The Spawning Salmon as a Resource by Recreational Use The case of the wild Baltic salmon and conditions for angling in north Swedish rivers Håkan Appelblad GERUM KULTURGEOGRAFI 2001:3 Kulturgeografiska institutionen/SMC Umeå universitet The Spawning Salmon as a Resource by Recreational Use The case of the wild Baltic salmon and conditions for angling in north Swedish rivers Akademisk avhandling som med vederbörligt tillstånd av rektorsämbetet vid Umeå universitet för vinnande av filosofie doktorsexamen framlägges för offentlig granskning vid kulturgeografiska institutionen, Umeå universitet torsdagen den 31 maj 2001, kl 10.15 hörsal S205h i Samhällsvetarhuset av Håkan Appelblad fil. kand. The Spawning Salmon as a Resource by Recreational Use, The case of the wild Baltic salmon and conditions for angling in north Swedish rivers Håkan Appelblad, Department of Social and Economic Geography, Umeå University, Sweden Abstract: The aim of the thesis is to analyse the preconditions for increased salmon angling in the remaining wild salmon rivers in Upper Norrland in northern Sweden, as well as to evaluate the present and possible future impacts on the local economy. It includes the identification of the internal and external conditions, in what is here called the Salmon Utilisation Landscape, that influence the present use as well as future development of the Baltic salmon as a resource in angling. The empirical materials derive from two mail surveys, 1) a survey of anglers in the River Byske and 2) a joint Nordic survey on the economic value of recreational fishing. Interest in recreational fishing is widespread in Sweden. About 35 % of adult Swedes fish for recreation. Recreational fishery and angling can be seen as one expression of the urbanised society's need for contact with nature and outdoor recreation. Salmon angling is one part of recreational fishery. Salmon are considered by many to be the 'big game' of angling. Salmon anglers are often the most devoted kind of anglers, investing considerable resources into this leisure activity. The subgroup of Swedish salmon angling specialists is estimated at 10-30,000 persons. The wider category of Active River anglers consists of approximately 170,000 persons. Salmon fishing in the River Byske has turned out to be representative of salmon angling in Upper Norrland, comparable with other high-class Scandinavian salmon rivers. The growing proportion of remote anglers in the 1990s indicates that the Byske has become a rather specialised angling water. The groups of Fishing tourists and Home fishers make up two distinctive categories. Fishing tourists fish more intensively, have higher daily expenditures and show higher consumer surplus. They fish the river almost entirely for salmon in. On the other hand, Home fishers to a large extent claim the right to fish for decent prices and without any particular restrictions. During the 1990s, the average annual income to the local economy of Byske river valley derived from salmon angling fishing tourism was about 850,000 SEK. Many river habitats have been depleted during the 20th century and many salmon stocks were exterminated by severe degeneration factors linked to industrialisation. To this is added the over-fishing on wild stocks of salmon and the mortality syndrome, M74. The available estimates of the potential production of wild salmon smolt in Upper Norrland aggregates close to 1.2 million. This can be converted to an angling activity of some 250,000 fishing days. On the basis of the prevailing cost level, the potential angling activity in Upper Norrland would amount to a direct annual turnover of 75 million SEK, however the impact caused by fishing tourism is likely to remain within the interval of 10 - 30 million SEK. The Active River anglers' average willingness to pay for annual access to a salmon and sea trout scenario was 1,100 SEK per capita. There is a widespread attitude among many anglers that fishing should be accessible for all and prices should be kept low. In the Nordic context such opinions are especially evident among Swedish anglers in general, but less frequent among devoted salmon anglers. Keywords: Baltic salmon, Wild salmon, Angling, Fishing tourists, Natural resource, Upper Norrland, Sweden. GERUM Kulturgeografi 2001:3. Department of Social and Economic Geography, Umeå University, Sweden. ISBN 91-7305-053-9 ISSN 1402-5205 The Spawning Salmon as a Resource by Recreational Use The case of the wild Baltic salmon and conditions for angling in north Swedish rivers Håkan Appelblad Doctoral thesis Department of Social and Economic Geography Umeå University GERUM 2001:3 °c p O . V GERUM — Kulturgeografi 2001:3 Kulturgeografiska institutionen Umeå universitet 901 87 UMEÅ Tel: +090 786 52 58 Fax: +090 786 63 59 Kulturgeografiska institutionen/SMC Umeå universitet Box 839 981 28 KIRUNA Tel: +0980 676 00 Fax: +0980 676 26 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.umu.se/soc_econ_geography/ © Håkan Appelblad Cover: Early summer in the River Byske. Jan Marklund at Landfors with his catch, a salmon (8.5 kilograms) hooked by a fly ISSN 1402-5205 ISBN 91-7305-053-9 Solfjädern, Umeå 2001 PREFACE Just married and back from a honeymoon in Spain I set it all in motion. In late October 1992 I entered the snow-covered South Pavilion that at that time still housed the Geography department in Umeå. My mission was to continue my academic career after graduation. The work of this thesis can be said to have started with the question raised shortly after my start: -Do you like fishing? The question was put by my then new and still older colleagues Bertil Hammarberg and Gösta Weissglas. They had at that moment recently completed an application concerning a new project on salmon angling in Upper Norrland. Marita Alatalo and I were later recruited into that project, with Gösta as project leader. Since that point Gösta has been my salmon mentor, later becoming my main supervisor for this thesis, when the salmon project later (after some trials with crime and residential mobility) turned out to be my doctoral project. He has supported me through the years with never-ending patience. As the angling enthusiast that he is, Gösta and his "gillie" Tobbe even introduced me into the world of fly rod casting technique. Thank you Gösta! In last two years Bruno Jansson and Professor Ulf Wiberg have joined as supervisors, and together with Professor Gösta Weissglas they have in different ways all contributed to the completion of my thesis. Especially I would like to express my gratitude to Bruno who never let me forget to deliver yet more to read, and consequently to be dissected. He did a great job. Thank you Bruno! Outside the inner circle many other persons have contributed in different ways. Gunilla Jonsson, Urban Lindgren, Emma Lundholm, Dieter Müller and Örjan Pettersson have contributed as opponents during seminars on parts of my earlier manuscript. Especially Urban Lindgren and Dieter Müller devoted much effort to closely examining parts of my manuscript. Other persons in the department have also contributed: Professor Emeritus Erik Bylund convinced me, even if he is not an angler himself, that I am dealing with a true geographical topic. Professor Einar Holm has widened my view of geography and geographical myths. Ian Layton opened my eyes to the cultural landscape and historical geography. The true geographer, Mauno Lassila helped me out with more physical geography orientated issues. Margit Söderberg has helped me with many practical things and Lotta Brännlund helped me with the final editing. Erik Bäckström has solved many different kinds of computer-related problems. Susanne Hjort did a good job with my immature English. My opinion is that a geography thesis is not complete without maps. In this respect I have received help from Marita Alatalo with her un­ plugged talents for map-drawing, and from Dieter Müller with his GIS skills. Jan Nyström from Södertörn University, engaged as an opponent, contributed many valuable comments on the final seminar. In the real world, outside the walls of the department and the geographical society, I found many helpful persons and I like to express my gratitude to some of them. Anna-Liisa Toivonen has made a remarkable effort within the Nordic Project. I thank her and also the rest of the Nordic project group for good and pleasant Nordic cooperation. Anton Paulrud gave me honest reactions on parts of my drafts. Göran Bostedt guided me through rivalling and excludable commons. Hans Stenlund encouraged me to rely on the data. Bo Bengtsson has helped me out in different ways, always showing great enthusiasm. Professor Hans Lundqvist made among other things the salmon life cycle clear for me. Jan Robbins turned my Swenglish manuscript into a correct and fluent English text. The great Spey caster and devoted salmon angler Jan Marklund, also the lifelong secretary of the Byskeälvens Fvo, has over the years supported me with material and fishing information. In addition, he provided the book cover with a silvery salmon. For financial support I would like to thank the Faculty of Social Science at Umeå University, the National Board of Fisheries, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Foundation for the Promotion of Expertise Relating to Tourism (Stiftelsen fir kunskapsfrämjande inom turism), and the Stiftelsen J C Kempes Minnes Stipendiefond. Finally, my greatest gratitude goes to my wife Leona and our son Patrik, who have allowed me to disappear from family life, play, adventures and household duties and still let the door be open and encouraged me through numerous hours of work. Ale ted jsem rad: muj losos-projekt je hotovy. To nebylo rzdy lehke, ale nebyla to jen drina, byla to fakticky taky sranda. Dekuji moc mym nejdrazsim. Jillieshässkie, Uppmiejeänoe giiredallvie 2001 Håkan Appelblad ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface i Table of contents iii list of figures vii List of tables viii 1.