Kolarctic Salmon Summary Report
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Kolarctic salmon Summary report ”Merging modern science with traditional knowledge to improve the future management of the Atlantic salmon in the Barents region” Office of the Finnmark County Governor Department of Environmental Affairs Report 1-2017 Kolarctic salmon Summary report Office of the Finnmark County Governor Department of Environmental Affairs Report 1-2017 Eero Niemelä PINRO KOLARCTIC SALMON SUMMARY REPORT REPORT 1-2017 Contents AUTHORS: Eero Niemelä, Juha-Pekka Vähä, Martin Svenning, Mikhail Ozerov, Morten Falkegård, Sergey Prusov and Vidar Wennevik 8 Introduction GRAPICH DESIGN AND TECHICAL PRODUCTION: Hannu Tikkanen, Tikkanen Workshop 12 Chapter 1 Ecology and life history of the Atlantic salmon in the north PRINTING: Painotalo Seiska Oy DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF MAPS AND GRAPHS: Vidar Wennevik, Juha-Pekka Vähä, Mikhail Ozerov, Morten 14 Chapter 2 Genetic structure of the northern salmon populations Falkegård and Eero Niemelä 16 Chapter 3 Genetic stock identification - Identifying the river of origin for salmon at sea PHOTO CREDITS: Copyright holders of the photographic material mentioned under each photograph 18 Chapter 4 The big coastal migration TECHICAL PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT: Tiia Kalske 20 Chapter 5 Which salmon stock is caught were? This publication is also available on the internet: www.fylkesmannen.no/finnmark, under “Miljø og klima” and 22 Chapter 6 Mixed stock mystery “Rapportserie”. This report was prepared in English and translated into Norwegian and Sami. 24 Chapter 7 Intruders in the “fish pond” – farm escapees The English version constitutes the official version. 26 Chapter 8 Repeat spawners are an important asset and safeguard for Atlantic salmon stocks of the north ISSN 0800-2118 28 Chapter 9 New technologies 30 Acknowledgements Preface Eero Niemelä he border areas between Norway, Russia and Overall, the project results provide opportunities • We mapped the salmon’s migration • We estimated the amount of farmed Finland have unique natural qualities and nat- for developing a knowledge-based and adaptive patterns salmon in Norwegian coastal fishery Tural resources. The Atlantic salmon is a symbol salmon management. We hope our efforts will con- We developed a stock-specific migratory model We found that escaped farmed salmon occurred of healthy and vital ecosystems and is of significant tribute towards maintaining a future sustainable to describe inference of spatial and temporal mi- in the coastal fishery catches of Northern Norway economic and cultural importance, both through exploitation of the northernmost Atlantic salmon gratory patterns for chosen salmon stocks in the throughout the summer from early May to the commercial and recreational fishing. populations in Europe. Barents region. The results demonstrated that end of September. The Kolarctic salmon project was a unique venture catches from outer coastal regions have a higher between scientists, managers and commercial fish- • We found the salmon’s home-river stock diversity and a lower percentage of local • We reached a mutual understanding of ermen from Northern Norway, Finland, Northwest We created a unique genetic map of the north- stocks than catches in the inner fjord regions. our rich fishing traditions Russia and the White Sea area, aiming at providing a ern salmon stocks, with comprehensive infor- The project facilitated a more active communica- better knowledge-base for salmon management in mation on the salmon rivers and the different • We identified the salmon stocks ex- tion, dialogue and contact between the coun- the individual countries. salmon stocks in the area, including their genetic ploited in Northern Norway tries’ management, research, fisheries associa- Through the joint effort, we managed to establish diversity. This allowed us to identify the river and We gathered information and examined the tions and local fishermen. Through mutual visits a unique sampling program along the North-Nor- region of origin of each individual salmon caught stock composition of the mixed-stock fisheries and meetings, we reached a better understand- wegian coast and in Russian Barents and White Sea at sea with high probability. catches in Northern Norway. ing of the rich fishing traditions, coastal and Sami areas, generating the most comprehensive biolog- culture of the area. ical sample collection, and ecological and genetic data sets for Atlantic salmon until now. - 6 - - 7 - Introduction The border areas between Norway, Russia and Fin- Why salmon is important for land have unique natural qualities and are rich in natural resources. The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) people along the coast? is a symbol of healthy and vital ecosystems and is of significant economic and cultural importance, Culture and history of the traditional both through commercial and recreational fishing. coastal fisheries in Norway and Russia Fishing for Atlantic salmon has a long tradition in the area, as evidenced by a unique vocabulary about the species in the Sami language, and the existence of Russia a large number of traditional fishing methods. Be- The first references of regular salmon coastal fish- cause of its accurate natal homing, it is presumed ery in Russia are from the Pomors, fishing along the that every salmon river has its own unique popula- White Sea coast. This fishery has been documented tion adapted to physical and biological characteris- in the chronicles of Novgorod of the 1300s, showing tics of the river, and some rivers have even several that the Pomor lifestyle has been influenced for cen- turies by the salmon sea fishery, which also became unique sub-populations. Figure 1. Kolarctic salmon project area. Blue dots indicating the coastal adult salmon samples in Norway and red the fundament for Pomor villages and settlements. The Kolarctic salmon project was a unique venture dots indicating the in-river juvenile salmon samples The coastal salmon fishery remains an important between scientists, managers and commercial fish- source of income for Pomor villages today. However ermen from northern Norway, Finland, Northwest only. In Russia the Regional Commissions on Regu- last 20 years have been around 100–200 tonnes and the effort in commercial coastal fisheries in the White Russia and the White Sea area, aiming at providing lation of Harvesting the Anadromous Fish allocate in the rivers around 100–150 tonnes with high annu- Sea has been reduced considerably since the1990s, a better knowledge-base for the countries salmon quotas to users of fishing sites. The Territorial Di- al fluctuations. The sum of the river and sea-fishery aiming at conserving Atlantic salmon stocks and en- management. rectorates of the Federal Agency for Fisheries issue catches in Finnmark constitutes around 50 % of the hancing recreational in-river fisheries. Through our joint efforts, we gathered a unique licenses for users of the fishing sites in accordance total catch of Atlantic salmon in Norway. The salmon Coastal salmon fisheries in the Barents Sea have not bio-specimen sample collection along the North-Nor- with the quota allocation. sea-fishery in Finnmark has long cultural traditions, been permitted over the past 60 years. The coastal wegian coast and in Russian Barents and White Sea but has been under strong debate the last 10 years catches in the White Sea fluctuated from around 50 areas, generating the most comprehensive ecolog- Finnmark and northern Norway due to the complexities involved in the potential tonnes in 1990s to around 30 tonnes since the year ical and genetic data sets for Atlantic salmon until mixed stocks harvesting of Norwegian, Russian and 2007. The total allowable catch for Atlantic salmon is A multi-stock Atlantic salmon sea fishery operates now, over 25 000 adult salmon samples from the sea Finnish salmon during the sea-fishery along the established annually. Commercial, recreational and off the coast of Finnmark, the northernmost county and over 12 000 juvenile salmon samples from 185 North-Norwegian coast. Sami net fisheries are allowed at defined fishing sites in Norway. The annual catches at sea in Finnmark the rivers were collected and included in the project. - 8 - - 9 - The coastal salmon fisheries along the coast of Challenges with a mixed-stock 3000 northern Norway have been an important economic fishery, can it be solved? and cultural factor since the 1800s and in some areas 2500 NEAC North of Eastern Finnmark, such as Jarfjord and Bøkfjord, Mixed-stock fisheries are defined as fisheries- ex even earlier. The shore-based coastal fisheries were ploiting a significant number of salmon from two or 2000 Norway outside Northern Norway from the beginning an integral part of a flexible more river stocks. In a mixed stock fishery, some ex- ploited stocks could be at full reproductive capacity, 1500 combination household economy based on sea fish- Northern Norway (Nordland, eries, reindeer husbandry and farming, supplement- while other stocks may be below their Conservation Troms, Finnmark CounDes) Tonnes ed by hunting and gathering. Limits. This creates a challenge for management, 1000 Russia particularly in coastal waters or on the high seas, The shore-based coastal catch in northern Nor- 500 way, with bag- and bend nets, peaked during the because it is difficult or impossible for the fisheries to target only the stock at full reproductive capacity. Finland 1950s and 1960s, driven by better fishing gear and 0 easier access. A new peak was seen in the late 1970s/ Rational management of mixed-stock fisheries re- 1978 1988 1998 2008 1990 early 1980s, driven by offshore drift net fishery. In quires knowledge of which stocks that are exploited 1972 1974 1976 1980 1982 1984 1986 1992 1994 1996 2000 2002 2004 2006 2010 2012 the best years, the coastal catch in Finnmark alone in the fishery and the status of each of those stocks. was close to c 500 tonnes. Weakening stocks in the The Kolarctic salmon project provides the coun- northern rivers led to the closure of the drift net tries’ management authorities with unique a possi- bility and reliable basic information and tools for de- fishery in 1989.