The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (c. 51) is a law passed by the government of the United Kingdom in an attempt to protect salmon and trout from commercial poaching, to protect migration routes, to prevent willful vandalism and neglect of fisheries, ensure correct licensing and water authority approval.

This helps to sustain the rural inland freshwater fisheries industry, which employs around 37,000 people in the UK.

[2] There was a general perception that fish stocks were depleting, as a result of the Industrial Revolution, and a Royal Commission was set up in 1860, with a remit ...to enquire into the Salmon Fisheries of England and Wales, with the view of increasing the supply of a valuable article of food for the benefit of the public...

While many of its findings were similar to those of the Select Committee, the subsequent legislation sought to address confusion and uncertainty about what the law was.

[10] Section 1 - Prohibits the taking or killing of salmon or trout, or assisting thereof, by the use of tools such as a firearms, light, otter lath, small boat, jack, wire, spear, gaff or snare, or any pre-designed method of foul-hooking fish or strategies to catch fish with unattended baited hooks, such as cross-line, set-line, lay-line, stroke-haul or snatch.

Section 7 - Prohibits the use of or altering of a weir, in order to obtain strategic advantage in the catching of salmon or trout.

Section 8 - Prohibits the use of or altering of a mill dams, in order to obtain strategic advantage in the catching of salmon or trout.

Section 9 to 15 - It is the duty of the waterway owner that when constructing dams, screens or sluices to provide and maintain a facilitating fish pass for migrating salmon or trout.

Section 23 - Prohibits the export of salmon or trout unless previously approved by HM Customs and Excise.