Target spawning requirements for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Newfoundland rivers

Abstract In recent years, there has been increasing pressure from user groups in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, to manage Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., on a river-specific basis. The requirement to maximize benefits to users while ensuring that conservation goals are met has resulted in an initiative to develop river-specific target spawning requirements. In Newfoundland, anadromous juvenile Atlantic salmon make widespread use of lacustrine habitat for rearing. Depending on the river, lacustrine habitat can account for a substantial proportion of total production. Therefore, target spawning requirements for a number of rivers in several management areas were derived in terms of the contribution of both riverine and lacustrine habitats. The approach adopted, and derivations of associated parameter values, are reviewed, and limitations and research needs are discussed.     

Differences in the time of river entry of Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., spawning in different parts of the River North Esk

Abstract Spawning adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were sampled in five tributaries of the River North Esk, Scotland, during the winters 1989/90 and 1990/91. The fish furthest upriver had higher sea- and smolt-ages and the one-sea-winter fish were smaller and more coloured than those spawning further downstream. These differences indicate that the uppermost tributaries are populated by fish which enter the river early in the year and the lowest tributaries by fish entering late in the year. Exactly why such a structure exists is not clear, but it is suggested that these differences may be adaptive and that selection effects may continually be modifying these populations.     

Timing of spawning in cultured and wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in the River Vosso, Norway

Spawning time and size of wild and nonnative cultured female Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) were studied in the River Vosso, Norway. Cultured immigrants were smaller, and peak spawning occurred 21 and 26 days earlier relative to wild salmon in 1991 and 1992, respectively. It was calculated that hatching and initial feeding of offspring of cultured females peaked 12 and 9 days earlier in spring 1992 and 19 and 8 days earlier in spring 1993 relative to offspring of wild females. Spawning time of the cultured salmon is similar to most Norwegian salmon populations and to cultured fish in other streams. In the River Vosso it also overlaps with that of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.), which may increase hybridization. The early time of breeding in nonnative fish indicates local adaptation in this trait in wild salmon. The consequences of early breeding of cultured fish are unpredictable in relation to spring temperatures but probably reduce their relative breeding success. The smaller size may also reduce the success of cultured females.     

Movements of two strains of radio tagged Altlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts through a reservoir

Smolt migration through a shallow and turbid hydro-reservoir in a major Danish river system was investigated using radiotelemetry. Hatchery-reared 1+-year-old Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts of equal size from two different non-native strains were radio-tagged and followed during their downstream migration through the 12-km-long reservoir. A total of 50 salmon smolts, 25 of Swedish (Øtran River) and 25 of Irish (Burrishoole River) origin, were surgically implanted with miniature radiotransmitters. The tagged smolts were tracked daily over a 3-week period in May 1996. The Øtran smolts initiated migration first ( P  < 0.001), moved faster ( P  < 0.01), were delayed less when passing a culvert ( P  < 0.001) and were more successful in moving through the reservoir than the Burrishoole smolts. The observed differences in migratory behaviour are interpreted as evidence of a genetic component influencing smolt migration.     

Incidence of hybridization between Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and brown trout, Salmo trutta L., in Ireland

The substantial growth of the farmed salmon industry in Europe since the 1970s has highlighted concerns regarding the genetic impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild salmonid stocks. High incidences of salmon × trout hybrids have been recorded in rivers situated near intensive salmon farming in Norway and Scotland, which may be indicative of a breakdown in reproductive isolation between salmon, Salmo salar L., and brown trout, Salmo trutta L. In the present study, salmonid fry and 0+ parr were collected from rivers in western Ireland. Allozyme and minisatellite DNA analysis were carried out on fry to determine the frequency of F1 hybrids from 10 rivers located within 38 km of salmon farms and three rivers at least 80 km from salmon farms. A total of 49 hybrids were recorded from 4135 salmonid fry (frequency = 1.2%). Mitochondrial DNA analysis showed that all hybrids arose from Atlantic salmon female × brown trout male crosses. Hybrid parr were recorded from one of the low-risk rivers (1.0%), but were present in seven out of the 10 catchments located within 38 km of salmon farms, with frequencies ranging from 0.7% to 3.1%. The results of the present survey, which represents the first extensive record of the levels of salmon-trout hybridization in Ireland, are discussed in relation to the continued growth of salmon farming in this country.     

Historical changes in age structure of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in the River Eo, northern Spain

Abstract Variations in the age structure and number of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., running into the River Eo in northern Spain were assessed from catch records of sport fisheries for the period 1949 to 1991. The analysis focused on two periods (1951–1960 and 1981–1991) for which more complete data on fish number, size and age were available. Over the whole period, no evidence for a decline in the total salmon run was found, but the last few years revealed significant changes in both the number and age structure of salmon caught. The catches were mainly composed of multi-sea-winter salmon, and this did not change from the 1950s to the 1980s as the proportion of grilse remained unchanged. However, since 1980, there was a marked decline in both the proportion of 3-sea-winter salmon (versus 2-sea-winter fish) and the frequency of previous spawners among the multi-sea-winter salmon. These changes were probably linked because most of the previous spawners re-entered the river as 3-sea-winter or older salmon. River age of salmon caught in the 1950s was low and constant (about 90% of the catch had smolted at one year) but the mean age of smolting increased in the 1980s.     

The prevalence of escaped farmed salmon, Salmo salar L., in the River Ewe, western Scotland, with notes on their ages, weights and spawning distribution

Abstract  The prevalence of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in the River Ewe, western Scotland, was assessed. After the establishment of smolt cages in the catchment and marine cages near the river mouth during 1986–1987, approximately 425 000 parr and smolts, and 122 000 growers have escaped. Between 1987 and 2001, farmed salmon occurred in the rod fishery in 13 of the 15 years, contributing at least 5.8% of the total catch, with a maximum annual frequency of 27.1%. It was estimated that <1% of fish escaping from the marine cages entered the river, but contributed at least 27% of potential anadromous spawners in 1997. Radiotagged, farmed fish in 2001 probably spawned in three subcatchments also used by tagged wild fish. Despite the likelihood of hybridisation there was no change in the median weight or marine age of wild fish, but smolt age decreased significantly ( P  < 0.02). The Ewe has a depleted wild salmon population (≤900 anadromous adults), and further genetic introgression by escapees should be prevented.     

Influence of river flow on rod catch of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., from the lower River Derwent, north-west England

Abstract Twenty-seven years of daily salmon, Salmo salar L., rod catch and flow data from the River Derwent were analysed. Daily catch was standardized for each month between June and October and the mean value determined for each 2-cumec flow band. In June and July the mean standardized catch remained relatively low and stable for flows up to approximately 9 cumecs. Thereafter it increased steadily with increasing flow, reaching a peak at 21 cumecs and 41 cumecs for each month respectively. A linear model accounted for the greatest proportion of the variability in August and September with mean standardized catch increasing steadily up to a maximum value of 43 and 39 cumecs respectively. However, in October, a quadratic model was more appropriate, with mean standardized catch decreasing as flow increased up to 9 cumecs and thereafter increasing steadily with flow, reaching a maximum value at 21 cumecs. The pattern of the relationship at higher flows was not clear because of the paucity of data. These findings are discussed in relation to the management of the water resource for the maintenance of the fishery.     

Occurrence of gyrodactylids on wild Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Danish rivers

Three hundred and one parr of wild salmon, Salmo salar L., from three river systems in Denmark were examined in December 2005 and August 2006 for gyrodactylid infections. The species determination was done by morphological analyses of the opisthaptoral hard parts and molecular analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing. Five species of the genus Gyrodactylus were found: Gyrodactylus derjavini, Gyrodactylus teuchis, Gyrodactylus truttae, Gyrodactylus arcuatus and Gyrodactylus salaris. The parasite species G. derjavini dominated over G. teuchis and G. truttae and only one specimen of G. arcuatus and one specimen of G. salaris were recovered. This specimen of G. salaris had the same mutation in the ITS-region as a previously described non-pathogenic Danish G. salaris variant. The prevalence of gyrodactylids on the salmon ranged from 0% to 100% but the mean abundance never exceeded 12.8.     

Effects of catch and release angling on Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., of the Conne River, Newfoundland

The effects of catch and release angling on survival of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., at Conne River, Newfoundland, were investigated by retaining angled ( n =49; experimental group) and trap-caught ( n =20; control group) fish in holding cages for up to 40 days. Samples were obtained from 8 June to 4 July, 2000, and partitioned among four water temperature strata. Apart from not being angled, control fish were handled, tagged, and transferred to holding cages in a manner similar to angled salmon. Water temperatures and discharge were monitored throughout the duration of the study. Overall, 8.2% of salmon caught and released died, but 12% died among salmon angled in water temperatures ≥ 17.9 °C. No control fish died. There were no significant differences in time associated with angling, exposure to air, tagging, transfer to holding cages, nor total handling time between salmon that survived vs. those that died. Results of the study should encourage managers to continue to use catch and release as a viable tool in the management of Atlantic salmon stocks.     

Content of synthetic astaxanthin in escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., ascending Norwegian rivers

Abstract  Isomeric ratios of astaxanthin in eggs and alevins of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., have proven useful in identifying female spawners of farmed origin, but the method underestimates the proportion of fish of farmed origin. The rate of underestimation was studied by analysing astaxanthin content in tissue of 55 farmed Atlantic salmon ascending two Norwegian rivers in the autumn of 1991. The astaxanthin content fell into two distinct classes. Fifty-one per cent of the adult escaped salmon had isomeric ratios similar to salmon fed synthetic astaxanthin, whereas all the remaining fish had ratios similar to wild fish. Discriminant analysis classified 96.4% of the fish with known astaxanthin content into the correct astaxanthin class on basis of tail-fin erosion, length, weight and gill-cover damage. This discriminant function was used to estimate the astaxanthin classification of 1017 farmed salmon caught in nine rivers during 1989–1991. The classification success varied among years from 52 to 64%. Corresponding numbers for females and males were 45–48% and 54–70%, respectively. Thus, estimates of spawning rates of farmed female salmon via astaxanthin content in eggs or alevins from redds should be adjusted accordingly. The observed isomeric ratios of astaxanthin in the escaped farmed salmon and the relationship with morphology indicates that a significant proportion of the escapees ascending rivers have spent more than 1 year in the wild after escape.     

Genetic characterization of Streptococcus phocae strains isolated from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Chile

Streptococcus phocae is a beta-haemolytic bacterium frequently involved in disease outbreaks in seals causing pneumonia or respiratory infection. Since 1999, this pathogen has been isolated from diseased Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar , causing serious economic losses in the salmon industry in Chile. In this study, we used different molecular typing methods, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence PCR (ERIC-PCR), repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (REP-PCR) and restriction of 16S–23S rDNA intergenic spacer regions to evaluate the genetic diversity in S. phocae . Thirty-four strains isolated in different years were analysed. The S. phocae type strain ATCC 51973^T was included for comparative purposes. The results demonstrated genetic homogeneity within the S. phocae strains isolated in Chile over several years, suggesting the existence of clonal relationships among S. phocae isolated from Atlantic salmon. The type strain ATCC 51973^T presented a different genetic pattern with the PFGE, RAPD, ERIC-PCR and REP-PCR methods. However, the fingerprint patterns of two seal isolates were distinct from those of the type strain.     

Endurance of farmed and sea-ranched Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. at spawning

Endurance of farmed and sea-ranched Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. males was analysed during spawning time. The fish were endurance tested at different swimming speeds (1.6–2.1 m s^?1) in forced swim trials. The sea-ranched males (51-65 cm, n= 20) fatigued significantly earlier than the farmed males(59-72 cm, n= 20),although the sea-ranched males were significantly smaller than the farmed males. When the size difference between the two groups were corrected for, no significant difference in the endurance of the two groups was found. Farmed salmon had a significant higher fat content in white muscle (4.7%) than sea-ranched salmon (1.1%).     

Occurrence of canthaxanthin in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., fry in Irish rivers as an indicator of escaped farmed salmon

The rapid growth of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., culture in north-western Europe has given rise to concerns regarding the biological consequences of fish farm escapes on wild salmonid populations. Canthaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment additive to farmed salmon feed which is passed from females to their progeny, may be used as an indicator of the numbers of escaped farmed salmon which spawn in the wild. In the present study, thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to screen emergent Atlantic salmon fry sampled from seven river catchments in Ireland for canthaxanthin. The incidence of fry containing canthaxanthin at greater than trace levels (<5% of total carotenoid pigment) was 0–4%, with an average of 1.7%, among the seven rivers sampled, indicating that the progeny of farmed salmon were present at similarly low frequencies. Canthaxanthin was detected at trace levels in an unexpectedly high proportion (35%) of salmon fry. Canthaxanthin was present at levels exceeding trace amounts in 24% of 21 non-anadromous brown trout, Salmo trutta L., sampled from six Irish rivers and present at trace levels in a further 57% of the fish, indicating that dietary canthaxanthin is freely available to salmonids in Irish rivers. The widespread presence of trace levels in salmon fry may be attributable, at least in part, to the increased sensitivity of the HPLC methods and to rapid dietary uptake during early post-emergence feeding.     

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and sea trout, Salmo trutta L., passage in a regulated northern river – fishway efficiency, fish entrance and environmental factors

The number and the size of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., using the Isohaara fishway was elevated by increasing the fishway discharge and by changing the type of the pass entrance. The fishway is intended to help fish bypass a hydroelectric station located close to the mouth of the large, regulated River Kemijoki, in northern Finland. Multi-sea-winter (MSW) salmon returned to the river mouth during peak flows in early June but did not use the fishway until 1 month later. Their number in the fishway was positively correlated with the tailwater level. One-sea winter (1-SW) salmon, which arrived approximately one month later, started to enter the fishway without corresponding delays. In autumn, a high tailwater level and a small drop at the fish entrance seemed to be needed for the successful passage of these small-sized salmon and sea trout, Salmo trutta L.     

The age structure and distribution of Atlantic salmon parr, Salmo salar L., in small tributaries and main stems of the subarctic River Teno, northern Finland

Parr of the Atlantic salmon in subarctic River Teno, northern Finland (70°N, 28°E), are found to migrate to small tributaries that are not spawning areas for the adult salmon. The age distribution of the salmon differs significantly between these brooks and the natal rivers, the parr in the brooks being typically 2–4 years old, whereas those in the main rivers were mostly of age 0–2 years. The older fish were found in the uppermost regions of the brooks. The ratio of salmon to brown trout decreases towards the upper reaches of the brooks. At least some of the young salmon overwinter in the brooks. However, the number of fish and the area inhabited diminished towards the autumn in some occasions. It is suggested that this migratory behavior may be an adaptational phenomenon that could cause variation in survival among young salmon in the River Teno.     

Prespawning migratory behaviour of wild and farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L, in a north Norwegian river

The migration patterns of wild and released farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were studied by radio-telemetry during migration from entering a river to after spawning. The wild salmon were caught during return migration in bagnets and the farmed salmon were produced in a near by fish farm. Both groups were tagged and released at sea near the river mouth of the River Alta, North Norway. A pronounced individual variation in migration pattern was observed. No significant differences was found between wild and farmed salmon in the distance from entering the river mouth to the place of the first stop (recorded in the same pool for 5 days or longer) and the days from entering the river mouth to arrival at the first stop. For both wild and farmed salmon, mean migration speed was 2.6 km day¹, varying from 0.4 to 11.0 km day^-1. A larger proportion of farmed salmon distributed to the upper part of the river at spawning; mean distances from the river mouth were 30.1 and 19.1 km. respectively. Farmed salmon spent a significantly longer time from entering the river to reaching the area occupied during spawning.