Salmon

Salmon (Salmo salar) is one of the most important predatory fish in the ecosystem. This magnificent fish is also highly sought after as both a food and sport fish – not least in traditional salmon rivers where fishing is exclusive and attracts many Swedish and foreign anglers.
In Sweden, there are three main stocks of salmon: Baltic salmon, Atlantic salmon and Vänerlax (Gullspångslax).

Salmon stocks have been severely affected by hydropower development

From river to sea
Salmon spawn in rivers and larger streams with the right conditions. Once the fry hatch, they spend their first years as fry (young fish) in the river. After about two to five years, they transform into smolts and migrate to the sea, where they grow rapidly by eating schooling fish such as herring and sprat. They return to their natal river to spawn, usually from October to January. A female can lay around 10,000 eggs, which hatch in April-May. Many salmon die after spawning, but some may spawn several times.

Wild salmon under threat
Salmon populations have been severely affected by hydropower development, which has destroyed many natural spawning grounds and prevented salmon from reaching spawning areas. Large-scale fishing in seas and rivers has also reduced wild populations of salmon. To compensate for this, large numbers of farmed salmon are released annually. Farmed salmon are fin clipped to distinguish them from wild salmon, but there is a risk that they mix and weaken the wild population genetically.

Free migration routes benefit salmon
The Improve Aquatic LIFE project has a particular focus on migratory species such as salmon as the situation for the species is considered serious. By removing migration barriers and creating fishways in watercourses, as well as increasing connectivity, i.e. ensuring that there is a free connection between watercourses and lakes all the way to the sea, salmon and many other species will benefit.