top of page
Writer's pictureIan Gordon

Closing Of Salmon Rivers. Why could this have happened?

Sometimes I really despair. Here we are facing the worst crisis with regard wild salmon, and we continually bury our heads in the proverbial Sand.


In 2023, The Norwegian Environment Agency and The Norwegian Scientific Council for Salmon Management [VRL] lamented about a bad year for salmon. In 2023, the total reported Norwegian catch of Atlantic salmon was 70,593, of which 18,826 were released, leaving 51,767 fish killed. What we must remember here is, “those” are fish that have “Made It back.” Those are the mega important ones, the geese that are about to lay the golden eggs. Give the status of salmon stocks, 51,767 dead wild salmon is now simply not acceptable.


Salmon Fishing During Victorian Times

To provide some context, the Norwegian Scientific Advisory Committee for Atlantic Salmon has used smolt models to determine the effect of sea lice on wild salmon populations in Norway (VRL, 2020). They conclude that an increase in sea lice due to fish farming have reduced the number of returning salmon by 50,000 for the years 2012 – 2014, 29,000 in 2018 and 39,000 in 2019. The impact of sea lice is most severe in western and middle Norway, and the advisory committee deduced that an increased number of salmon populations are endangered by sea lice and that there is a substantial risk that more populations will be affected in the future. [https://nasco.int/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CNL2150rev_Karlsen_-Impact-of-sea-lice-on-wild-Atlantic-salmon.pdf]


This all poses a few questions -

Which is the greater threat to the future of wild salmon? The killing of 51,767 adult salmon that have made it back to spawn, or the “projected”, loss of 30,000 potential spawners to sea lice? In essence Norwegian scientific advisors are saying anglers are killing 51k and Aquaculture 30k. What we are dealing with here, not hearsay or something that fits the narrative, based on the available science, its cold hard facts.



How can the killing of 51,767 salmon, or loss of 30,000 potential spawners be justified right now? It cannot, is the answer from the Norwegian Government, who’s reaction to the former is to close angling on 33 rivers where, currently, not enough salmon are returning and too many salmon are being killed. In this case they have used the available science and acted in the most draconian way. I wonder what plans they have to deal with the potentially 30k killed by the impact of aquaculture? It also begs the question, how many Scottish fish are lost in the same way? Do we have similar science here in Scotland? My guess will be no but we will have plenty opinions.

The decline in wild salmon numbers over the past 20 years has seen a monumental shift in how they are managed in both Scotland and Iceland with catch and release being the norm

when fishing for Wild Atlantic Salmon. At this moment in time, I see both Scotland and Iceland as being “responsible,” or as responsible as they can be in their approach to this whist keeping angling, and all the associated businesses reliant on it workable.

Because Norway is behind the UK with regard the curve of decline, there is no doubt in my mind that if this had been in place in Norway “during the past 20 years” we would not be talking about river closures at this time. I have seen this play out on rivers like the Alta where at the height of the season when big fish arrive, the syndicate fishing there practice responsible fishing hours along with 100% catch and release.

That said, in Scotland, Catch and Release is the last in a lengthy line of measures implemented by the angling community to ensure fish entering our rivers reach the spawning grounds whilst, as mentioned before, keeping angling open. However, as with all earlier measures, this was never going to “stop” the decline, everyone knows the “cause” of multifaceted and that catch and release was only ever going to buy us some time!

Each salmon producing country needs to face up to their responsibilities and at this moment protecting both the 51,000 and 30,000 is paramount. Anglers can do something about the former but it’s up to government to deal with the latter. This would be both reasonable and responsible.

In Iceland for instance, they manage their rivers much better way than we do in the UK and the rest of Europe. Hopefully, our friends in Norway, who still have some fish and a little time, can take their lead from Iceland going forward. They have decent numbers of salmon there but have strict regulations of how the resource is managed.

Releasing a Salmon

The decline is real and its time for us all to get real before this iconic species becomes nothing but a memory. Killing 51,000 salmon right now is unacceptable and before pointing the finger anglers must face their responsibilities.

2,931 views20 comments

Recent Posts

See All

20 Comments


mark
Jun 26

I was due to fish the Orkla this week…. All very sad, but it is a complex picture; banning fishing on 40 miles of river with 24hr daylight will be difficult to police. Many more people in Norway than here in the UK consider thanking a fish for the pot to be a birthright.

I remember many years ago fishing down a pool from one bank with a flee while the farmer opposite had a group queuing up to drop a bouncing betty into the hotspot and gaffing the resultant catches taking their “one fish in 24hrs” and being replaced by the next in line. In the time if took md to fish down the pool the queue had be…

Like
Replying to

Aye Mark, I remember one Gaula owner saying just this, it was his birthright to take a salmon to eat. I think its because they dont really know, or have no grasp to the extent of the problem.

My fathers generation thought it was their birthright too and struggled With the notion of C&R, however, they began to understand the problem was real, so got behind it. The Norwegian farmers are different. When I asked the one from Gaula if he knew there was only 2 fish, a male and female remaining in Gaula and he caught one, would he kill it, yes was the answer. Your right, you cant fix stupid.

Like

It’s a very difficult situation. While the UK has almost complete catch and release now, it doesn’t seem to be helping all that much. Numbers are down dramatically. If anglers continue to shout about the problems (which of course we need to do) it runs the risks of the government saying ok, rod angling is banned too because how can we justify fishing for (and reducing the chance of post release survival) of a species that is not at sustainable levels?


Like
Replying to

Hi Jim, the main thing here is catch and release. In the UK we have and continue to practice this, which for me, given we need as many fish on the redds as possible, it should be mandatory. Personally I feel C&R is the only tool to keep us fishing atm, but it should never be confused with something that will bring fish back. It cant and wont. All it will do is buy time until we can do something about the main problems - Predation, over fishing of certain species at sea, water abstraction/quality to name a few.

I think the Norwegians are in a different place in that certain rivers have boards who encourage the killing of the…

Like

MARK EYRE
Jun 24

Ian


Thank you as ever -


We are run down by grim tales but I have some positive news, for Norway. As you and many others will know , Norway instigated in 2023 a 35% (?) ground rent tax on Norwegian sea farmed salmon.

Originally it was to be 40% but the extremely bullish salmon lobby won 5% off by threatening job losses and coastal poverty!...So far so Norwegian. Such a levy brings Salmar , Mowi etc in line with Norwegian oil drillers and farmers...it is a national cooperative tax and has been missed for the last 35 years.

At NASF in Reykjavik in March 2023 a kindly Norwegian rep from a large producer of Pink Oily Protein (POP's; much…


Like
Replying to

The acronym POPs that I am familiar with is persistent organic pollutants which include PCBs and your pink oily proteing contains plenty of ‘my’ POPs👍

Like

Thank you Ian for another timely and informative blog post.

These are indeed very worrying times and there is an inevitable sense that we are in salmon angling's end-game.

Whilst Norway, Iceland and Scotland have all been mentioned, the situation in Ireland, where I salmon fished for 42 years, is heading for catastrophe too. Staggeringly the statutory body tasked with protecting what stocks are left, Inland Fisheries Ireland, are still permitting the killing of ten fish annually per angler, including three springers!

The well-worn defence put forward for killing fish is, 'they did nothing illegal'. That may be true but it doesn't make it right or proper and highlights the ridiculous stance of the IFI.

How's this for an appalling…


Edited
Like
Replying to

Nothing surprises me with those people involved in salmon fishing those days. Honestly, if people cannot see the bigger picture here well, frankly, like has happened in Norway, they deserve what will eventually come to them. A shame for those who do see the bigger picture here but humans are both greedy and stupid.

Like

Are respondents replies being censored on this site ?

Like
Replying to

Not at all. Well not that I know of.

Like
bottom of page