must bite the bullet and realise that a policy or target figure no longer fits the purpose.
The Covid pandemic has brought profound changes to the operation of the NHS and among many branches to suffer are A&E departments.
With this in mind it comes as no surprise that once again, except in low population regions, the benchmark target of 95% of patients being seen within four hours of arriving at an A&E department is being missed by almost 20 percentage points.
Such is the expectation of the population on the NHS that I will confidently predict, with few exceptions, the 95% figure will never be met regardless of any increased funding to alleviate the problem as demand will always exceed the capacity of the NHS to deliver.
So why doesn’t the government realise the pandemic has rendered the present target figures obsolete and confine them to the dustbin of history?
By doing so they would remove a potent weapon of attack used by opposition parties and serial moaners to lambast their perceived NHS failings. I am all for target figures but only if they are realistic.
Ivan W. Reid, Kirkburn, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire.
FM risking votes over Cambo field
Sir, – Further to Alan McPherson’s letter (November 24) and the need for the Cambo oilfield, this is essential for the next 25 years to provide oil for Ineos’ Grangemouth oil
refinery.
The oil is required for medicines, paint, plastics and oil to keep the nacelles (motors of wind turbines) going otherwise we will be adding to the climate change by having to import oil from far flung areas of the world.
The SNP war cry in its early years was “It’s Scotland’s oil”. now Nicola Sturgeon wants to throw away thousands of votes in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to leave the Cambo oil where it is.
Michael Baird, Dornoch Road, Bonar Bridge.