2012-09-10 sid 1 (1) Salmon management and sport fishing a Swedish perspective. Glenn Douglas, Kommunförbundet Norrbotten and Sportfiskarna (Swedish National Anglers Association). Despite better spawning Salmon returns for the 2012 season the current Salmon resource is still not able to support a sport fishery with large enough catches to be interesting for international sport fishermen. Only by removing mixed stock fisheries can we create stable salmon populations within weak rivers and at the same time have strong commercial and sport fisheries within stronger rivers. The closure of the Swedish sea fishery is a good first step toward this goal and Finland should follow this as well as together with Sweden regulating the trolling fishery and the recreational gillnet fishery in coastal waters. While salmon returns within the river Torne have been stronger during the 2012 season we still have a large number of threatened salmon populations in other rivers in the Baltic. Furthermore sport fishing catches even within the Torne River are still not of a magnitude to make our region viable as a salmon fishing destination. The EU commission s proposal to limit the commercial sea fishery mortality is a positive step but only by closing the mixed stock commercial sea fishery for salmon as Sweden has already done, can we effectively manage the Baltic s different salmon populations. The proposal in the long term management plan to stop compensatory releases in dammed rivers can have far reaching and negative effects upon sport fishing. This proposal needs to be reviewed to see if genetic pollution of wild salmon is a genuine risk and if so hydro-electric companies must create fish migratory passages and time must be given to strengthen wild populations. Sport fishing for salmon is already regulated but we need further national regulation including within the trolling fishery to reduce catch and steer trolling towards compensatory released salmon and also local regulations in weak salmon rivers including seasonal bag limits or catch no kill rules. The coastal gillnet fishery in shallow waters in Finland needs to be regulated as in Sweden to protect the sea trout populations within the Bothnian Bay. Aurorum 2 977 75 Luleå Telefon 0920-755 56 E-post glenn.douglas@sportfiskarna.se www.sportfiskarna.se
Salmon management and Sport fishing a Swedish perspective - 2012
Wild salmon rivers of the Norrbotten region Råne river Kalix river Torne river Pite river Åby river Byske river
% of commercial catch in the Baltic Sea 2011 River 56 Torne and Kalix rivers 7 Indalsälven 5 Luleälven 4 Vindelälven 4 Byskeälven 3 Skellefteälven 3 Iijoki 2 Ångermanälven 2 Simojoki 2 Åbyälven 2 Oulujoki 1 Emån 1 Umeälven 1 Råneälven 1 Neumunas 1 Ljungan 1 Dalälven 1 Mörrumsån 1 Parnu
Survival (%) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Trend for wild salmon? Post-smolt survival Wild salmon Reared salmon Postsmolt survival is decreasing 1990 1995 2000 2005 3000000 Year Longline fishing has increased 2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 500000 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Longline fishing effort Baltic Sea geardays per year ICES
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 *2012 10000 Salmon at fish ladders Kalix- and Pite rivers 8000 8890 8479 8232 6000 6561 6489 6838 6173 4607 4000 3891 3163 3192 2562 Antal laxar Kalixälv Antal laxar Piteälv 2000 863 1378 1418 1628 1012 544 518 723 1048 532 597 1017 0 *Preliminary
Problems Previous Salmon management (SAP) saw rivers as only smolt production units and Salmon catch is localized to coast and sea phase. That results in a biologically unsound fishery where catch is practised on mixed river stocks. Therefore weak river stocks are having extreme difficulties recovering. Even in strong rivers the number of returning Salmon is too small to allow for the development of Salmon fishing tourism.
Even strong rivers currently cannot develop sport fishing tourism. Baltic Salmon rivers are uncompetitive as sport fishing destinations 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Salmon per sport fisherman and day 2011-2012 7,1 4 1,8 0,5 0,35 0,3 0,4 0,11 0,1 0,004 0,03
Due to low salmon returns and river catches Baltic Salmon rivers are not on the map as sport fishing destinations www.roxtons.com
Present management is preventing development and income possibilities for river basins Fishing on the River Tweed generates 21.7 million annually to the local economy and directly supports 487 full-time jobs. Anglers each spend on average 228 per day in the area compared to just 61.8 by other (nonfishing) visitors to the area. Fishing on the River Spey generates 14.7 million annually to the local economy and directly supports 420 full-time jobs. Sport fishing in Canada for Atlantic salmon generated more than 97 million 2010 Sport fishing in Scotland generates 132.5 million annually and more than 2 500 full-time jobs. Ireland 11 million generated by sport fishing for Salmon 2003. 42% of sport fishermen are overseas tourists. Normal price for fishing for Salmon at better fishing camps in Russia starts at 6 300 per week. (Tweed fishery board, Spey fishery board, Swedish agency for regional and economic growth)
EU Commission s proposed multiannual plan for Baltic Salmon Total allowable catch (TAC) at sea shall not exceed the 0,1 fishing mortality rate. This still allows for a continuation of mixed stock fisheries at sea including fishing on weak river stocks. Sweden has stopped its sea fishery protecting its small scale coastal fishery. When will Finland do the same?
Sea fishery on mixed salmon stocks is a fishery on weak and endangered populations. Salmon at the Åby rivers Hednäs fish ladder located at 40 km of 170km
EU s proposed multiannual plan for Baltic Salmon Reared salmon restocking will be phased out within 7 years. This if a the river does not have possibility of free migration and suitable habitat. This means that compensatory releases of ca. 3,7 million smolt in Sweden and Finland could stop = 2 x Torne river at 100 % smolt production
EU s proposed multiannual plan for Baltic Salmon Hydro electric industry should always compensate for the damage they cause. Releases should only be seen as a last resort and should be phased out but only when compensation can be achieved by river restoration or creation of salmon habitat equal to direct restocking.
Is straying a Problem? How big a problem? Straying reared salmon = Adipose fin clipped Wild salmon with adipose fin Åby river 2010-2011 0 strayers detected at fish ladder Kalix river 2008-2011 1 strayer detected of 25 000 fish Byske river max 5 strayers per year of total rod catch of approx. 300 fish per year
The recreational value of sport fishing based upon reared salmon? Älvkarleby had approx. 13 500 fishing days 2010 and has approx. 21 600 fishing days during a good salmon year. The total value of fishing tourism to Älvkarleby was ca. 1,75 million 2010. Skellefte river within Skellefteå has ca. 11 000 fishing days per year. Within city and easily available fishing appreciated by users including immigrants, unemployed and socially at risk. Lule river at Boden has ca. 12 000 fishing days per year. Tourism value ca. 700 000 per year.
Salmon Management Future Goals What sportfishing needs for development Baltic Salmon management should be based upon the principal that wild salmon should be allowed to return to their home river for reproduction and harvest based upon each rivers specific capacity. Close the mixed stock fishery. Create a goal for numbers of returning spawners for each river. Smolt production goal must be at least 90 % of potential.
Current Regulation of Sportfishing in Sweden National Reglations 1 Salmon per fisherman and day Closed fishing during Spawning season Start date for sportfishing in most salmon rivers Regulation of trolling fishery? Local Regulations and Policy Catch no kill for salmon e.g. Kåge river Catch no kill for sea trout e.g. Ängesån river
Future Regulation of recreational fishing in Sweden? Greater need for local regulations: Seasonal bag limit of salmon per sport and house hold fisherman. Regulation of trolling fishery. Regulation of sea trout fishing in northern rivers and associated coastal areas. Sweden has since 2006 seasonal closure of gillnet fishing in shallow coastal waters. Finland?
Without a just share of the future Salmon resource important stake holders such as fisheries owners within river valleys see no value in the very resource they have a key part in managing.
Kiruna Gällivare Pajala The Norrbotten Association of Local Authorities Number of inhabitants: 253 000, 2.6 citizens per km² - 117 citizens per km 2 EU average. Area: 98 249 km², 16 th largest country in EU, 25 % of Sweden's area. Arjeplog Jokkmokk Överkalix Boden Älvsbyn Kalix Arvidsjaur Luleå Piteå Övertorneå Haparanda