SALMON could be making a comeback in Ryedale, fisheries bosses say.

The announcement came after a dead male salmon was found during a routine patrol at Costa Beck, north of Malton, recently.

Salmon were once a common feature of the River Derwent 200 years ago, but industrialisation forced them out. Last summer young salmon were discovered in Costa Beck and Stamford Bridge; prior to that the last adult male was spotted in the River Derwent in 1988.

Shaun McGinty, fisheries officer for the Derwent, said: "This is a fantastic find and could point to a return of breeding salmon to the Derwent.

"The fish we recently discovered was unfortunately dead, but it was sent to agency fisheries in York for examination."

Scientists confirmed that the fish, which had been dead for about three days, had weighed around 8lb and had spawned before its death.

"Further investigation of the scales revealed that the fish had spent two years in freshwater before entering the sea for two years and finally returning to the river at the end of last summer," said Mr McGinty.

"We suspected there were one or two salmon in the Derwent and after last summer's surveys we knew that they were breeding once again.

"This fish certainly confirms this and we have been able to draw valuable information from it. We will continue to keep an eye on the now increasing population in the hope that it will steadily return to the levels of 200 years ago."

Updated: 10:14 Saturday, January 20, 2001