presented at the CCB seminar 17-18 Dec 2005, Tallinn Salmo

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International work in salmon protection and good
practices for Baltic regional national levels
p presented at the CCB seminar 17-18 Dec
2005, Tallinn Salmon poaching in the Baltic Sea
area experience of today and recommendations for
the future.
Mr Gunnar Norén Executive Secretary toCoalition
Clean Baltic
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Map from The Status of the Wild Atlantic Salmon
a river by river assessment 2001
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International arena Atlantic salmon (incl
Baltic) NASCO (North Atlantic Salmon
Conservation Organisation) (committees for
North-West Atlantic, Greenland, North-East
Atlantic) - Situation in many countries very
critical (e g US, Canada) (Russian Kola peninsula
still strong populations) - NASCO Stopped all
open-sea salmon fisheries (Completely other
management views compared to Baltic salmon) -
NASCO apply model for management based on river
population management
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- North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF), NASFs
chairman Orri Vigfusson succesful work to
buy-out salmon netting in waters of Greenland,
Norway etc - Big problems with unintentional
escapes from salmon fish-farming. -
Strayers-escapees (farmed salmon) migrate to
rivers, and mix with wild populations - Compare
to Baltic Sea , 6 million smolts released every
year - Released salmon (compensation for
hydro-power construction) not for open-sea
fisheries Conclusion Baltic Salmon management
has a lot to learn from Atlantic salmon
management
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IBSFC (International Baltic Sea Fishery
Commission) Salmon surveillance group (only
national and EU officials) - totally dominated
by fisheries sector economical interest - Follow
implementation of the Salmon Action Plan (SAP)
- Unclear how EU will work on Baltic salmon
management in future (after IBSFC)
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Baltic Salmon action plan (SAP) variability of
the wild Baltic salmon.
The SAP was adopted in 1996 to support the
sustainable management of the Baltic salmon and
to secure the survival of the wild Baltic salmon
populations. CCB proposal - needed to decide on
complementary goals and new actions to be
included into the Baltic SAP. Redefinition of
objectives for the SAP, in accordance with ICES
advice ICES has proposed IBSFC to redefine the
objectives for Baltic salmon management to -
Safeguarding genetic variability - Safeguarding
each wild stock including the weakest
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EU DG Fisheries interest very low interest for
wild salmon protection - interest only for
rivers with very, very high production potential
(contribute to open-sea fisheries) - today no
responsible person for Baltic salmon issues - DG
Environment not involved
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Baltic Salmon - conservation status favourable
?variability of the wild Baltic salmon.
Atlantic (Baltic) salmon a species of special
interest in EU Habitat directive. Endangered
or vulnerable rare endemic or require
particular attention Wild salmon shall reach
Good favourable status Obligation for all
EU-members to fulfil EU Habitat
directive. (Report every two years , and every
six years)
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Establish a Salmon Conservation Organisation for
the Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea
catchment Today the management of the Baltic
(Atlantic) salmon is handled by the IBSFC
(International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission).
IBSFC is planned to be closed down in the end
of 2005. Instead a bilateral agreement between
EU-Russia on Baltic salmon fisheries. What will
happen with the international management of
Baltic salmon ? Baltic Salmon Management needs a
proper body for discussion on management where
all stakeholders can participate. CCB
Proposal Establish a new structure-institution
for the management of the Baltic salmon, e g the
Baltic Sea Salmon Conservation Organisation, with
the same openness and transparency for all
stakeholders as within NASCO Or Baltic Salmon
Management , as a Committee under NASCO
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Baltic Salmon situation today) variability of
the wild Baltic salmon.
Salmon quota (TAC) 477 000 salmon (year
2006) -460 000 in Baltic Main basin (reported 420
000 in year 2004) -17 000 in Gulf of
Finland Fisheries open-sea 70-80 (mainly by
Pol, Den, Fin, Swe) coastal 10-20 rivers
approx 10 Farmed and released salmon 6
million per year Production from Natural
spawning in a few river in Bothnian Bay increased
considerably last years ( gt 1 million smolts per
year) IBSFC develop Terminal fishery areas (for
released salmon)
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? Improper commercial fishing policies, and
extensive artificial salmon stocking programmes
threaten the naturally spawning Baltic salmon.
? 2/3 of all wild Baltic salmon river
populations are threatened (26 river
populations )
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ReportPresent and potential production of
salmon in Estonian rivers, 2001 salmon.
Guidelines to favour salmon reproduction in
Estonian rivers - Big effects on salmon
production for little money spent on e.g.
Fishery regulations of salmon Protection at
sea During spawning migration On nursery
areas Fishery control inspection (illegal
fisheries, poaching ) Public education and
information
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Habitat improvements-restoration improve
quality of spawning and nursery areas (remove
sediments, gravel, planting trees) Habitat
restoration - Cost-effective methods to raise
production potential Smolt production in
Estonian rivers (present average) can be
increased 10 times with habitat improvements
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Actions needed to save naturally spawning Baltic
Salmon - Safeguard all weak wild Baltic salmon
river populations, and the genetic diversity -
Maximize production of naturally spawning Baltic
salmon - Restrict or phase-out salmon fisheries
on mixed salmon populations/wild Baltic salmon -
Limit the extensive artificial salmon stocking
programmes that threaten wild Baltic salmon
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Automatic fish counter

• Continuous control
• Careful good result
• Effort small

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Infra red light-curtains

• Size
• Speed
• Direction

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Interpretation and reporting
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Not only salmon
Färna
Bream
Beaver
Pike
Bubbles
Sutare
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Number passages per day
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Functions of fishways
Happy salmon does not jump, it swims gt50 of
existing fishways are not working properly
To construct an efficient fishway is
difficult, much more complicated than most people
believe. Best solution - avoid fish ladder fish
- ways
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Natural mimicing

• New constructed parallel river-bed
• Excavation
• Construction upstream/downstream
• Gravel, pebbles and boulders
• Small slope, no thresholds
• For all fish species
• Low maintenance cost
• Depth 30 100 cm
• Speed 0,5 2 m/s
• Slope 1 2

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CCB activities on Baltic salmon management
- Lobby EU Baltic fisheries stakeholder
meetings- Observer in IBSFC (International
Baltic Sea Fishery Commission) - Observer in
HELCOM (Recommendation on Salmon Protection) -
Organised studies and inventories of salmon
rivers in Latvia, Lithuania and Russia -
Restoration of salmonid spawning bottoms in
Latvia and Lithuania - Reintroduction of wild
salmon in West-Pomeranian rivers (Rega, Parseta),
Poland - Construction of fish-ladder for
salmonids in Vilnia river, Lithuania - River
summer-camps for youngsters in Estonia
(education, cleaning, restoration) - Organised
meetings and seminars on protection of wild
Baltic salmon - Project on Protection of salmon
in Estonia (e.g. Pärnu river watershed)
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CCB Baltic salmon achievements
- Salmon Drift-nets phase-out from Jan 2007 -
Salmon fisheries shifted a bit from open-sea
towards coastal (closer to home rivers) - Better
understanding for wild salmon conservation
needs - CCB projects raised awareness (river
clean-up for salmonids, fish-ladder, restoration
of spawning bottoms) - CCB salmon restitution in
Poland (eggs, smolts) gt 5 years. First returning
spawners observed. SUCCESS
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Salmon in Maine is now seriously
depleted. Historical times hundreds of
thousands of adult returning salmon In 2002
estimated only 871 returning spawners of salmon
to 15-20 rivers (790 to Penobscot river 80 to
other Maines rivers) Urgent need to reverse the
decline of salmon populations. RECOMMENDATIONS
by US National Research Council - Primarily focus
on the river(s) with strongest populations
(Penobscot river) - Start a programme of dam
removal , and Habitat restoration - Hatcheries
continue in the short-term - supplement wild
populations (under certain conditions) - serve
as storehouse of fish from various rivers
Atlantic salmon in Maine variability of the wild
Baltic salmon.
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- No stocking of salmon , of any life stage ,
in rivers having wild salmon , unless use of
river-specific stocks - Prohibition of
commercial and recreational fishing for salmon -
Maximum and minimum size limits for trout fishing
in salmon rivers - Minimum size large enough
to protect salmon smolts - Maximum size small
enough to protect adult salmon - Shaping
government structures to be consistent with
salmon biology (and develop multistakeholder
governance institutions for each river basin)
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Requirements for salmon breeding-releases -
Hatchery practices evaluated in an
adaptive-management to further reduce genetic and
ecological effects Integration of hatchery and
naturally reproducing salmon could lead to
adverse consequences for naturally reproducing
fish. Use of hatcheries to rebuild depressed
salmon populations is still unproven
technology. Hatcheries use should be limited to
situations where advantages outweigh
disadvantages Hatchery release practices must
be committed to concept of adaptive management
with continuous evaluation and corrections -
changes
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Baltic salmon management important
International level actions
- New clear and distinct Goals for salmon
management - Better coordinated CCB-lobby
towards National governments to get Est, Lat,
Lith, Rus, (Ger), (Swe?) stronger - Develop a
CCB-proposal for salmon management supported by
Est, Lat, Lith, Rus, Ger, (Swe?) . (problem for
wild salmon is Pol, Den, Swe, Fin) - Consider
future NGO-actions to buy-out salmon fishing
rights (primarily mixed fisheries) - Better
CCB-participation/lobbying towards EU Baltic
salmon group
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- Create a good example in Baltic region
Removal of dams for salmon migration - Salmon
fin-clipping programmes for released salmon
supported by CCB? - Create a good example for a
very good Salmon river management plan - Present
CCB views for Good implementation of EU Habitat
directive Atlantic salmon in Baltic region -
Follow phase-out of drift-nets create NGO lobby
resources to maintain the EU-decision - Salmon
release policy demand for best biological
practiceFocus on finger-print genetic
management Phase-out releases for
production(commercial fisheries) (to motivate
open-sea mixed fisheries) Release only early
life-stages (preferably eggs) (imitate nature)
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Baltic salmon management important National
level actions
- New clear and distinct Goals for salmon
management - Min of Environment encouraged to
work for wild salmon protection , and influence
Min of Fisheries - Develop a national Salmon
management plan, taking salmon diversity
seriously (Fin, Est, Lat, Lith, Rus, Swe,
Pol?) - Produce a good national Salmon study
report on Potential production of salmon in
national rivers (see Estonia as good example)
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- Monitor Returning salmon spawners in all wild
salmon rivers - Salmon release policy demand
for best biological practice (see above) -
Develop a Salmon river management plan for a weak
salmon river population (at least one very good
in each Baltic country), and incl. good salmon
monitoring (returning spawners, smolt production
etc) genetic finger-print management efficient
fishways (if dams) strict regulated fisheries
(seasonal closings etc) Poaching
control Awareness raising programme - Develop
coming salmon recreational fisheries(more
profitable, for more people)