A BARRHEAD angler made a splash on national television as he was handed a starring role by the BBC.

Tom Buchanan, 74, was contacted by producers of farming and countryside programme Landward, who were investigating why wild salmon numbers in Scotland’s rivers have been plummeting in recent years.

Having fished since the age of three with his father, Tom has a wide knowledge of wild salmon, especially in the west coast of Scotland.

According to a number of experts, dwindling fish stocks are a result of hundreds of salmon farms which can be found all along the west coast.

Tom told the Barrhead News: “I think the problem is down to bad practice in some of these places and the spread of parasites which contaminate other fish in the wild when the salmon begin migrating up rivers.

“There’s also the issue of gene pool dilution.”

As well as generating thousands of jobs for people in remote areas, salmon farms provide one of Scotland’s main exports.

However, some anglers argue they have become a breeding ground for sea lice which attach onto fish and eat away at their scales.

In the hour-long Landward programme, Tom admitted that, before he was aware of the issue with salmon numbers, he was guilty of taking too many fish from rivers.

But the former engineer has been putting wild salmon back for more than 20 years and is keen to encourage others to do the same.

Many salmon farms have attempted to introduce chemicals to kill parasites but this has its own environmental issues.

Tom, who is a member of Barrhead Angling Club, said: “In an ideal world, the salmon farms should be shut down until they can get the issue sorted – but that won’t happen.

“The worst cast scenario is complete extinction if something isn’t done.”

Originally from Darnley, Tom has devoted much of his life to fishing and has travelled all over the world to pursue his hobby.

In 2015, he landed the Malloch Trophy – Scotland’s most prestigious award for salmon fishing.

The trophy is given for the largest salmon caught on the fly and safely returned to the water in Scotland each year.

Tom said: “Although I caught the fish, it was my wife Mary who won me the trophy, thanks to her photography skills.

“I never actually weighed the fish, so I felt I couldn’t enter the competition, but someone else who had seen the picture entered on my behalf and, based on the photographic evidence, they gave me the award.

“I was in bits when I found out. I just wish my dad had been there to see it.”

Dad-of-two Tom also revealed how his love of rod and reel has rubbed off on both of his sons, who are also keen anglers.

“I would love to get my granddaughter involved next,” he said.