Eva Marita Ulvan

Does Catch-and-Release Angling Alter the Behavior and Fate of Adult Atlantic Salmon During Upriver Migration?

AbstractTo reproduce, Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar return to freshwater rivers and migrate upriver to spawning areas. This migration is the basis for recreational fisheries, which for conservation reasons are increasingly characterized by catch-and-release angling. The effectiveness of catch and release for Atlantic Salmon conservation is contingent on the ability of individuals to recover from angling, resume migration, and reach spawning grounds at appropriate times. We monitored 27 caught and released Atlantic Salmon in River Gaula in 2013, a prominent and relatively pristine Norwegian river, by affixing external radio transmitters to them. Those fish were compared with a control group of 33 individuals caught and radio-tagged at sea in bag nets before river entry. Whereas none of the control fish died during the study period, there were three mortalities among the caught-and-released fish (11%; significant difference). All mortalities were qualitatively associated with poor angler care, emphasizing the...

Return migration of adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) tonorthern Norway

Norwegian Environment Agency, Alta Laksefiskeri Interessentskap (ALI), Statkraft Energy AS, The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)