The Vanishing Giants. How We Failed Atlantic Salmon

Why Are Our Atlantic Salmon Disappearing?

For all of my life, people have talked about how much better things used to be for Atlantic Salmon. As someone with a deep interest in these fish, it truly frustrates me that despite seeing clear signs of trouble for decades, we still don't seem to fully understand or agree on why they've reached such a critical state today.

Many suggest it's a combination of various factors, with everyone offering their own theories. However, if we are so certain it's a mix of problems, and the salmon population is on the brink, why aren't we actively addressing these issues constructively and practically? Who or what is preventing decisive action? It's difficult to accept that for such an important species, we continue to repeat the same approaches, simply hoping for a better outcome next year. Frankly, if you believe this is merely a natural "cycle," you are overlooking the undeniable evidence of declining numbers.

One Angler One Day = Over-exploitation!

The "Good Old Days" - A Different Balance

Back in the 1950s and earlier, a better balance existed for salmon, which included both human interaction and natural predation.

During that period, two specific groups of salmon, though not the largest in number, played a vital role in the overall health of the population -

• Three Sea Winter (3SW) Salmon - These were the exceptionally large fish, having spent three full winters in the ocean. They typically made up about 5% of the total salmon population.

• Multi-Spawning Salmon - These were primarily female salmon that had successfully spawned once and returned to the ocean to feed and prepare for another spawning journey. They constituted approximately 3% of the population.

It was quite common to catch salmon weighing between 25 and 35 pounds in our rivers back then, a clear indicator of robust populations.

3SW Salmon About to be Returned

The First Signs of Decline - Industrial Exploitation

For me, the answer to what triggered the decline is clear -We began losing these crucial groups of salmon when humans started harvesting them on an industrial scale at both ends of their migration. The late 1950s and 1960s saw a significant increase in gill netting – the use of vast nets – in the open ocean where salmon feed.

The presence of those large 3SW salmon quickly plummeted from around 5% to virtually none; by the 2000s, catching one became an extremely rare event. The sharp decline of these large fish, alongside the multi-spawning salmon, served as a critical early warning. Yet, in the 1990s, with recreational salmon fishing for smaller fish booming, negative reports from interested parties such as myself and others, were largely ignored. River management authorities at the time often refused to acknowledge any problem at all, even though all the signs of an impending crisis were unmistakably present.

Why Were These Specific Salmon Hit Hardest?

Now that the severity of the problem is widely accepted, understanding what happened to these two particular groups of salmon can help us pinpoint the main underlying issues -

• Extended Time at Sea - Both 3SW salmon and multi-spawning salmon spend significantly more time in the marine environment compared to their younger counterparts (Grilse or 2SW fish). This extended period at sea made them far more susceptible to the increased industrial fishing efforts in the ocean.

• Potential Genetic Uniqueness - Observations, particularly from rivers like the Alta in Norway, where large salmon are still relatively common, suggest that 3SW salmon might possess unique genetic traits that predispose them to grow larger and spend more time at sea. If this is true, then their severe depletion means we've lost a significant portion of the genetic diversity responsible for producing these resilient, large fish.

• Vulnerability of Multi-Spawners: When multi-spawning salmon returned to the ocean after expending energy to lay their eggs, they were in a weakened state. This made them especially vulnerable to predators as they navigated coastal waters. Some will say that this is natural and that it's always happened. Whilst I accept this, with regard salmon, I know the balance is now massively in favour of the predator. We need to accept this and ask the question of those decision makers, How badly do you want to help Atlantic Salmon? Unfortunately, this is now where we are.

Conclusion: The Human Factor

In conclusion, the rapid and almost complete disappearance of the 3SW and multi-spawning Atlantic Salmon cohorts acted as an early and clear alarm bell for the broader population collapse. Their disproportionate decline strongly points towards major issues affecting salmon during their extended time in the ocean, particularly large-scale human exploitation. Ultimately, the primary drivers of the Atlantic Salmon's critical decline are human actions,

over-harvesting, coupled with a lack of proactive and adaptable management, widespread apathy, and an unnecessary over-complication of what are fundamentally clear problems. Addressing these core issues with practical, decisive measures is essential for the species' future.