Most populations of Arctic charr in the UK are located in the northern upland areas of Scotland in deep lochs. The only known population in Northern Ireland is located in Lough Melvin. Although historically migratory, Scottish Arctic charr are predominately non-migratory and require very clean water for survival. In the UK, Arctic charr are not fished commercially and are usually by-catch of other closely-related species such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout.
Although Scotland is a stronghold for this species, they face numerous threats including climate change, lake engineering, pollution, non-native species introductions and the stocking of other charr races/types. Historic extinctions in southern Scotland have been related to acidification.
In Ireland, Arctic charr are known as a glacial relic species; the charr populations have become isolate from other populations at the end of the last ice age. Arctic charr are one of the rarest, vulnerable fish species in Ireland and are restricted to upland lakes or deep lowland lakes.
