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– It’s just sad. ‘We have been sounding the alarm about wild salmon stocks for years,’ says Pål Mugaas of Norske Lakseelver.
Following reports of low salmon numbers so far this year, the Norwegian Environment Agency announced on Friday that they Suspension of salmon fishing in 33 rivers and seas from Sweden’s southern border up to and including Trøndelag.
The background is to ensure there are enough salmon in the river next year to continue the stock.
Influence from Salmon farming and climate change are the biggest threats to wild salmondetermined by the Norwegian Environment Agency.
– Pål Mugaas, PR Manager at Norske Lakseelver, told E24 that there is no doubt that farmed salmon production is to blame.
The Norwegian Environment Agency kept rivers open in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark counties and said they would only take action if there was an urgent need.
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angry
The problem, Mugas said, is that there is too much fish being produced there. Open cageOpen cageThe most common form of farmed fish reared in the sea. It consists of nets through which water can flow freely. This type of cage culture is the traditional and dominant type of salmon farming in Norway. In the sea, parasites (salmon lice) are produced.
– It’s just sad. We’ve been warning about wild salmon populations for years, Mugas said.
He said something had to be done.
– We are aware of the Norwegian Environment Agency and precautionary measures, says Mugas.
He said they were annoyed with Sjømat Norge because they still did not want to take any responsibility for wild salmon being wiped out by salmon lice.
– When you produce in open cages, there are lots of salmon lice, which can kill the young salmon larvae going out to sea.
Mugas said the solution for agriculture is that production must be moved to closed facilities.
– This could provide positive economic benefits to the aquaculture industry (which can grow and produce more fish) as well as to wild salmon that release lice from farms. In this way, the river would be able to sustain sport fishing, he said.
– Not a Norwegian phenomenon
Henrik Wiedswang Horjen, communications manager at Sjømat Norge, wrote in an email to E24 that they share the same concerns about the failure of multiple locations to accept wild salmon.
– This also happens in areas of Norway where there is not a lot of agriculture, and to an even greater extent in countries outside Norway.
He noted that the biggest decline was seen in the Baltic Sea.
– Therefore, this is not a Norwegian phenomenon that can be explained by agriculture, says Horjen.
The PR manager said many factors were at play.
– Hawking said climate change is as important as changes in ocean regimes.
Henrik Wildsvan Hoyen
Communications Manager, Norwegian Seafood
– the measures taken
– What do you think of Norske Lakseelver’s accusations?
– Neither Sjømat Norge nor the industry accepts any responsibility. Instead, we say that we take the impact on the part of the industry seriously and continue to work in a targeted manner,” Horjen wrote.
– What is your responsibility for wild salmon being infested with salmon lice?
– The research group says our biggest impacts on wild salmon are escapes and genetic influences. He writes that the number of escapees has dropped dramatically and some measures have been taken with good results.
– He added that the Norwegian aquaculture industry has made great efforts to keep the number of lice as low as possible.
Financial consequences
The Norwegian Environment Agency announced that it might be appropriate to reopen fishing if new information came in that the situation on the closed rivers was better than it currently appeared.
Many members of Norske Lakseelver will lose income due to the closure.
– We sympathize with all parties and with all those who work in the wild salmon industry, such as guides, cooks, assistants, etc. This will have a significant negative impact on the economy of the salmon rivers, the Norwegian Salmon Rivers Association and the Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen Association wrote in a press release after the announcement.
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